Bacterial Infections in Common Octopuses

Invertebrate · Octopus vulgaris · typical adult weight 1.00–10.00 kg

6 cited drugs treat Bacterial Infections in common octopuses: Chloramphenicol, Enrofloxacin, Furazolidone, Gentamicin, Nitrofurazone, Tetracycline.

General coverage of susceptible bacterial pathogens. Drug selection turns on the suspected organism's gram-stain, the patient's species (oral β-lactams unsafe in rabbits/guinea pigs), and the infection site (penetration to bone, CSF, or biliary tree).

The overview above describes Bacterial Infections across species; the citations below are the ExoticRx dose rules scoped to common octopuses — a reference list, not new species-specific clinical guidance.

Chloramphenicol

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	75 mg/kg	twice daily	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Chloramphenicol dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

Enrofloxacin(Baytril)

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Duration	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	5 mg/kg	q8-12h	—	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.
immersion	2.5 mg/L	immersion/bath — see duration	2.5 mg/l, 5-hour immersion, q12-24h. [Invertebrate Medicine 3rd ed (Lewbart 2022), Table 9.6 Cephalopod formulary, corpus PDF p.596, printed verbatim; the accompanying text states "immersion: 2.5 mg/l for 5 hours q. 12-24 hours"]	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Enrofloxacin dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

Furazolidone

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
immersion	50 mg/L	2× day	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Furazolidone dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

Gentamicin(Gentocin)

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
IM	20 mg/kg	1× day	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Gentamicin dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

Nitrofurazone(Furacin)

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
immersion	25 mg/L	2× day	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Nitrofurazone dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

Tetracycline(Panmycin)

Antibiotic

Route	Dose	Frequency	Indication	Evidence	Source
PO	10 mg/kg	1× day	Bacterial infection	Weak	Invertebrate Medicine, 3rd ed (Lewbart, 2022), Table 9.6 "Cephalopod formulary". Published 2026-08-06.Compilation only — we have not located an independent source that prints this figure.

Full Tetracycline dosing in Common Octopuses →Calculate for this common octopus →

All drugs cited for Bacterial Infections →All drugs for Common Octopuses →

Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice. Verify against current literature before clinical use.