Convenia Long-Acting Antibiotic Injection
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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Dr. Randolph,
I’m curious: Does CONVENIA ANTIBIOTIC make animals want to sleep more?
Dr. Randolph, Now I have a a couple questions. Is Convenia good for any animal or just dogs and cats?
I was told dogs and cats. Can other pets be injected with Convenia if needed?
I took my cat to the veterinarian yesterday and the veterinarian injected him with Convenia.
This CONVENIA INJECTION – Seems to be working because after the injection, believe it or not, I saw a small but -weight lifted off my sholders-improvement. My cat is still droopy but keep in mind that his CONVENIA INJECTION was only done yesterday. My cat has a MUCH better LOOK about him. If I could only send a picture of before and after on this Web site, then you could see what I mean. So far,this antibiotic is a BLESSING. : ) Hope this helps. I agree with Dr. James. W. Randolph, ASK your veterinarian if CONVENIA ANTIBIOTIC INJECTION is RIGHT for your dog or cat. Have a nice day. GM
My cat is tired and still droopy because when I got him, he was not well to begin with. Anyhow: I Love him.
One of the important aspects of medical care for any species, including people, is that we don’t let problems linger and wait too long before we consult our doctors about whether something different should be done. This has been going on since last Wednesday, and that’s too long for lethargy to be allowed to persist. Several possibilities exist: 1, and I put this one first for a reason, when pets get hair removed, a protective covering is taken off the skin and that allows all kinds of sensations to be perceived that weren’t felt before. If your ShihTzu doesn’t usually do this when he’s groomed it’s not the cause, but it’s a strong consideration. 2, The skin is the largest organ in the body and if his skin is infected it could easily be causing him to feel bad. Convenia is a great drug, but it doesn’t kill every kind of infection, so IF the infection is not responding to the Convenia he might need different medication. 3, Hydroxyzine is known to cause lethargy, and it some pets it can be really dramatic. It’s possible that your ShihTzu is one of those. Now, of the three items I’ve listed, two of them require that you see your pet’s doctor for a followup visit. In addition, there are MANY other possible causes of lethargy in dogs, and just because it happened at the same time as this visit doesn’t mean there couldn’t be another problem going on. Please write back and let us know how he is. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
Steffy, that will certainly make a great addition to your collection of stories. There are certainly some amazing stories to tell about animals making it back to their original homes. Kitty deserved to have a chance for his life after going through all that just to come back and live with Tay. Thank you for sharing, Dr. Randolph.
My 20 month old Shih Tzu male had been scratching and biting himself so much that he developed scabs on his right hip and the base of his tail (“hot spots”). Since he is already on Sentinel and Frontline Plus (has been for a long time), and we did not see any fleas on him, we assumed it was allergies. I took him to my veterinarian, only to find out that he had retired, and several new young veterinarians took over his practice. The woman veterinarian who saw him treated him by shaving the areas with the scabs and cleaning them, and gave him a Convenia shot. She also gave us Hydroxyzine capsules for the itching, as needed, and a topical antibacterial spray to put on the affected areas, as well as Derma-soothe shampoo and cream rinse to ease the itching. Well, since that visit last Wednesday, my dog has not been the same. He has been acting strange, very lethargic, and is not his usual, playful self. He plops down in one spot and refuses to get up (normally he would be coming to me with his little growling bark to go outside). I have to pick him up and take him outside – once out he will only walk far enough to pee and poop, and then wants to run right back home (very unusual for him – he usually likes to walk for a while). When he gets back home, he runs inside and literally plops down in one spot, and will not move the entire day. I have only given him a total of 3 Hydroxyzine capsules, since I was afraid that might be causing him to be lethargic, and he hasn’t had one for 2 days now, and he is still very lethargic. Could it be from the Convenia? I am so upset – I want my old dog back! Will this wear off?
Hi Dr. Randolph, My late husband was a veterinarian and we surely miss him. My son had a kitty who showed up on his property in the mountains. He grew there for a few months, and then one day, his brother who was staying in his mobile home while Tay was working in Seattle, moved to a property about 8 miles away. Anyway, Max took the kitty with him and about 15 minutes after he arrived at their new rural home, kitty took off and 3 WEEKS later appeared back at Tay’s property, emaciated; a rack of bones, covered with animal bites which have turned into nasty abscesses. He made it through the night last night and Tay took him to a veterinarian who was open today, July 5. The new wonder drug was used on him, along with IV fluids, sedatives etc. It looks like he will make it. KITTY REALLY EARNED HIS REPRIEVE ON LIFE, and is a wonder he made it for three weeks with limited, if any food and water. Kitty had to go through quite a journey over several canyons, creeks and mountainous juts of rocks and cliffs. We think a wild animal got him, but he’s a trouper. Tay felt so sorry for the poor little kitty he almost used his .22 caliber rifle to take him out of his misery but couldn’t do it as it just wrenched his heart to know what the little thing had gone through for 3 weeks. Thank goodness they have this antibiotic. His veterinarian just couldn’t believe he was still alive.
I’m writing animal stories about our adventures with my husband and I will add this one to the bunch.
Hi Dr. Randolph, Just wanted to give a quick update. The Covenia seems to have given my Annie relief in her ears and 15 days out, her sneezing and breathing are great. Her kidney issues seem to be in balance, for today, she has had about 2 good weeks, little vomiting and only missing the litter box once.
Not sure if the Covenia helped the kidneys, but she has had good quality of life, playful, eating and sleeping of course. Quality of life is most important to me, for her now. It is and will continue to be a day by day process, but Annie has really taught me to stay in the day, and enjoy every moment with her, and really to live “ONE DAY AT A TIME”~ My Veterinarian says she is my ZEN kitty~ I hope to have her for at least a few more months but only time will tell. Thanks for your support and I will post again if anything significant develops.
Hopeful in LA,
Janine
Stephanie, there is no easy answer to your question. Rather than re-write what’s already been written on the blog I’ll give you some links you can read what I’ve had to say on the topic of urinary tract disease in cats. Believe me when I say it’s much more complicated even than what I’ve written. On the subject of food I’m a huge fan of Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d as a preventive for struvite problems, but you must first ensure with a urinalysis that he has struvite problems. Then again, if your pet’s doctor doesn’t carry Hill’s foods, you will have to obtain authorization to purchase the Prescription Diet from another doctor’s office. Your veterinarian may like a different brand of food, so unless he ok’s c/d for your cat, I’d go with his recommendation. Here are the links and please keep us posted on Bear’s progress:
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-flutd
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/dissolving-urinary-tract-stones-with-diet-in-dogs-and-cats
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/cat-urinary-bladder-inflammation
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/cat-urinary-tract-problems
Hi Dr, I recently took my cat, Bear, to the veterinarian this past Tuesday because I noticed there was blood in his urine. They gave him a shot of Convenia but he is still showing blood in the urine. He is not crying out as if he is in pain, and is still going regularly, even if it’s not a whole lot, but on two occasions he was lying down and urinated a tiny bit while just lying there. He has been given oral antibiotics for this before, once last October and previously in Nov. ’06. I believe I caused the one in Oct. of last year, by changing his food from a food meant for Urinary Tract health (Purina One). Since then, he’s been on a diet of Wellness dry cat food and once or twice a week, the Purina Urinary Tract health wet food – because he loves it so much! I was recently getting away from feeding him this Purina wet food, because I thought the Wellness would take care of his issue. Now it seems I have caused him to be sick again! What exactly is the best food for cats that are prone to this issue? Once I know, I will never ever switch food again! Also, we are taking him back next week for a urinalysis to confirm his diagnosis. But I am hoping the blood in the urine and his urge to go all the time, and outside the litter box will resolve itself sooner. Do you think he will be better tomorrow or should I take him back to the veterinarian before the weekend? Thanks so much for your website. Just reading the comments has helped!
I certainly agree that with thickened tympanic membranes, the sinus issue on “the other side” could be a factor. As eardrums thicken they become less pliable and thus less responsive to sound waves hitting them. I completely agree that it’s worth a try. Keep us posted on how Annie responds, please. Our best, Dr. Randolph.
Thank you Dr Randolph. As for Annie’s ears, because of her chronic respiratory/herpes, and recent allergy season, she has been sneezing excessively and has a tremedous amount of phlegm. Not pretty, but a fact of life with a cat like my Annie! When I asked if the chronic renal failure had anything to do with her hearing, my veterinarian said it might, might be from her chronic sinus issues. She looked in to Annie’s ears with a scope and found the ear drums to be “thick” and she said could be a number of things, but probably associated with the sinuses. Because she also sqeaked a bit when the doc tried to look in, (she is normally so stoic) clearly it was painful. The doc said since she tolerated it well once before, and it did give her about 3-4 wks of relief from the sneezing, I said ok. Do you have any additional thoughts we could explore? Thank you in advance. I appreciate your prompt response. Janine
You will find this post informative regarding how we choose antibiotics, the specifics of which are mostly independent of species (human vs. dog or cat). In Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) Pepcid is used for nausea, but more importantly to control ulcers and other forms of gastric irritation that occur secondary to changes in the disease process. Subcutaneous fluid therapy should continue for the life of your kitty, and check with your pet’s doctor about whether the quantity should be adjusted from time to time. Epogen must be used judiciously because, for a variety of reasons, the body can cease to respond to it at some point. Epogen should also be used with careful guidance from your veterinarian. Please tell me more about your kitty’s ears so that I can address them specifically. Standing by, Dr. Randolph.
My kitty, Annie 15 1/2 yrs old was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure about 5 wks ago. My veterinarian gave her Famotidine (Pepcid), for nausea, daily, Epogen every other day and 100cc of subcutaneous fluids. I am happy to say we took her off of Epogen last night but will continue with subcutaneous fluids and Pepcid. Annie also has had asthma/allergies for the past 10+years. So, because of the flareup of her allergies, she has been phlegm-filled and sneezing lately. I noticed her shaking her ears and told the veterinarian that she wasn’t hearing as well. The veterinarian chose a Convenia injection as a course of action, since she tolerated it well once before. My question, in treating her clearly-hurting ears, will it take to notice some improvement? Is is like human antibiotics, 2-3 days? It has been 14 hours. Thank you in advance.
Erin, I would assume that the lethargy is associated with the disease process, because we don’t usually see lethargy with antibiotic administration. Of course, we don’t administer antibiotics to well patients, we give them to sick patients, many of whom are already lethargic. Certainly if the lethargy persists I would check in with your pet’s doctor to get his evaluation. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
My 3-year old Siamese was diagnosed with a UTI on Monday and was given Convenia. The urinary symptoms have improved (much less frequent trips to the littler box to urinate), and he’s eating and drinking well. However, he seems much more lethargic than normal and hasn’t had a bowel movement since Tuesday morning. I have a call into the veterinarian, but thought I’d check with you as well. Is it just a stress issue, or is lethargy a side effect of the medication?
Linda, you answered your own first question when you said, “needs another type of antibiotic.” This post explains why there are so many antibiotics on the market: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/stronger-antibiotics. How high was her fever? Write me back and let me know because one of the factors we use to make decisions about patients is to look at the actual number. We will await your reply. Dr. Randolph.
Keith we are SO sorry about the loss of your Kola. I know you are heartbroken. If you are a regular reader you know that we, too, have an elderly cat, Martha, who has some age-related problems, and we can certainly relate to how attached we are to a pet we’ve had for that long. Without the laboratory test results and physical examination notes from the medical record I could only speculate as to the cause of death, but I doubt that the injection process was the cause. I won’t say it didn’t play a part, as cats in this age group can be put out of balance for any number of reasons. Our sympathies on your loss, Dr. Randolph.
Are there situations where this injection is not sufficient as an antibiotic? My Dad’s cat had one for a gum infection. That was 3 weeks ago. Today, she has a fever. Her gums seem okay, but I wonder if somehow either that one shot was not enough or that she needs another type of antibiotic. Drinking water alone seemed to bring the fever down. Could this fever be related to the original infection?
On April 16th, I took in my sixteen year old indoor female cat (Kola) for the annual Rabies and FVRCP vaccinations required by Cook County of Illinois. My cat had been treated for three years for hyperthyroidism with an oral medication. The veterinarian noted weight loss from the previous visit six months prior and recommended a special kidney diet. Blood was drawn at this time. A few days after this visit, Kola started urinating more frequently and more times outside of the litter box. She had received Convenia the previous year for a similar occurrence and it worked well. I returned to the veterinarian and Convenia was administered. After this visit, Kola progressively got weaker and weaker. Another visit to the office was scheduled. The lab work was back and all results were either in the normal range or just moving beyond the limits. The veterinarian could only speculate on the cause for the weight loss and weakness.
Over the weekend, Kola weakened to the point where she could only lie on her side. She would still take food and water through a syringe. Yesterday, she was virtually limp and I had her put to sleep.
Was the combination of Rabies, FVRCP, and Convenia injections too close in time? (Four days apart). Kola’s decline was so rapid. I’m heart broken over her loss and whether I did not give her the proper care.
Tonya, reactions that result in vascular (blood vessel) damage often cause death of tissue such as you describe. Pets, people, farm animals, all are subject to some really disastrous wounds when this type of damage occurs. Your may concern is to maintain antibiotic therapy until healing is finished (continued Convenia injections are fine if he is tolerating them) and you may wish to ask your veterinarian about an emollient to help soften the skin and crusts. Gentle massage can help, as can whirlpool baths IF your veterinarian approves them. Please keep us updated about your baby, this is a heartbreaking story.
Therese, let’s start with the basics. What diagnosis did your veterinarian give you?
I have a cat who is about 10 years old. She started having allergy type symptoms with small bumps all over her body about a year ago. They itch and are sometimes painful. Her ears get a little crusty. The only place the bumps do not appear is her tail. She pulls her fur out and leaves it all over the house. Sometimes the skin end of the fur has a little crusty black hard piece at the end of the shaft area. We have taken her to the veterinarian for the 4th time in a year. We have tried a special shampoo (that’s right, try giving YOUR cat a bath!), switching food, cortisone injections (which clear it up for a month and then it comes back) Her appetite is fine but I know she is uncomfortable. We have 4 other cats and they do not have this problem so we know it does not cross-contaminate. She recently received a Convenia injection. We are ready to give her low-dose prednisone daily as that seems to be the only thing that works, but I know this can have secondary effects. Any idea of what’s going on? Help!
I, and all of our readers, are delighted that your kitty is feeling better and the wound is healing. Thank you for the update.
Dear Dr. Randolph, my cat had an adverse reaction to azithromycin and experienced swollen paws. Once the swelling went down the pads on his feet became hard. Some skin on his legs has fallen off and scabbed up. The wounds are beginning to heal but the pads are still very hard on his front paws. His right paw the entire paw has hardened like a rock. He is having pain with walking. He has received a couple of Convenia injections and with Epsom salt baths some of the hard skin has come off but his right paw is still extremely hard. Are we on the right course of action for treatment?
Dr. Randolph, he is feeling much better today and has stopped trembling. The wound looks better too. I definitely agree that he was just uncomfortable. He has also been sleeping a lot but I think that is because his body is fighting off the infection. Thank you again for your help.
Kendal, the greatest likelihood is that your kitty is trembling because he is uncomfortable. Of course, there is always the possibility of internal damage that may be causing complications. This is one of those situations where the veterinarian attending the patient will need to make the judgment call whether to dispense pain medication or see the patient for a followup. Please keep us posted.
As with any medical condition, whether a certain medication is good or bad for a certain condition depends on the diagnosis and the appropriateness of the medication for that particular diagnosis. That said, I can’t imagine using Convenia alone for an eye condition other than uveitis. Please write back with more information.
Is a Convenia injection good for eye problems or irritation?
Dear Dr. Randolph,
My kitty escaped from my house 4 nights ago, thankfully he came back the next morning. I checked him over to make sure he didn’t have any bite marks, wounds, etc. While checking I noticed a small lump on his right side, I wasn’t too alarmed and just figured to keep an eye on it. Well, when I came home from work yesterday, the small lump on his side had came open. It looked horrible. I immediately took him to my veterinarian. She said that it was bite from either a cat, raccoon, or rodent (most likely a cat). She prescribed Convenia and told me to flush the wound 2 times a day with chlorhexidine solution. I know my kitty is in immense pain, but he has been trembling ever since I have brought him home and has been acting very skittish, he is normally a calm kitty and actually enjoys car rides. I wonder if his trembling and behavior is a side effect of the shot? I have a follow up appointment in 2 weeks but I want to make sure it’s just my kittie’s nervousness and not a side effect of the antibiotic. Thank you in advance for you help.
And God bless you, Ginger, for reaching out to your fellow pet lover who is hurting.
For Mindy from Ginger: Bless you for your dedication to your kitty. Although right now it’s so hard, time will be your friend. You will recall many joyous times you had with your kitty. The love of a pet is so pure, both ways, that you will never have regrets or guilt. Pets don’t let you down like people do. That has been my experience. My Midnight has been gone just over a year and I am at peace with his passing.
Dear Marie,
What a tremendously sad story.
I am so sorry you have lost your kitty.
While her death occurred in temporal conjunction with the Convenia injection, I seriously doubt that Convenia was the cause, although it is not impossible.
There are many, many, many possible causes for anemia that I would put on my differential diagnosis list before Convenia.
I would encourage you to file an adverse-reaction report with the manufacturer: http://www.pfizerah.co.uk/sites/sante-animale/UK-English/pages/contactez-nous.aspx
I know that veterinary practice is probably somewhat different in England compared to United States practices, but the patients are the same, and the hurt we feel when we lose them is the same.
Please accept our sympathy for your loss, Dr. Randolph.
My cat had a shot of Convenia for dermatitis. She had not been diagnosed with anemia before but quickly developed anemia within a couple of days and had to be put to sleep 7 days after the injection because she was so weak. She also seemed comatosed after the first couple of hours of the shot and had tremors. She developed anorexia so had to be force-fed with a syringe. In my opinion Convenia contributed to her death and should be used with extreme caution. I believe it is a useful antibiotic for some people who can’t pill their pet. I knew nothing about this new “wonder drug “when I took my cat for a check up and the veterinarian did not inform me beforehand only once it was already in the system.
Mindy, there is not a dry eye in MyPetsDoctor.com-land right now. We all know how you feel and understand your hurt. DO NOT worry about her being mad at you, you didn’t do this TO her, you did it FOR her. There was no reason for her to continue to suffer, knowing she was not going to get better. When the prognosis is poor, that is the right thing to do. You may find this post comforting. I wrote it after losing my precious Sally. http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/pet-loss-and-grieiving-for-pets
Hi. This will be my final update. I had to put my baby girl down today. She was just too weak. My heart is breaking into a million pieces. I think her sister senses she is gone. I hope she does ok. I will have my baby’s ashes by Tuesday or Wednesday. That’s going to be hard, too. I just don’t know how to continue without her. But she went peacefully. I just hope she wasn’t mad at me. I couldn’t handle knowing her last thoughts while looking in my eyes were of her begging me not to do that to her. I do appreciate your advice and information these past few weeks. It really helped.
All of our readers and I are following your kitty’s case and we really appreciate the update. We are also glad that you are able to keep your sense of humor. We look forward to your next report. For more on kidney failure, read http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/dog-and-cat-kidney-failure-explained .
Hi. I was back to the veterinarian today for a checkup and wanted to give you an update.
It’s really just a day by day thing. Just need to make sure she is eating and keeping it down. I think giving her the subcutaneous fluids helped. She hardly made a sound on the way to the veterinarian, but she was mostly definitely vocal on the way home lol
The doctor gave her an enema and she had a nice poop. Wasn’t really a lot in her i don’t think, but hopefully that was all she needed to feel better. She was throwing up so much yesterday and last night that I was terrifed to go to the appoinment today. I’ll be taking her in once a week to have IV of fluids which will help keep her hydrated and eating.
She hardly ate anything at all last night but when I brought her home she finally ate and had a little sleep.
There is definitely a lot of weight off my shoulders today. The only thing is that the injection she got last Saturday stays in her system for 2 weeks, which means this Saturday will be her last day. So it’s really going to be a waiting game after that…but the doctor said I can give her a little tiny bit of Pepcid which would help with her upset stomach if she still urges to vomit.
To make matters worse I came home yesterday and her sister was sick. Constipated to be exact…so I was cleaning up vomit all day yesterday when I came home. How lovely for me lol
So, needless to say there was a big relief when I came home this afternoon. Just gotta keep my eye on her.
What an incredible heartbreak, Mindy. We are SO sorry to hear that your kitty has such serious problems. Please let us know if we can help in any way.
In sympathy,
Dr. Randolph
Wanted to provide you with an update. Had her to the veterinarian yesterday and every test imaginable was completed. Unfortunately it’s not good news. She has a mass on her bladder that is causing her to frequent the litterbox and the reason there is blood appearing after she urinates. She has lost about 75% of the function of one of her kidneys and all I can do at this point is keep her comfortable and make sure she still eats. I probably don’t have much longer with her. I take her back for a check up on Wednesday and have some more fluids put in her. All I can do at this point is try to help her the best I can at home but I think her body is slowly shutting down. She spent most of the night last night in the closet on a blanket. Could have either been because she had a rough day at the veterinarian or it’s her way of saying it’s time to go. My heart just isn’t ready for that yet, but I won’t let her suffer either. Thanks for all the help and advice over the last couple of days
http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-flutd is the URL for Friday’s post on this disease process. The answer to your dietary question depends entirely on the results of the urinalysis. Did she have struvite or other crystals in the urine? If so, a special diet is certainly in order. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph
Thank you for the reply. I did want to add another question. Would it be beneficial and advisable to get her on some special food for urinary tract health? Would this help to alleviate any trouble she is having with her urine?
Mindy, there are myriad reasons for your kitty to have difficulty with the urinary tract. In cases like yours, where small amounts of urine have been passed, we sometimes have to begin symptomatic therapy on the assumption that there is infection, when, in fact, there could be causes of inflammation unrelated to infection or infection that is complicated by other factors. You have inspired me to write a piece about this very complicated topic, and I anticipate posting it this Friday. For now, give your kitty another day or two, but if she isn’t doing better soon she will certainly need a followup visit to your pet’s doctor.
My cat had this shot last June and it worked WONDERS..she was urinating all over the place and I never realized it until I caught her with my own eyes. Well, a few days ago, she was back to the same thing….but this time it seemed a bit worse….she was throwing up…meowing all over the place (in pain), passing very little urine, drinking a lot…took her to the veterinarian on Saturday..there was blood and white blood cells in her urine…veterinarian gave her the shot again…she seems to be doing much better BUT, she is still passing little urine, and is still frequenting the litter box more than she should. Am I worrying for nothing and just need to give another day or so for the injection to be in effect? Or could there still be an issue?
A little yogurt daily won’t hurt.
There is a growing movement in the direction you cite, and it has merit. Indeed, I am watching the outcome closely. All cat owners should.
Just thought of one more question. another veterinarian has theorized that feeding cats the diet that is natural for them – lots of meat, could help a lot of felines feel a whole lot better. it makes sense that cats’ bodies evolved on a high-protein diet and that us inadvertently giving them far too much carbs is causing our fluff-balls all sorts of needless suffering. Just like how us humans are eating too many carbs, too, and suffering for it with diabetes and etc. Thanks for your thoughtful replies.
Would it be a problem giving Fluffy her beloved daily dose of plain yogurt while this shot is doing its job? I’ve heard about problems with some antibiotics and all the healthy bacteria in yogurt. Thanks.
The good news, Jennifer, is that it wasn’t the Convenia that made him hypoglycemic. The most likely cause is an inherited predisposition from his Chihuahua heritage. Hypoglycemia is very common in that breed. Yorkie puppies are also predisposed to hypoglycemia, as well as shunts in their livers, which can cause severe illness. The other good news is that Scabies, or sarcoptic mange, in dogs is usually easy to treat. In resistant cases there are alternative medications that can be used. Scaly and stinky WITHOUT itchiness probably isn’t Scabies, but still needs investigation and treatment, so don’t delay taking him to the doctor. Scabies is sometimes transmitted to people, so be sure to let your physician know your puppy has Scabies if you become itchy.
Azza, it sounds like to me that the Royal Canin was doing its job, and that the problem only relapsed after you changed foods. For those cats who create struvite crystals in the urine by concentrating magnesium, ammonium and phosphate ions in the urine, I have seen a SINGLE MEAL of the wrong food create a relapse. If he is losing weight on Royal Canin but maintains a healthy weight on other foods, ask your pet’s doctor whether he can just eat MORE of the Royal Canin. That should solve the weight issue AND the urinary tract problem. IF there are future problems with the urinary tract, please ask your veterinarian to culture the urine to determine whether there ACTUALLY IS infection, or whether the bladder wall is inflamed from crystals, or possibly idiopathic cystitis.