Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca

Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca (http://www.pets.ca/forum/index.php)
-   Cat health - Ask members * If your pet is vomiting-bleeding-diarrhea etc. Vet time! (http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=75)
-   -   Convenia® (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=57265)

badger October 7th, 2008 11:20 AM

Convenia®
 
Has anyone heard of this or used it? It's an antibiotic injection which lasts for two weeks. Bird got it the other day for a bladder infection. When I did a little research online, I found that it is normally given for skin conditions, no mention of UI or URI or any of those.
Bird seems better, at least.
Maybe it is an off-label use, which is pretty common.

sugarcatmom October 7th, 2008 11:27 AM

I've heard of it, but never used it. It's in the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalosporin]cephalosporin[/url] class of anitbiotics.

Did the vet do a culture & sensitivity on a sterile urine sample?

badger October 7th, 2008 12:19 PM

Nothing was cultured. There were clear signs of infection, although no crystals :D. We'll know soon enough if it's the right drug. The prospect of not having to pill him twice a day for two weeks was enough to sway me :laughing:

Now one of the outside cats has some kind of throat infection, he feels very poorly, but will [I]not[/I] be pilled. I'm pretty sure he was never vaccinated.

Thanks for the link, sugarcatmom. For a URI, it looks hit or miss to me.

Either which way, it's jackpot month for my vet :frustrated:.

badger October 7th, 2008 01:14 PM

Nope. At $50 a pop...

08/09/08
New Antibiotic May Prove to be Convenient for Pets and Their People

Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM
Comments (4)
When I diagnose an infection in a patient, I must prescribe antibiotics. For the person who lives with the pet, that can mean a week or more of giving pills (or a liquid formulation) at home. Under the best circumstances, giving medicine to pets is inconvenient. In the worst cases, it is impossible.

However, a new antibiotic has been approved for use in cats and dogs. It may eliminate the need to give pills at home when pets are diagnosed with certain types of infections.

The antibiotic, called Convenia, was released earlier this year by Pfizer. It is given by injection at the vet’s office. Each injection is effective for up to two weeks. Pets that receive Convenia do not need to take antibiotics at home.

Convenia has two other advantages over conventional antibiotics. First, studies have shown that side effects occur less often with Convenia than with comparable oral antibiotics.

Second, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria may be less likely to develop when pets are treated with Convenia. Improper dosing (skipping doses or stopping the medication too soon) is a leading factor in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Pets that receive Convenia are virtually assured of proper dosing.

So, are vets going to stop stocking other types of antibiotics now that Convenia has hit the market? No. There are two sides to every coin, and I can see a few potential disadvantages to the new medicine.

First, Convenia is not effective against all types of infections. [I][B]It is labeled for skin infections, wounds and abscesses only.[/B][/I]
Also, when a pet develops side effects from oral antibiotics, the medicine can be stopped. Side effects from Convenia are rare. However, if they develop there is no way to discontinue treatment or remove the drug from the pet’s body.

Finally, as a veterinarian I am wary of giving too many injections to cats. This stems from the link between some vaccines and certain types of tumors. Convenia has not been linked to tumors in cats. Nonetheless, I plan to be cautious until the drug has been on the market for a while longer.

AmericanBullMom October 7th, 2008 01:57 PM

Hey! I might have to ask my vet about this for Patróns recurring skin infections... You should SEE the battle that ensues in my kitchen every morning to get the horse pill sized antibiotic down his throat!
Thankfully he will USUALLY eat it out of his food, but he has gotten too smart for that too.
I wonder how long it can be used for before becoming ineffective....

RUSTYcat October 8th, 2008 10:54 AM

[QUOTE=badger;669899]...Convenia is not effective against all types of infections. [I][B]It is labeled for skin infections, wounds and abscesses only.[/B][/I]...[/QUOTE]

[B]badger[/B]-

Considering what you've discovered about this drug - and - that you've indicated that no culture was done - and - that it's a bladder infection, if it were my cat, I'd follow up with a culture 4-5 days after the two week period the drug is "good for".......the last thing I'd want is an ongoing infection in that area (and probably moving up into the kidneys).

badger October 8th, 2008 11:52 AM

[QUOTE]I'd follow up with a culture 4-5 days after the two week period the drug is "good for".[/QUOTE]

You're right. I'll have to see if my budget can handle it!
I've got three with URI, including the head-snapping sore throat and the vomiting. Plus the kitten I talked about on another thread seems to have been abandoned because he's been living with me full-time for the past week - and he's definitely not vaccinated. He is spending the day outside to reduce his exposure.
So I'm probably taking the one sick cat that can't be pilled to the vet for some kind of intervention (not Convenia) and hoping to cadge treatment for the others without having to pay extra for the exam.
There are a couple of snufflers as well; I am ignoring them.
Bill and Percy are living outside 90% of the time. Like me, they hate crowds.
Whew.

If anyone would like a sweet sweet tuxedo baby, with a bee-bop personality to match, PM me asap.

Gypsymagda October 28th, 2008 12:36 AM

side effets from convenia
 
Hello,
Anyone experienced any side effects from convenia, like seizures and death? I've had an unfortunate experience, and now find that 3 others have had a similar experience. Anyone know of any problems with convenia in cats?

[QUOTE=badger;669899]Nope. At $50 a pop...

08/09/08
New Antibiotic May Prove to be Convenient for Pets and Their People

Dr. Eric Barchas, DVM
Comments (4)
When I diagnose an infection in a patient, I must prescribe antibiotics. For the person who lives with the pet, that can mean a week or more of giving pills (or a liquid formulation) at home. Under the best circumstances, giving medicine to pets is inconvenient. In the worst cases, it is impossible.

However, a new antibiotic has been approved for use in cats and dogs. It may eliminate the need to give pills at home when pets are diagnosed with certain types of infections.

The antibiotic, called Convenia, was released earlier this year by Pfizer. It is given by injection at the vet’s office. Each injection is effective for up to two weeks. Pets that receive Convenia do not need to take antibiotics at home.

Convenia has two other advantages over conventional antibiotics. First, studies have shown that side effects occur less often with Convenia than with comparable oral antibiotics.

Second, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria may be less likely to develop when pets are treated with Convenia. Improper dosing (skipping doses or stopping the medication too soon) is a leading factor in the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Pets that receive Convenia are virtually assured of proper dosing.

So, are vets going to stop stocking other types of antibiotics now that Convenia has hit the market? No. There are two sides to every coin, and I can see a few potential disadvantages to the new medicine.

First, Convenia is not effective against all types of infections. [I][B]It is labeled for skin infections, wounds and abscesses only.[/B][/I]
Also, when a pet develops side effects from oral antibiotics, the medicine can be stopped. Side effects from Convenia are rare. However, if they develop there is no way to discontinue treatment or remove the drug from the pet’s body.

Finally, as a veterinarian I am wary of giving too many injections to cats. This stems from the link between some vaccines and certain types of tumors. Convenia has not been linked to tumors in cats. Nonetheless, I plan to be cautious until the drug has been on the market for a while longer.[/QUOTE]

badger October 28th, 2008 02:46 AM

Can I ask you what was the nature of your 'unfortunate experience' with Convenia and what your cat was being treated for?
My own cat seems to have recovered without any problems but I am keeping a close eye on him in case it didn't do the trick.

Gypsymagda October 28th, 2008 11:51 PM

convenia
 
yes of course, Booboo was 6 years old. She had been to the vet on Monday and they found a few bad teeth. They gave her the convenia on Monday, kept her until wed morning, giving fluids and food. She was her old. normal self when I picked her up Wed afternoon. The paln was for me to bring her thurs, sat and monday for fluids and a recheck and then deal with the teeth on tuesday morning after the convenia had time to work. Whne I got home wed noght at 11:30, she was seizing on the floor. I d not know for how long. Rushed her to the emergency vet, they gave her 3 courses of increasingly stronger drugs to stop the seizures. Last one was phenol. She satyed the night, I collected her at 8:00 am and took her back to my vet for the full day of monitoring. At 2:00 p.m. she started to have another seizure and my vet gave her half the previous night's dose of pheno.... which stopped the seizure. Doc Lori dropped her back off at the emerg vet Thurs evening without event. I picked her up Firday morning and too her back to Doc Lori for the full day of observation. Still no events but Booboo was still pretty out of it. Sorry this is so long.....
We agreed that I could take her home friday night and watch her, rushing her to the emergency vet if anything happened. We are hoping that she would maybe fight her way back in familiar surroundings. I slept with her on the floor the whole night. She came too several times, took some water with help and actually looked at me. But then at 5:45 a.m. the arching and head shaking started again. She had 2 more by 8:00 a.m. and I took har to lori and had her put to sleep. The very first night this happened I went on line looking for answers. I found a site called Marshfield Clinic and another woman had the same experience. Now since my experience, another person has reported a similar incident. The gentleman on marshfield is a little lacking in his compassion, hence the banter you will see if you visit the site. Anyway, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the drug. It's just strange that 3 occurences in one month are a bit odd.... yes? Your thought would be much appreciated.

danam314 November 2nd, 2008 04:00 PM

Hi badger. My dog was given convenia just last week for his skin irritation. We had a bad experience with our old vet just giving our dog meds and not telling us what they were, so our new vet always sits down and explains things to me prior. The first thing my vet told me about it was that they commonly use it to treat bladder infections in both cats and dogs, but it is also effective with skin conditions and irritations. My guess is that it's a safe treatment for your kitty. Of course there are risks with any drug, but she said it was one of the milder, common ones.

I'm sorry about your kitty, Gypsymagda

badger November 2nd, 2008 05:33 PM

GypsyMagda, I hope these incidents are being reported back to the drug company (by vets) and are being compiled somewhere, although a handful of cases probably would not carry much weight, [I]even though[/I] your poor cat paid the ultimate price. I'm so sorry.

Danam314, I'm very glad to have this information about off-label use for bladder infections. At least it tells me my vet is not a nitwit or worse, reckless :laughing:. Bird has now recovered. How's your dog?

Very poor choice of name, though (they spend millions deciding). Convenient for whom?

hazelrunpack November 2nd, 2008 09:10 PM

GypsyMagda, was it MarshfieldClinic or MarshfieldKennel? Marshfield Clinic is near here, but it's a human medical clinic (although they do diagnostic tests for area vets)...but I found a marshfieldkennel link when I queried for 'Convenia'... :confused:

Dr Lee November 2nd, 2008 09:54 PM

I just wanted to throw in my :2cents:

I like Rustycat's recommendation of a post treatment culture. Great idea - even if a culture [I]was [/I]done. It is important to know that the medication worked and we are not letting a bladder infection sit around when so many can go without symptoms. Also a bladder infection can ascend into a kidney infection.:frustrated:

There was a mention that Convenia was labeled ONLY for certain types of infections. Unfortunately if doctors only prescribed medications for what they were labeled for we would have to work with very little and we would be in a lot of trouble. Cephalosporins work well with UTIs!

Here is some information on the where cephalosporins get concentration into (from Plumb's Veterinary Drug handbook fifth edition)

"Cephalosporins are widely distributed to most tissues and fluids, including bone, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid and synovial fluid. Higher levels are found in inflamed than in normal bone. Very high levels are found in the urine, but they penetrate poorly into prostatic tissue and aqueous humor."

Hope that helps!

Milo's Mum November 2nd, 2008 10:14 PM

Another unfortunate incident ? related to Covenia
 
I took my Persian cat Buddy to our vet on Thursday last week where he was diagnosed with a skin infection on his belly area. He was treated with an injection of Covenia. On Saturday afternoon (48 hours after) I witnessed a 15 - 30 second seizure where he fell off the table to the floor and convulsed.
He was taken to an after hours emergency vet where fortunately he had no more seizures and his blood pathology was normal. I'm interested in gathering information from other pet owners who have had an experience similar.:cat:

badger November 2nd, 2008 11:25 PM

Thank you Dr. Lee. Given what people have related here, do you think a definite link can be made with the seizures? Have you seen similar reactions?

danam314 November 4th, 2008 01:11 PM

[QUOTE=badger;686807]Thank you Dr. Lee. Given what people have related here, do you think a definite link can be made with the seizures? Have you seen similar reactions?[/QUOTE]

I'm curious about this too. I know reactions can always happen, and are usually rare, but is it possible what everyone talks about here can be tied to the Convenia?

And badger: [I]Very poor choice of name, though (they spend millions deciding). Convenient for whom? [/I]

You had me laughing so hard. Good point!! :laughing::laughing:

danam314 November 5th, 2008 03:33 PM

Any further info on this? I went to the vet today and Koda got another shot of Convenia. This is his 2nd shot, 2 weeks apart, and apparently if he needs other antibiotics they will have to be oral, since you can't give more than 2 convenia treatments.

Gypsymagda November 19th, 2008 03:51 PM

convenia
 
Hello all,
First let me say thank you for everybody's kind words and the sharing of information. It was what I hoped to gain from the marshfield kennel site (yes that was my oversight), but did not receive. There is now another report posted on that site with the same kind of concerns. I have a hard time now cisiting that site.... if you read the posts there -- for obvious reasons. Yes, my vet did report this to the drug company. They did "make note" which could mean everything -- or nothing. I'm glad lots of folks have had success and that's hopeful. Remember... this drug remains in the system for 2 weeks,,, and residual for a lot longer than that. I'll keep watching for more positive posts...... makes me feel a little better.:candle:

P Barefoot February 16th, 2009 07:11 PM

my cat had injection of convenia today and i am concerned that it seems to have affected her sight as the day has gone on.She is craning her head and looking this way and that at things she can see moving which arent.maybe she is hallucinating or seeing double.I am praying it wears of quickly and that nothing worse happens.Has anyone had this experience?

TacoGrl February 16th, 2009 10:06 PM

My little man Seth received Convenia for his mouth infection around the end of January and I haven't noticed anything amiss...his mouth 100% better now...of course he had a steriod shot at the same time, so I don't know if it was the combo? Maybe Convenia needs to be "mixed" with something...or perhaps if certain cats have certain levels of certain chemicals or whatnot already in their systems, it may affect how the body reacts to it. We think Seth is around two...maybe age makes a difference? :shrug:

Mommy gets to crate him again at the end of the month to go back to the vet for a follow-up..woohoo :needhug:

badger March 17th, 2009 03:34 PM

Poor Wheezy, he had to have a hematoma (accumulation of blood) on the inside of his external ear drained this afternoon. The vet wanted to put him under but because of Wheezy's breathing problems we decided that he would simply drain it right there and hope for the best. Plus antibiotics, eardrops, and more Revolution (because he still has mites). When I said no way was I going to pill this cat since my chances of getting seriously hurt are way too high :laughing:, he immediately offered Convenia. I let him go ahead but reading back in this thread, I am a bit worried. Wheezy won't be going anywhere tonight so I can keep an eye on him. Oh, and I just looked at my bill - are you sitting down? - [B]$46 [/B]- bloody hell. I'd like to see some stats on how effective Convenia is, leave aside the side effects.

Wheezer-man was so brave, after we got him out of the cage :p

chico2 March 17th, 2009 04:48 PM

Imteresting to read about Convenia in case any of my cats should need it.
:fingerscrfor Wheezy Badger:fingerscr

rhartjr March 17th, 2009 05:58 PM

Our cat PJ had a shot of Convenia last Wednesday, also had a shot of Depo at the same time. So far so good. My vet only charged $25 though. :fingerscr for Wheezy badger.

Luvbarbaro April 9th, 2009 05:28 PM

My cat has UTI problems and also chronic sinus infections. From what I know about this drug, it's a broad spectrum antibiotic. It has helped my Persian cat's sinus problem some, but it's not completely gone and he had the shot one week ago. I think he took Batril once before, but I'll have to get his file out to make sure that wasn't for his UTI. Baytril is excellent for UTI problems though. :) Koko is sick of his runny nose though.:pawprint:

gregoryf April 14th, 2009 08:55 PM

convenia
 
Have been taking my cat to the vet for while trying to help with her chronic gum issues. They are pretty bad...He just suggested some injections today (Tues), and I agreed without really asking what they were (not smart). Looked at the invoice when I got home (pretty steep) and saw that she was given convenia, and and an injection of steroids. Not knowing what that was; I looked it up on the internet, and came to this thread. Now i am concerned she may have an adverse reaction. I am going out of town on Sat, and will be keeping a close eye on her until then. Will post any adverse reactions if they occur.

stefanieiris April 27th, 2009 07:58 PM

just got a shot of convenia last night for my 17 year old cat
 
Hi all -- I'm so glad to have found this forum, but a little alarmed about the discussion of seizures in cats. My 17 year old beauty was given a shot of Convenia last night after I took her to the emergency vet for her very bad UTI. She had been given a shot of Batril on Friday afternoon and seemed better, but as the weekend wore on refused the pills (even in cream cheese, half & half, tuna). But today she is so listless and I'm terrified -- she is eating and drinking, which is good, but just not herself at all. I guess it's good news that she's not straining or peeing blood, but I wish I'd see an improvement from the drug. Any sense of how long it takes to make cats feel better? Many thanks!

Molly's_Mommy May 2nd, 2009 10:58 AM

Convenia
 
:cat: My kitten Molly, is eight months old. I had to take her to the vet two weeks ago because she had a sore and swollen lip. The vet told me it was an ulcer and gave Molly a Convenia injection. She told me it would be better to give her an injection then to try to give her pills for two weeks. I thought it was a great idea. The shot itself was $28.40, total of the vet bill was $111.76. I have an appointment to see the vet again this week since Molly's condition hasn't cleared up and is probably getting worst. :shrug:

sugarcatmom May 2nd, 2009 11:13 AM

[QUOTE=Molly's_Mommy;775630]I have an appointment to see the vet again this week since Molly's condition hasn't cleared up and is probably getting worst. :shrug:[/QUOTE]

What does Molly eat? Diet can play a role in the development of Rodent Ulcers.
[url]http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Starnes/index.php[/url]

Molly's_Mommy May 2nd, 2009 06:52 PM

Molly's eating habits
 
Molly has been on a diet of Purina kitten chow, ever since she came to live with me(six months ago). It was about a 3-4 weeks ago, I started her on Fancy Feast along with her regular food has a treat. It seems as if her ulcers happened around the same time. I discontinued the Fancy Feast on Monday, when my husband realized maybe shes allergic to the wet food. She also has a lesion on her chin in which it felt like a knob along side of it....I'm very confused about Molly's situation. It seems she has way to much going on. :shrug:

sugarcatmom May 3rd, 2009 02:06 PM

[QUOTE=Molly's_Mommy;775747]Molly has been on a diet of Purina kitten chow, ever since she came to live with me(six months ago). It was about a 3-4 weeks ago, I started her on Fancy Feast along with her regular food has a treat. It seems as if her ulcers happened around the same time. [/quote]

What flavours of Fancy Feast? There are quite a few ingredients in some of the FF varieties that can be hyperallergenic to cats. Fish is a big one, as are wheat gluten, soy, beef, and "mystery meat" by-products. The Purina Kitten Chow isn't that great either, so my recommendation is to find a grain-free canned food (or else consider a raw diet) with a novel protein source (and no fish). Innova Evo 95% makes venison or duck, and Nature's Variety Instinct also has rabbit, if you can find it. If neither of these are available in your area, maybe Natural Balance Venison or Duck and Green Pea is.

What kind of dishes does Molly eat/drink out of? If they're plastic, that could also be part of the problem. Switching to glass or stainless steel would be better.

Some info for you on why cats should only eat wet food: [url]www.catinfo.org[/url]

future_roberts June 3rd, 2009 12:57 PM

Not right medicine
 
Two sundays ago, I realized that my 3yr old cat had blood in his urine. Our normal vet wasen't in the office so we had to take him somewhere else. They did a urinalysis and everything else and administered a dose of convenia to him. Well a week went by and there was no improvement. We finally went to our regular vet yesterday and were prescribed 2 oral antibiotics. I was questionalble about this "wonder" 2 week shot. Well I was right it didn't work for his UTI. I thought I would look up this antibiotic shot and saw that it is basically only for wounds and skin irritations, so I'm alittle upset. I hope this antibiotic works for what it is suppose to be used for but I would question if they are trying to give it to treat any urinary infections. I know oral antibiotics are a pain but sometimes it is better treatment for the pet overall.

Stacer June 3rd, 2009 04:14 PM

Finn just had her second shot of Convenia last friday. I really wish I had found this thread before we agreed to the first shot. She hasn't had any scary side effects thus far. But she did have an accident outside the litterbox a few days ago, so I may have to go back and request another urinalysis to make sure the Convenia is working. Poor girl.

2catwoman July 21st, 2009 10:44 PM

Gingivitis & Convenia injection
 
My cat has a bad case of chronic gingivitis. The vet has been treating him with steriod injections every 4 weeks or so, and also a daily does of steriods that are rubbed into his ear. He eats very little, and then stops eating altogether until I take him in for another injection, although last time, he received both the steriod and Convenia injections. So far, so good, no adverse reactions and kitty starting eating in a matter of 3-4 hours vs. 2-3 more days with just the steriod injection. Does anyone have a similar experience and/or know of any other way to treat this condition? The vet is talking about removing some of his molars but doesn't know if it will cure him of the is condition or not. Please share your thoughts with me, any advice? Thanks....

14+kitties July 21st, 2009 10:52 PM

2catwoman - welcome. You may get more replies if you started a new thread of your own. Not sure how many would check this thread.

sugarcatmom July 21st, 2009 11:15 PM

[QUOTE=2catwoman;804900]My cat has a bad case of chronic gingivitis.[/QUOTE]

Has the vet mentioned stomatitis at all? It's true that sometimes the only option is to remove all or most of a cat's teeth in order to alleviate the severe pain that a cat with stomatitis experiences. Some things to consider before it gets to that are diet and immune system. What does your cat currently eat? How old is he? Has he been tested for FIV and FeLV?

Here's a link to check out:
[url]http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/dvm/Medicine/Assessing-treating-refractory-feline-chronic-gingi/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/514808[/url]

2catwoman July 22nd, 2009 03:27 PM

to Sugarcatmom
 
Thanks for responding...no, my vet has not mentioned stomatitis, but I expect that is what it is. When the problem first erupted, my cat was tested for both FIV and FeLV. In fact, he was tested twice and came up negative both times. This all started right after I adopted him from a local shelter when he was just 10 months old. He is now about 2.5 years old. He eats only hard food. He refuses any canned food, but he will briefly lap at it when I offer it. I feed him Hills brand food, and sometimes I have to mix his diet up with whatever dry food he will go for just to get some nutrients in his system. The vet initially suspected an immune disorder and that has been ruled out since no FIV/FeLV is evident. I've even tried a Venison diet which kitty liked, but still gets the inflammation. We tried the venison thinking that it was potentially a food allergy. Poor thing...he loses weight and once he gets his shot, his weight goes back up some. It is hard to see him starving for days at a time, but the vet warns that frequent injections could result in diabetes. I havel consider putting him to rest, but it is a last resort and only if removing his teeth doesn't help. I hope your kitty is doing ok...

2catwoman July 22nd, 2009 03:45 PM

to sugarcatmom
 
By the way, thanks for the link to the article on stomatitis. I've read up on it before. The article suggests that removal of teeth may be whats in order for my kitty. This is all getting quite expensive, so I'm just hoping that it will all be worthwhile. I am new to this forum, so I am going to have to figure out how to start a new thread so that I can talk to more of the members here. Thanks again for your replies...

RUSTYcat July 22nd, 2009 04:00 PM

[QUOTE=2catwoman;805173]...I am going to have to figure out how to start a new thread...[/QUOTE]

If you go to [url=http://www.pets.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=75][B][COLOR="Blue"]this page[/COLOR][/B][/url] (the list of threads in Cat Health), about 1/2 way down on the left there's the "NEW THREAD" button. HTH and welcome!

2catwoman July 23rd, 2009 05:22 PM

To Rustycat
 
Tp Rustycat:

Thanks for the link to start the new post! I'm new here and still trying to figure things out. I just posted my issue, so hope to get some responses. Thanks again!!!


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:36 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.