Convenia Alternatives And Microchipping Safety

[valentine319]

hi everyone. My girl Juliette has allergies. This has happened before. She scratched herself raw. I give half a Zyrtec a day. I’ve changed food. Narrow down food allergies. She still gets seasonal allergies.

My question is last time the vet didn’t inform me but gave her a shot of convenia (an antibiotic that some cats have had issues with). They were worried the spot might get infected since she scratched it raw. Anyone know offhand other safer antibiotic that could be used?

She’s indoor only. Anyone know the safety of microchipping. My concern is tumor development and cancer. Even links are great.

 

[neely]

Here is a thread about microchipping that may be helpful. It discusses pros and cons as well as cats who have other health issues:
Should I Microchip My Cat?

 

[jen]

I am confused why you want an alternative to Convenia? Is it because she had a bad reaction to it? That is a very commonly used antibiotic shot. There are plenty of liquid and pill antibiotics but a shot is just easier and works faster.

 

[valentine319]

She slept for 24 hours straight after it. It concerns me that it hit her that hard.

 

[jen]

Have you considered that she felt so much relief after the shot was on board that she just zonked out and made up for the lack of sleep from the previous few days that she has been so itchy and uncomfortable? Convenia should not have that side effect. Was she given any other medication? I really don't think it was the shot. When your immune system is down due to infection and whatnot, the best thing for you IS rest. So it is definitely a good thing she could finally sleep it off. Make sense?

 

[valentine319]

I took her into the vet. They gave her some cortisone but said the spot didn’t look infected. I got her microchipped while there. Thanks everyone. I have her in a T-shirt so she can’t scratch the area.

 

[jen]

Ok so a steroid could also result in loss of energy, aside from the many many other side effects of steroids. Then they gave her Convenia to prevent infection. So steroids, on top of feeling so relieved, are what likely caused her to spend the day sleeping...

 

[valentine319]

Ok so a steroid could also result in loss of energy, aside from the many many other side effects of steroids. Then they gave her Convenia to prevent infection. So steroids, on top of feeling so relieved, are what likely caused her to spend the day sleeping...

Thanks! I appreciate it.

 

[Tobermory]

My question is last time the vet didn’t inform me but gave her a shot of convenia (an antibiotic that some cats have had issues with). They were worried the spot might get infected since she scratched it raw. Anyone know offhand other safer antibiotic that could be used?

I can't suggest any alternatives to Convenia, but I would certainly ask the vet to use something else. You might be interested in reading what Dr. Lisa Pierson writes about Convenia: Convenia- long term antibiotic: Is it worth the risk?

 

[valentine319]

I can't suggest any alternatives to Convenia, but I would certainly ask the vet to use something else. You might be interested in reading what Dr. Lisa Pierson writes about Convenia: Convenia- long term antibiotic: Is it worth the risk?

Thanks! The place I take her have had some new drs come in. She didn’t need an antibiotic but they actually discussed things with me. They previously have not really discussed what they were giving pets. I’m going to stick with this new vet.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

... last time the vet didn’t inform me but gave her a shot of convenia (an antibiotic that some cats have had issues with). They were worried the spot might get infected since she scratched it raw. Anyone know offhand other safer antibiotic that could be used? ...

I am not a vet, but I do know that often vets and pet owners might wish to use shorter-acting antibiotics (versus Convenia, a long-acting antibiotic that stays in the system a long time) just in case an individual animal has any adverse reactions to the drug. The antibiotic part of Convenia lasts about 14 days, but the drug stays in the system for a few months.
convenia® (cefovecin sodium)

Also, Convenia works best for certain bacteria, etc., just like other antibiotics work for various bacteria as well. No reason to give Convenia, or any other antibiotics, if no infection is present.

There are a lot of negative opinions of Convenia for various reasons; Tobermory gives a link to a common source. There is this, too
Convenia for Cats: Sacrificing Safety for Convenience?

and PetMD
The Cost of Convenience Pet Medicines | petMD

There are also things like this,
Web DVM

You can go down a rabbit hole researching more in depth, too.

As a pet owner, it's good to ask a vet what the usage of a certain antibiotic (or any drug) is labeled for, and would its use in your pet be for a labeled use, or for an extra-label or off-label use. They are supposed to get informed consent from you, so that your concerns and questions can be addressed before proceeding. Again, sometimes it's better for particular cats (and if they have health issues or potential drug interactions already) to use shorter-term antibiotics or meds. If something adverse happens, of course everyone wants to be able to pull the animal through in the best way possible.

valentine319 - have you yet tried going to a veterinary dermatologist for a specialized vet visit for Juliette?

off-topic since it's not convenia but on-topic since it is another long-acting drug that causes a lot of worries in pet owners: I can understand a lot of the fear and worry over long-acting drugs for pets. Currently, I am using long-acting Bravecto extra-label on my cat (she's had one dose so far) for her particular unique circumstances to help with issues of demodex cati. It may help me to know that the vet dermatologist and her vet techs all say they are using Bravecto on their cats all the time for fleas/ticks, but as a pet owner with a lot of worries, it's hard not to still remain stressed and watchful over long-term use of a long-acting drug -- even if it has helped my cat in fantastic ways and so far I see no adverse reactions. One word I've learned to look for when researching stuff like this is "pharmacokinetics"... it's also good to locate any reported adverse drug reactions or events given to the FDA (look for FOIA request data from the FDA too, when researching).
Like, here is some info about fluralaner, plasma concentrations, &C:
"Comparative pharmacokinetics of fluralaner in dogs and cats following single topical or intravenous administration"
--Published: 31 May 2016 /
Comparative pharmacokinetics of fluralaner in dogs and cats following single topical or intravenous administration
​

A lot of anyone's decision-making should be with a vet's input (and second or third opinions!), as only you and the vet know the health situation and negative possiblities for your own cat's situation. It's definitely a balance of pros and cons, costs and benefits, unique or generalized situations.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Another thing to think about regarding an injection of Convenia, is that it is an injection and may or may not cause injection-site inflammation. So then we are into worries about potential injection-site sarcomas over time, if injections are given a lot.

 

[Azazel]

The problem with Convenia is that if your cat has an allergic reaction you cannot stop it. I personally avoid it. I had a vet give an injection of Convenia to my kitten years ago without asking me first if the kitten was okay with daily antibiotic doses. That kitten died one month later. I don't know if it had anything to do with the Convenia but I was very upset when I found out from a different vet that there are lots of alternative antibiotic options besides Convenia and that Convenia should only be used for cats that cannot be dosed on a regular/daily basis.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[fionasmom]

I have never used Convenia, but have microchipped everyone for years and have never had a reaction or anything which I felt might be related down the road. Everyone here is indoor only, including the dog unless we are out together, but accidents happen and collars can be lost.

 

[valentine319]

I am not a vet, but I do know that often vets and pet owners might wish to use shorter-acting antibiotics (versus Convenia, a long-acting antibiotic that stays in the system a long time) just in case an individual animal has any adverse reactions to the drug. The antibiotic part of Convenia lasts about 14 days, but the drug stays in the system for a few months.
convenia® (cefovecin sodium)

Also, Convenia works best for certain bacteria, etc., just like other antibiotics work for various bacteria as well. No reason to give Convenia, or any other antibiotics, if no infection is present.

There are a lot of negative opinions of Convenia for various reasons; Tobermory gives a link to a common source. There is this, too
Convenia for Cats: Sacrificing Safety for Convenience?

and PetMD
The Cost of Convenience Pet Medicines | petMD

There are also things like this,
Web DVM

You can go down a rabbit hole researching more in depth, too.

As a pet owner, it's good to ask a vet what the usage of a certain antibiotic (or any drug) is labeled for, and would its use in your pet be for a labeled use, or for an extra-label or off-label use. They are supposed to get informed consent from you, so that your concerns and questions can be addressed before proceeding. Again, sometimes it's better for particular cats (and if they have health issues or potential drug interactions already) to use shorter-term antibiotics or meds. If something adverse happens, of course everyone wants to be able to pull the animal through in the best way possible.

valentine319 - have you yet tried going to a veterinary dermatologist for a specialized vet visit for Juliette?

off-topic since it's not convenia but on-topic since it is another long-acting drug that causes a lot of worries in pet owners: I can understand a lot of the fear and worry over long-acting drugs for pets. Currently, I am using long-acting Bravecto extra-label on my cat (she's had one dose so far) for her particular unique circumstances to help with issues of demodex cati. It may help me to know that the vet dermatologist and her vet techs all say they are using Bravecto on their cats all the time for fleas/ticks, but as a pet owner with a lot of worries, it's hard not to still remain stressed and watchful over long-term use of a long-acting drug -- even if it has helped my cat in fantastic ways and so far I see no adverse reactions. One word I've learned to look for when researching stuff like this is "pharmacokinetics"... it's also good to locate any reported adverse drug reactions or events given to the FDA (look for FOIA request data from the FDA too, when researching).
Like, here is some info about fluralaner, plasma concentrations, &C:
"Comparative pharmacokinetics of fluralaner in dogs and cats following single topical or intravenous administration"
--Published: 31 May 2016 /
Comparative pharmacokinetics of fluralaner in dogs and cats following single topical or intravenous administration
​

A lot of anyone's decision-making should be with a vet's input (and second or third opinions!), as only you and the vet know the health situation and negative possiblities for your own cat's situation. It's definitely a balance of pros and cons, costs and benefits, unique or generalized situations.

I’ve narrowed down with food what she’s allergic to. I’m not willing to do allergy shots for her. She gets horribly nervous going to the vet and I don’t want her to deal with that stress continually. In general once I removed the allergic foods she’s done a ton better. This has been a really bad ragweed season. She gets some seasonal allergies. I also may have accidentally touched her with chicken on my fingers. She’s allergic to chicken, turkey and fish. I generally try making sure she doesn’t get near the items. She’s doing much better.

 

[cat princesses]

You might want to check about taking your cat to a pen animal dermatologist. My cat has severe allergies and she was out in allergy injections 2x per week and also an immune suppressant drug called atopica. These have literally given her quality of life and relief from itching like crazy.