Evaluation of the feline ocular surface microbiome before and after treatment with topical erythromycin

The objective of this study was to describe the ocular microbiota of healthy cats and determine whether antibiotic therapy results in subsequent changes over time. Twelve adult female spayed domestic shorthaired cats from a research colony served as subjects. Erythromycin ointment (0.5%) was applied to the ocular surface of one randomly assigned eye per cat three times daily for 7 days, while the fellow eye served as an untreated control. The ocular surface was sampled for bacteria by swabbing the ventral conjunctival fornix of both eyes at the following time points: days 0 (baseline), 7 and 35.