Local Examination And Treatment

Injuries to and Diseases of the Skin, Eye, Ear and Nose

Medicaments are applied to the skin, eye, ear and nose in the form of powders, lotions, sprays and water or oils solutions. The use of water solutions requires repeated applications (every 2 hours) while ointments act over longer periods, requiring application of smaller amounts after longer intervals. Medicaments for the eye and ear should preferably be in the form of an ointment or a water base. This method of application can be used for the local treatment of wounds, rheumatism and disease of the skin, eye and ear.

Local treatment of animals with skin wounds may often be frustrating as the animals constantly lick the wounds and can thus be poisoned by the medicaments. The local application of medicaments often requires constant securing, large collars around the neck or the administration of sedatives.

The medicament must be applied thinly and rubbed well into the wound. Sprays are convenient in the sense that they dry fast and thus diminish the chances of the drug being rubbed off or washed away.