Use of Convenia for treatment of cat bite abscesses

Comments

1. 

   Kirsty Berry RVN

   October 17, 2014

   My Cat was given convenia after sustaining some nasty cat fight wounds at the end of last year. Within a few days he started to develop a reaction, with swelling to the head only. Thinking it was an infection reaction (after doing some tests on the serous fluid which was oozing from him head) my vet/boss decided it was possible the infection had got ‘ott’ and he was given a second convenia inj after the recommended timescale. A few days later he began to look worse, so other meds a were introduced even antihistamine incase it was a senstitivity reaction (I/V), which he did not respond to. A blood test was performed done before giving the 2nd convenia inj, and then later on when there was 4 days left on the two week timescale for the antibiotic. The first blood test showed all levels were normal but on the second test only 1 and a half weeks later show significate high levels to his urea and creatine indicating kidney failure. With this in mind and the fact convenia was in his body for another 3 days, there was a slim change of a full recovery for this young cat. I decided to make the awful decision of pts on new years eve due to the intense nursing care he needed and the fact his kidney values would have got worse before any sign of improvement. I’ve never in my 10 yr nursing experience seen a reaction like this before snd it was a new one for my boss who regularly uses the antibiotic but it has made us both think twice now about using it first line because of the awful and devastating effect it had on my cat. When researching more after the event l found a fair few discussions online where hypersensitivity had occured and the same sort of symptoms, but tge drug company are only saying that gastic problems ie diarrhoea is the only known side effect. I find it slightly worrying having the longer effect in the body that could do this amount of damage to a healthy young cat. Thank u Kirsty Berry RVN

   Reply
   1. 

      Graham Finch

      October 20, 2014

      Hi Kirsty,

      I’m so sorry to hear your story, that must have been devastating for you all. I have never seen a reaction like this after using Convenia. I see you spoke to Pfizer/Zoetis and presumably filled in one of those yellow forms at the back of the data sheet book to report an adverse reaction.

      Yes, its terrible isn’t it when something like this happens – I too have seen a couple of ‘idiosyncratic’ reactions to drugs in my career (to different drugs other than convenia) and its horrible to encounter when you have been doing your best to get a patient better quickly.

      Kindest regards

      Graham.

      Reply