Has Terramycin Worked For Anyone?

purrsnickety

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If so, how many doses before seeing any improvement? It’s offered otc but I got this one through my vet. It’s an antibiotic ophthalmic ointment in case the name doesn’t ring any bells.
 

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It is fairly common and works well as far as I know. Improvement really varies on the pet and what is going on. Why was it prescribed?
 
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purrsnickety

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It is fairly common and works well as far as I know. Improvement really varies on the pet and what is going on. Why was it prescribed?
Hi! He’s a Persian, supposedly susceptible to eye infections and uri but he rarely gets a break with his eyes, either left or right would swell shut. He also had a uri at 5 months so I began to suspect something. Vet says he looks to healthy to worry about he thinks I’m worried about..

He had 4 doses of the Terramycin and showed no improvement. I had some left over from another vet (recently switched) which I think works better. Within 2 doses over 6 hours his eye is back to normal. The other tube is Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Dexamethasone.

I'm not finishing the prescription over the required length of time and wondering if that’s why it keeps coming back. He does tend to overgroom as well so there is that.
 

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Ask your vet for the ointment he responds to better. They are similar, but not quite the same. I suggest that you give him a full treatment as prescribed.

Also, wipe his eyes with a warm damp cloth daily to prevent infection. :)
 

kittyluv387

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I think you should finish the prescription. That's the recommended thing for antibiotics. You don't want the infection coming back evolved and needing even stronger antibiotics.
 
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purrsnickety

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Ask your vet for the ointment he responds to better. They are similar, but not quite the same. I suggest that you give him a full treatment as prescribed.

Also, wipe his eyes with a warm damp cloth daily to prevent infection. :)
Thanks! Yes, I’ll be better with a fresh tube and I’ll place an order later tonight and they can call in tomorrow for the rx. :)

After I posted I gave up waiting. He was on the Terramycin since yesterday and was hesitant to switch because of it. Not only did he not show improvement but I can tell his eye bothers him and he ends up sleeping more. After the second dose of the other one he was running around.

I’m naturally curious about both medications, especially since one is available otc but it seems he won’t benefit from the Terramycin.
 
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purrsnickety

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I think you should finish the prescription. That's the recommended thing for antibiotics. You don't want the infection coming back evolved and needing even stronger antibiotics.
I think so too. Funny thing is I know this is how antibiotics work but since I see full recovery within hours I never thought I’d continuing for a full week twice a day.
 
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purrsnickety

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Update-beware tldr!

He'd developed a bad reaction to both antibiotics—Neo Poly Dex and Terramycin. They were making him sick. Cipro is left to try again when necessary (we'd used it months ago) but his eyes look really good atm, perfectly bright round globes with no signs of cornea damage or vision loss, at least I suspect. He’s scarfing down his food, playing like a maniac, and not showing any signs of pain which was happening right after giving him his eye meds.

I think he has idiopathic facial dermatitis or “dirty face syndrome “, particular to Persians and Himalayan’s and starts while they’re very young. In fact I know he has it and have yet to confirm with a specialist. He's tested negative for parasites (more about that below). The case below is a three year old that went untreated. Their face is an area we’re taught to keep very clean but I hadn’t noticed the difference between normal staining, drainage, and a greyish/black waxy film with specks that's hard to clean and collects underneath his eyes. Grooming powder when used daily as I have after cleansing the eye area usually helps to keep food and tears from contaminating fur and skin, also helps prevent stains. The powder I use came highly recommended but I’d like to find out what’s in it. He's never shown any kind of reaction and those powders are designed to be safe for them, but I’ll still need to look into it.

His condition might have been exacerbated by a recent paw infection—the paw-to-mouth activity had to have worsened what was hidden in his face, to the point where it somehow became more noticeable to me. The acne under his chin spread to his mouth, the follicles of his whiskers were scrubbed with a soft clean toothbrush and the folds down his face have hidden crusty black matter. Using hydrogen peroxide for now, but I have chlorhexidine on order which they’ve used at the vet's for his paw. I drool over disinfectants so naturally I didn’t leave the vets without the name of that blue solution.

I'd also noticed a change in his fur, stud tail, and some localized hair loss—very light and probably only noticeable to me. Some of this bacteria could have spread to the follicles throughout, which happens when the condition worsens but that’s still yet to be confirmed. No rash or any thing else noticeable on the skin, and because of the hair loss I had him tested this week for parasites which came back negative. His vet indicated he looks to be in good health (a few more visits now than after posting) despite his having lost a pound which he’s gained back already. I adore my vet but it’s not his area and I know I’ll have to move on to a specialist for this. I have yet to speak to him about this because of the holiday.

The top of his nose is frustrating. It’s a troublesome spot to treat with an antibacterial because of its proximity to the eyes and how I suspect they’ve been getting infected—now much more frequently, and I was worried initially that a viral infection could be causing it. Still possible, but his nose is the area I’ll focus on for now. That crevice is deep and a q-tip dipped in antibacterial solution won’t do unless I simply drench and press hard enough to release a drip. Anything smaller and thinner forced in there could cause a scratch and I’ve already used my fingernail during his last bath which I shouldn’t have—often I’m like a bull in a china shop and there was, you know, black stuff that I was clueless about at the time. The eye antibiotics I’d ordered before he showed a reaction might have helped in this case since his nose is so close to his eyes, but his face might require a stronger prescription anyway and I don’t want meds to become ineffective. Hoping he’ll respond well with a different prescription to treat some of that bacteria and keep it at bay.

Now, ever since I got him he’s shown signs of over grooming with occasional restlessness/stress. Any kind of allergy whether food related or other was overlooked by myself and the two vets he’s seen, and his previous owner never reported one. Let’s just say there might be no connection between this condition and an allergy as it’s thought to be hereditary but a far off chance there is an underlying cause is being considered if I’d read several articles correctly and why I'm more cautious about his food, especially after seeing signs of localized skin infection. I’d already changed his diet about a month ago before I began posting here, and did so completely unaware as I hadn’t yet caught on to any of this. Sometimes I wonder about divine intervention if you believe in that sort of thing..

The one common denominator while on Dr. Elsey’s Turkey (mussels) and after I made the change recently to Go Sensitivity (no fish) was Blue Buffalo crunchy chicken snacks, not the healthiest but he loves them and I hadn’t yet found a replacement. It has Brewers Yeast and I've eliminated that snack just this last Tuesday. He’s strictly on the duck pate for now (potato/carbs under 10%) and since last week he no longer wants the Koha turkey pate. That has mussels too, like Dr. Elsey’s even though I don’t think fish is a cause. I just prefer it not to be in his food and that's hard with canned cat food. He now gets 100% dehydrated chicken for snacks. There’s still an unknown low on the canned duck ingredient list, but he’s no longer shaking his head and scratching right by his ears where they've always checked out normal. Right now he’s calm, happy, gaining weight, no digestive issues, and his stools still look lovely. Important to note I might have helped eliminate an allergen—I think—but it doesn’t mean that it's THE underlying cause, if there is such a thing. It's just a start after some research and carefully examining the whole picture. Anything else it could be requires further testing.

It's only been a few days sans brewers yeast and too soon to tell—sans fish though for almost two weeks, but he looks very relaxed. I’ve contacted Petcurean and provided positive feedback and in hopes of more info for another flavor. Still looking into other canned foods, only those out of US or Canada with not too many recalls and that really narrows things down. NOW L Lysine doesn’t contain brewers yeast in a flavor base, it’s straight and I’m hesitant it might change the flavor of his food. I’d like to add the L Lysine at some point along with a supplement like NUVET which is high in Taurine as some of the grain free canned food is low on it. NUVET has brewers yeast though, so I’ll be looking for a different one.

I’m replacing all of his grooming products as a precaution. Vetoquinol has a few medicated shampoos and conditioners and I’ve contacted them so I can choose the right one. Wouldn’t be surprised if I need two types of shampoo but I did send them the article to ask which products would work best. Malassezia needs to be treated along with cocci among other things. Waiting to hear back. Noticeable improvement in his skin and fur will take some time but I’m hopeful.

I’d like to have a plan or some idea on how to approach the dermatologist in order to avoid crazy tests and charges when the time comes. Little One's had enough stress and is enjoying the life right now. Petsbest insurance has been good so far, but I’ve also heard great things about Trupanion and not at all sure what’ll happen come renewal time once I receive a firm diagnosis. I’ll see how I’m feeling about posting a picture of his face to add here although he barely shows any signs right now. I can make a new thread if moderator feels I should.

It’s insane how much I love him. I have a lot to think about and I’ll need more coffee. Sending much love and appreciation to anyone who’s taken the time to read this.

Dermatosis in a Persian | VetFolio
 

Sarthur2

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My goodness - this is a lot to digest.

Has a basic broad-spectrum antibiotic been tried? If the dermatitis is bacterial it should clear it up. Then, keeping him groomed and his face cleaned should keep him in tip-top shape.

Good his eyes are clear and he is eating well!
 
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purrsnickety

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My goodness - this is a lot to digest.

Has a basic broad-spectrum antibiotic been tried? If the dermatitis is bacterial it should clear it up. Then, keeping him groomed and his face cleaned should keep him in tip-top shape.

Good his eyes are clear and he is eating well!
Thank you!

On the antibiotics, nothing yet. He won’t medicate if he deems the problem to be someone else’s area of expertise. He especially won’t medicate cats in particular unless he’s 100 % sure of what’s going on, this much I know. He recommended I see a skin specialist—nothing more was said. He's also firm that Little One shows no signs of viral infection and I’ll take his word for it for now.

I like that he’s old school and a feline specialist, and that it’s his practice over nine other vets. His front desk is professional and courteous. He’s been around a long time and very personable, just not the most gentle vet I’ve seen in action :lol2:
I just love him and learned to trust him over time.

The profile picture helps the face description I provided, at least I hope. I researched based on what I’d noticed around the eyes and what I found later, and on his recommendation simply because I need more time—main reason. Meantime kill and minimize bacteria without aggravating his skin. Knowing he tested negative for parasites was a huge help.
 
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purrsnickety

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Since the thread was originally about Terramycin and then Neo Poly Dex, wanted to add that I’d requested the latter but my vet's practice doesn’t recommend it. I had a tube already which I kept clean and refrigerated after use (prescribed before I switched vets) and I always squeeze out a little always before using. What I’d observed personally is the steroid quite possibly masks an ongoing infection that’s not responding to the Neomycin Polymyxin combo giving the impression of an eye that’s healed which might not necessarily be the case. That and that lots of cats are allergic to Neo, especially if they’re already sensitive. It’s probably very good medicine for the right case, but I can see now why he doesn’t recommend it.
 
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