Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

[k9diabetes]

Discussions of the Risks of Convenia from Itchmo

Convenia is a long-acting antibiotic injection. Convenient, but if your pet has a reaction to the antibiotic, the dangers are significant.

Probably this should not be given to any pet who hasn't already demonstrated the ability to tolerate the same class of antibiotics (penicillins and cephalosporins) through a short-acting administration.

http://www.catinfo.org/?link=convenia

Convenia (manufactured by Pfizer) is a relatively new injectable long-acting antibiotic that is labeled for the treatment of skin infections in cats and dogs. It exerts its antibacterial effects for approximately 1-2 weeks but stays in the body for over 2 months.

This is in contrast to non-repositol antibiotics which are rapidly cleared from the body and need to be administered 1 - 2 times per day.

It is important to understand that all drugs have side effects with some being more significant/life-threatening than others so it is very important to consider these side effects when any chemical is put into a living being.
Consider the fact that if your cat has an adverse reaction to Convenia there is no way to retrieve this long-acting drug from his body.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Conven...18697391502152

http://www.convenia.com/

http://www.convenia.com/pdfs/Conveni...nformation.pdf

The drug appears to take 65 days to totally clear the system

[buddingartist]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Natalie

I am getting sick to my stomach as I read this.

On 18 August, we took Cleo to the vet because of the problems with her legs. In addition to the X rays, we brought in a urine sample and it was determined that she had an infection. She got an injection of Convenia.

We went back for a recheck on 29 August, and since there was still a trace of blood in her urine, she got another injection of Convenia.

So far, she has not shown any signs described in the litterature that I can detect. Of course, she is a little slowed down because of the Tramadol and Metacam which we were advised to reduce since she had shown some improvement. A few hours after we came back from the vet, she was panting from the pain, bunny hopping and keeping her leg up. I dropped into the vet this morning and it was recommended that she gets .5mg of metacam with her first meal of the day and 25mg of tramadol with her late afternoon meal. If this dosage does not take care of the pain, to give her the tramadol twice a day.

Other than watching her very carefully, is there anything else I should do? I was not warned about potential danger, about the fact that it lasted so long in the body. They did however check a few days after the first injection to see how she was doing.

Louise

[CarolW]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Gosh Louise. I think at the least, the vet should have discussed the characteristics of Convenia with you before injecting Cleo. Not to mention a second injection, not even two weeks later.

I'm hoping that if Cleo hasn't suffered obvious ill-effects, she'll be okay. Just HOPING! Guess I'd be having a talk with my vet about now; I suppose you might do that, when you feel up to it.

Wishing you and Cleo the very best.

Lots of love and hugs,
Fri, 2 Sep 2011 17:19:00 (PDT)

[k9diabetes]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

I think she would have likely had a reaction right away if she was going to have one.

Though I haven't read up on it in detail, I presume that the drug takes 65 days to clear entirely but probably is mostly gone more quickly than that.

Natalie

[buddingartist]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Tks Natalie

All that kept coming back to mind were the deaths associated to that drug and that scared me.

It's a good thing that the clinic was closed and will be for the long weekend as I probably would have had another blow out with the vet. I had to eat <humble pie< once for the sake of Buddy and I probably would have had to do it again for Cleo's sake.

The small animal vets that we have here all protect each other and they won't take on someone else's client.

So far she is doing OK.

Assuming that the drug remains in the system for up to 65 days, if there is still blood in Cleo's urine when I do another recheck, should I just wait out the 65 days to give more antibiotics (not Convenia) or would it be safe to go to another antibiotic.

After the injection (dum on my part should have asked before), I asked if they had done a culture and sensitivity test and he said they didn't as he was trying to save us some money. So far we have spent $800 so what's the point

When we talked about a recheck, I told him that I would not give Cleo any more antibiotics unless we did the culture.

Louise

[CarolW]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Possible money-saving choices need to be discussed with the vet before we make decisions. My vets are great about that - always present the alternatives, and mention relative costs. Also, all vets in the practice I use work TOGETHER, and that is one of the biggest blessings I know. It's extra work for them, as they review cases together - and keep up with current medical news also; the Booth, Bell and Can-Do, as I call it now, is a combination that's really great. (Dr. Carla Bell recently became a partner in the practice, with Dr. Amanda Booth, and their third, part-time vet, is great too - Dr. Ute Mannhardt).

All three of these vets pooled their efforts, the day Kumbi died unexpectedly at home. Dr. Amanda had just left for a conference (A.C.V.I.M.) in Anaheim; Dr. Ute took me and Kumbi (dead) into the clinic, and Dr. Carla came in on her day off, to assist in a rough post-mortem exam. They relayed to Dr. Amanda, who was responding now from the conference. Dr. Amanda wrote to me THREE TIMES from the conference. Drs. Ute and Carla talked to me on the phone.

So, the entire practice is geared to find out what might be best for each individual patient, always with the capabilities (financial and other) of the human client being discussed, so the patient gets the best possible care. If that makes sense. (I'm slightly sleepy.)

Natalie, I'm glad you think if there were to be ill-effects for Cleo from the Convenia, they would have shown up by now. Hope you'll keep us up to date, Louise, on how Cleo is doing.

Sat, 3 Sep 2011 07:25:13 (PDT)

[buddingartist]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

So far so good. Breathing is normal, no diarrhea, no vomitting, convulsion or anything that I can see. Her appetite is normal.

I have been reading about Convenia since yesterday and there seems to be a higher number of incidents with cats.

Unfortunately, our clinic is a one-vet clinic with another one on call to cope with vacation and the trippling of the population in the summer due to the return of the snowbirds and a high volume of tourists.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Louise

[MaryLea]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Hi, Louise. Glad to hear the good report.

So far so good.

...trippling of the population in the summer due to the return of the snowbirds ....

Louise

Funny, we call them snowbirds, too, but they show up here (in South Texas) in the winter.

Mary

[Patty]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Glad Cleo's doing ok Louise.

[buddingartist]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

I am quite relieved that she's OK.

My only concern now is the eventuality that there is still blood in the next sample that I bring in. If Convenia stays in the body for up to 65 days, how prudent (or not) would it be to give her another antibiotic? I just don't want to destroy her immune system.

Louise

[Patty]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

I think I'd just be sure to culture it to see what it's sensitive to. There are cases where more than 1 antibiotic are used without issue. And if the Covenia hasn't touched it, you'll need something that will be effective.

I'd keep her on a probiotic for a while though with frequent/long term antibiotic use.

[buddingartist]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Tks for reassuring me Patty

Cleo has been on probiotic for a long time now.

And yes, I told him I would not give her any more antibiotics without a culture if the second injection didn't clear the problem.

Louise

[eileen]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

Bringing up an old topic...

Cat, George, with restrictive cardiomyopathy was found to have a severe UTI, since I can not pill him he was given an injection of Covenia.
He is suppose to have another urine culture run in 10 days...and another injection of Covenia in 14 days.

Looking for more information, thoughts, input on the use of Covenia.

Thanks

[k9diabetes]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

I would think that if he does okay on the first one, subsequent ones will be okay. Not sure, but my understanding of the concern is that you can't get it out of the system if they have a reaction to it, like an allergic reaction. So you have to jump over the cliff before finding out how deep the cliff is.

[CarolW]

Re: Risks associated with Convenia - long acting antibiotic

I would think that if he does okay on the first one, subsequent ones will be okay. Not sure, but my understanding of the concern is that you can't get it out of the system if they have a reaction to it, like an allergic reaction. So you have to jump over the cliff before finding out how deep the cliff is.

Cute. Good analogy, Natalie. Eileen, I was just thinking of you and wondering how you are. I can't remember how the dates work, so were these last two posts today, or were they the ninth of March this year?

Anyway, good luck with the Convenia - sounds like a useful drug - IF it works out well for the animal! (groan!)

To sort out my date: Mon, 9 Sep 2013 20:19:17 (PDT)