Is my puppy's chloramphenicol safe for me if he licks?

Question

My puppy is on his 6th week of chloramphenicol (on and off). I was reading on line about this medicine last night after he spat some in my eye. I am seeing rather unencouraging reports of the effects on humans and puppies. Ought I be worried, and what should I do to prevent adverse side effects? The vet only told me to use gloves when administering, but did not mention the toxicity. Also, Ziggy loves to lick my face and hands. How soon should I allow him to do so after he takes his medicine? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 5 months and 19 days old | 10 lbs

Kevin Sanada, DVM · Accepted Answer

Chloramphenicol is known to cause aplastic anemia in people, which means that it can reduce your red blood cell count and cause bone marrow suppression (this is reversible). This effect has not been demonstrated as much in animals though, so we do use it for certain conditions. We often limit our usage of this drug, because of the potential for toxicity towards people, so the vet is probably treating a condition where this drug is known to be exceptionally effective and the benefit outweighs the risk. While this drug is not recommended in neonates (puppies that are just born), it is OK to use with a five month old, so I wouldn't worry too much unless you start to notice some additional problems with Ziggy. We always recommend administrating the drug to your pet with caution, because of the potential toxic effects, but the reality is that you are not likely to get a significant enough dose to cause any toxic effects from just touching the pill or being in contact with secretions. However, this may vary depending on the person, so I recommend also asking your physician about this. I hope that helps and Ziggy feels better soon.

Is my puppy's chloramphenicol safe for me if he licks?

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