the therapeutic ointment includes ( a ) a skin protecting agent , ( b ) an anti - inflammatory agent , and ( c ) an antibiotic composition . the purpose of the skin protecting agent is to protect the mammal &# 39 ; s skin from , e . g ., water , sun , chemicals , and the like while the skin is healing from the infection . an example of a useful skin protecting agent is zinc oxide . the purpose of the anti - inflammatory agent is to reduce inflammation and itching that often accompanies infection . examples of useful anti - inflammatory agents include steroids such as hydrocortisone . the purpose of the antibiotic composition is to attack and eliminate the underlying cause of the infection , including bacteria and fungi . preferably , one or more antibiotic agents are used in combination with each other to achieve the desired therapeutic effect . examples include a triple antibiotic ointment featuring bacitracin zinc , neomycin , and polymyxin b sulfate . the relative amounts of the three components ( skin protecting agent , anti - inflammatory agent , and antibiotic composition ) are selected to give the desired therapeutic and protective effects . for example , in some embodiments , the ratio of skin protecting agent to anti - inflammatory agent to antibiotic composition is about 4 : 1 : 1 , on a volume basis . the ointment may further include a fungicide such as miconazole nitrate . the ointment may further include a number of inactive ingredients . examples include ointment bases ( e . g ., methylparaben , paraffin , petrolatum , white petrolatum , microcrystaline wax , bees wax , carnauba wax , and the like ), plasticizers ( e . g ., triacetine , diacetyl ethylene glycol , diethyl sebacate , diethyl phthalate , dibutyl phthalate , diisopropyl adipate , dibutyl succinate , and the like ), surfactants ( e . g ., polyoxyl stearate 40 , polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil , polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene glycol , polysorbate , sucrose esters of fatty acids , and the like ), stabilizers ( e . g ., calcium disodium edetate ), antioxidants ( e . g ., bha , bht , and the like ), emollients and humectants ( e . g ., lanolin , glycerin , aloe , and the like ), rheology modifiers ( e . g ., talc ), cod liver oil , shark liver oil , and mineral oil . the ointment is prepared by admixing the various components , typically at room temperature . in use , the affected area is typically washed gently with a mild soap , rinsed well , and dried , after which the ointment is smeared over the area . in general , the ointment is applied once a day until the infection has healed . a therapeutic composition was prepared by blending the following ingredient ( all amounts are weight percent unless otherwise noted ): active ingredients zinc oxide 40 % hydrocortisone 10 mg bacitracin zinc 400 units neomycin 3 . 5 mg polymyxin b sulfate 5000 units white petrolatum , aloe extract , bha , cod liver oil , lanolin , methylparaben , talc , purified water , mineral oil . the ointment was applied to the skin of horses suffering from scratches . within 1 - 2 days , the infected area exhibited a noticeable improvement . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .
a therapeutic ointment that includes a skin protecting agent , an anti - inflammatory agent , and an antibiotic composition , and a method of using the ointment to treat mammals suffering from dermatological infections .