Usually that question comes from a pet lover in the form of an objection to having to give oral medications for a two week or longer time period. Up until now our answer has been, “No, an antibiotic injection will last 12 to 24 hours, then we would have to give another one. Do you want to come in every day for 14 days for injections at $35.00 each?”
But the times, they are a’changing.
Enter Convenia, the long-acting antibiotic from Pfizer Animal Health that lasts 10 to 14 days with a single injection. Convenia is more than just penicillin. It’s a broad-spectrum antibiotic (in the simplest terms that means it kills a lot of different kinds of bacteria), so it can be used in a wide variety of infected organ systems and clinical and hospital situations.
Convenia isn’t right for every infection. If it were, it would be the only antibiotic on the market. Instead, there are hundreds and hundreds of antibiotics, each with a situation or organism on which it works best.
If my pet were a patient, I would sure ask my pet’s doctor if Convenia were right for him.
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Convenia is approved for use in dogs and cats by the FDA. To use it in another species would be “extra-label” or “off-label,” as explained in this recent post:
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/doctors-extra-label-use-of-medication .
Not unless they are having an adverse reaction. If a patient is lethargic it is usually caused by the disease process the Convenia is being used for.
Convenia injections turned my dog’s stools the color of a sweet potato.
Is this common? What causes this?
Bev, my first impression would be that it’s a coincidence, or that the disease process for which he was being treated caused the change in stool color. I haven’t seen that as a reported side effect. How long did it last before it changed back to a normal color for him?
Hi Dr. Randolph: He had the Convenia injection for a severe hot spot. He’s got a sensitive stomach and cannot take oral antibiotics. This is not a coincidence because it happened once before, when he got his first shot of Convenia a couple of years ago. That time it was for an anal sac infection. He does not seem sick; he’s eating and drinking just fine. The stools still have an orange cast, but not as vivid as the first few days after the shot. My dog “Eddie” is a Borzoi and has a very sensitive system. I was worried it might be his liver, but was told by a rep from Pfizer that the drug is matabolized through the kidneys. As long as he’s not sick I’m hoping the sweet potato-colored stool is benign. Thanks for your interest. Bev
Hmmmmm. That’s VERY interesting, especially since it happened once before. Thank you very much for the update, Dr. Randolph.
My cat has been getting Depo Medrol injections for a reocurring skin problem. Recently she has also been getting Convenia as well. When she started on the Convenia, she has been licking herself so much that she has licked her fur off in all of the areas on her body that she can reach. She is a 2 year old Bombay in otherwise good health. Can the Convenia or the combination of Convenia and Depo Medrol be causing her skin to be dry and itchy? Thanks.
Dear Dr. Randolph: My cat first exhibited signs of an injury — limping on his right foot — 4 days ago. He then became somewhat withdrawn and lethargic. The limping didn’t persist, but about a day later he vomited 3 times within a 24 hour period. His right leg and paw were still swollen but acted more normal. I took him to the veterinarian yesterday who couldn’t see any puncture wounds but did say that the leg was overall swollen and that is what caused the swollen paw. He administered him a shot of Convenia and some anti-nausea medicine. I’m to take my cat back if his condition does not improve. How quickly should the Convenia start working? His leg is still swollen. Thank you for your answer for the question.
Dear Mrs. Grossman,
I would say the correct question is not “how quickly does Convenia begin working,” because it begins to work in a matter of minutes. As soon as circulation picks up the medication and takes it to the leg, where the suspected infection is, bacteria begin being killed, IF the bacteria are susceptible to that particular antibiotic. As Convenia is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, it kills a lot of different kinds of bacteria. Rather, the question might be, “How long will it be before the swelling goes down?” That depends on how many bacteria are in the leg. The more bacteria, the longer it will take Convenia or any other antibiotic to kill ALL of them. Typically, however, (which is what you really want to know, as much of the preceding is academic) tissues infected with cat-bite bacteria and experiencing cellulitis will improve in 24-48 hours. Of course, every patient is an individual, and every bite, even on the same patient, is an individual case.
Ask your pet’s doctor about hot-packing the area to improve circulation and speed healing, if he has not already recommended doing so. Of course, he may have a reason he doesn’t want you to do that.
Please keep us posted on your kitty’s progress.
Sincerely, Dr. James W. Randolph
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