Rabbit with Eye Infection- Staph- Is Chloramphenicol topical enough

Question
Hi Dana,

I'm a first time rabbit owner.  Here is the history on my bunny.

-I found him in my backyard in May 2009.  8 lbs now.  Was 6 when I found him.  
-Began feeding him lettuce and carrots.  
-He became a faithful customer every early morning and early evening.  
-He appeared one day with a large lump on his right lip.  Took him to an exotics vet and he found and extracted a cuterebra (worm)  We discussed and decided he would be better off indoors away from heat and exposure to disease.
-He lives in two of our bedrooms and wanders freely.  Has his litterbox, eats well, plenty of timothy hay and veggies-favorites are parsley, romaine lettuce, broccoli and carrots.
-I boarded him with a non-exotics vet while on a short trip two weekends ago.  The non-exotics vet offered to castrate him and did.  He was fine when I picked him up but then I noticed his left eye and fur below the eye were wet.
-Took him to the exotics vet because the vet that boarded him doesn't treat rabbits.
-The exotics vet gave me some chloramphenicol topical ointment in the meantime, to apply twice a day while waiting for the culture.
-Culture came back today, positive for staph.
-Vet said topical chloramphenicol would be fine and to keep applying for one more week.  (Bunny still has the tears but behaving normally and eating well)
-I need reassurance because everything I read on the web says staph can spread and needs to be treated immediately.  
What's your opinion?  Does my bunny need oral antibiotics?

Thank you!

Answer
Dear Priscilla,

Staphylococcus aureus is very common and ubiquitous, and is more an opportunistic pathogen than anything else. Not all strains are aggressive, and if the culture indicated that this strain is sensitive to chloramphenicol, then that's a good option to use for his eye lesion.

If the condition isn't better in about 10 days, then you might want to consult a veterinary ophthalmologist to be sure the diagnosis was accurate, and the treatment is appropriate and sufficient.  But this is certainly a reasonable "first attack" protocol that might resolve the problem completely, given enough time.

Hope this helps.

Dana