Convenia side effects?

[momofmaxwell]

Hi MaryAnn.How is your baby doing now? Eating? I hope so.It was nasty your girl had an adverse reaction to Convenia as it was a skin issue.Definite no go for me ever.Hope she is doing well.Hugs C.I did post some links of the Jackson Galaxy.Super IMO.

 

[maryann118]

 
Hi MaryAnn.How is your baby doing now? Eating? I hope so.It was nasty your girl had an adverse reaction to Convenia as it was a skin issue.Definite no go for me ever.Hope she is doing well.Hugs C.I did post some links of the Jackson Galaxy.Super IMO. ​

Thanks for asking MomofMaxwell!  Olive is coming along, but it's slow going. Her appetite did return, but now another round of lethargy seems to have set in. Has anyone else experienced this? Where their kitty perks up, then goes into deep sleeps again? I know cats sleep nearly around the clock, but these sleeping bouts seem over the top. When she does wake up, she's alert and playful, but she's not STAYING up during her usual wakeful periods, like in the morning when she sits on the windowsill watching her birds. It's just so difficult to witness all this, especially since I work from home, so I see it all day, every day.

As for her lack of appetite, I'd put Olive on Miralax (mixed it with a tad of water, then mixed into wet food) as she'd gotten so constipated the first week after injection, and even needed an enema. But the other morning, when I offered her breakfast with 1/8 tsp of Miralax mixed in, she refused it, so I opened a completely different can of food with no Miralax and she wolfed it down. It's odd because she ate it fine the first week or ten days, but obviously she was able to detect it at some point and rejected it. I'm not sure I've EVER heard of a cat rejecting Miralax, but there ya go.

Regardless, I'm thrilled she's eating, but have a heavy heart over this new round of lethargy.  I just have to pray it's another "round" of side effects that will slowly improve.

In an unrelated matter, Olive also tested very high for Bartonella, so once this is all over, she will need azithromycin for that, but at least that's an oral med, which I'll be able to stop if she has a bad reaction. That med requires THREE WEEKS of daily liquid meds. UGH.

Anyway, my question for today is simply...has anyone whose had a cat recover from Convenia see these up and down side effects?

 

[mollyblue]

Our cat Snowy has had numerous injections of the Convenia.  We have only had her 11 months, and she was very VERY sick when we got her so I don't know what she was like prior to falling ill.  She is deaf, and I have read that deaf cats tend to sleep deeper than normal cats because they don't hear every little noise.  She does have periods where she is more energetic than other times, but she also has recurring sinus issues... appetitie fluctuates, energy fluctuates, as does mood.  I wouldn't hesitate to have the convenia injection again if she becomes as sick as she was before because it really sucked to have her sick so long with the medications not working... but I hope she doesn't ever get that sick again too!

My question is though, do you think your cat actually got well, or is she steel reeling from the same illness and getting a little better, but not well?  That happened with poor little snowy and thats how she ended up getting two convenia injections 10 days apart.

 

[momofmaxwell]

Hi MaryAnn118

I can't offer you any advice as per the lethargy other than is she on any other meds right now.?Anything? I wanted to give you some advice about miralax.When kitties and some do notice it in their food that is then  I suggest mixing it with a small amount of water & drawing it up into say a 3 ml syringe & syringing it very slowly as not to aspirate.The side of the mouth always and not aimed at the throat.

.It is water soluble.How are her bowel movements now?Keep observing as no or dry BM's can made them very ill.Something most of us can't relate to.Also when she had to have an enema was she put out? If so depending on what they used it can also have side effects of a slow gut meaning more constipation.

You know you're girl best more than anyone.Have you had recent BW done since this has all happened? That something else isn't going on?Are you giving an appetite stimulant?If so what and are you dealing with nausea as nausea is always addressed before an appetite stimulant is introduced.

Or you can get learned food aversions.Which are basically giving a med like mirt to entice her to eat although her gut feels like heck.She eats it only because her brain is telling her to.If she had her choice because of nausea she would not have eaten it.

So nausea with some kitties is very hard to determine and most vets just hand you mirt as a solve all.Cerenia introduced may help her.You would have to talk to your vet.But you know this is NOT normal for your girl & something is going on.Relating it to convenia.

Make sure she is peeing big pee balls and is pooping daily soft logs not balls.I'm sorry ,i always said No to convenia but many have it injected without even being told anything.

Or if they are they don't talk about how it causes inappetance with a lot of our babies.I'm wondering if by chance something else is going on Honey.You know her the best.here is alink on Bartonella.Was this what the convenia was originally for or something else.The effects of Bartonella are not good as well dealing with inappetance & whole bunch of stuff.

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrT...ats.html/RK=0/RS=imx83b_20iNZFPDLgb5x45BZYmk-

And yes BTW some kitties can tell miralax is in there.Some use very smelly fish food just for dosing it or will syringe it mixed with water.HTH Honey hugs C.

I mixed Maxwell's miralax in a tsp of gerber's stage 2 chicken babyfood (no onions or garlic) every day.But he loved BF.But yes even in fish some say "Not" and yes they can change from their old habits in a minute.

 

[maryann118]

Mom of Maxwell, I can't believe I missed your post here. Thank you for such a complete and loving response. I think you're right... That some more blood work is in order. She's going backwards now instead of forward.

The most heartbreaking thing is that she's starting to lose all interest in affection and socializing. I'm so worried her brain has been damaged and I've lost my loving cat, who was truly a dream baby. To see her now avoid all contact makes me sick in ways I can't describe. I can feel myself getting depressed over it, which is something I always have to watch out for.

She was given Convenia, DepoMedrol and two vaccines all in one day. I brought her in for a simple skin issue on her cheek. This was Oct. 23. Since then, her symptoms have been a mix of inappetance, lethargy and now this weird anti social behavior.

She's eating again but not much. So she's pooping maybe every other day, and today was just for little thingies. I'll try the Miralax again along with the mirt, and see if she feels better. She gets little bursts of energy to play, but then she just sleeps again, even hides, which she NEVER did.

Unfortunately that bartonella link didn't work for me... Looks like I needed to be a member to see it? I'll look on yahoo myself. She was tested for bartonella the same day as those injections as she has gingivitis, and she's only two. The test came back as a 4+, the highest a cat can score.

They have me azithromycin to give her for three weeks, but I don't know when to start. Is she as sick as she is because the bartonella has flared due to her Convenia reaction? Or would it be a bad idea to give her any more meds right now?

If she was her old self, I would wait, but she seems to be getting worse. The vet says to medicate her now, to take advantage of the Convenia still in her system ( bartonella is hard to get rid of), but is that best? Any gut opinions from anyone?

I'm sorry if this is all over the place. I'm just so upset. I miss my baby terribly. It's like she has Alzheimer's. She's here, but she's gone.

 

[tlc8]

I read your post.  I am so sorry to hear that.   I know that you are blessed for the time he was in your live.  And the fond memories will be with you forever. Again, I am so sorry

 

[taracran72]

 
Niferno -- I said the same thing a few posts back. For thousands of years, cats have been eating a protein-only diet, so that's how they're wired. As their ancestors were desert animals, their bodies are designed to extract fluid from their food. A cat will NEVER get as much water from a water dish or a fountain as she will from a can of cat food. The current saying goes, "The worst wet food is better than the best dry food.)  Just watch Jackson Galaxy on "My Cat From Hell," and check out his YouTube videos online.  He's a passionate advocate for a wet only diet, and once you've got that going, then raw.

Taracran72 -- I'm quite disturbed to hear that your vet gave your cat three rounds of Convenia for an upper respiratory infection. Convenia has a very limited use in that it's for skin infections ONLY. No wonder it didn't work and you were given three rounds.  I would highly recommend that you switch vets, as that person is completely misinformed about what Convenia does and doesn't treat. It sounds like he/she doesn't stay current with continuing education, which means if he was so completely wrong about Convenia, what else is he making errors about?

Seriously, giving your cat Convenia for anything other than skin issues is a HUGE MISTAKE.  Of course, as all of us here know, giving a cat Convenia for ANYTHING is a big mistake.

Thank you for your concern but I love my Vet and I will be sticking with them. My cat is just fine, better than he has ever been.

 

[murphy3730]

Niferno,

Hi,  I just read your post about Convenia and how your vet has given your cat 3 bouts of this drug.  I have done quite a bit of research about Convenia, both of my cats were given this drug and one of my cats is dead the other was sick for almost a year because of this drug.  While my cats are older, the side effects of convenia are documented and are severe.  The insert that is provided by the website for Convenia and the FDA explains all of the potential hazards of the drug.  There have been so many reported illnesses and deaths because of Convenia, I would worry that your cat would not make it through another bout of Convenia.  This drug causes diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, vomitting etc.....the list goes on and on.  Im surprised that your vet would use this drug for upper respiratory, im also surprised that your cat made it through without any side effects.

The company that manufactures this drug is Pfizer and Zoetis....all of these side effects and interactions from the drug are listed on their website.  I dont have solid evidence but I believe there are some vets that are using this drug for research....im not sure of all of the factors involved in this though.

There are much safer, antibiotics to give your cat that dont have side effects and wont threaten their life.  These drugs have been used forever on cats and they work efficiently so that the cat wont need 2-3 bouts of the drug. 

Take some time to research Convenia and its side effects.  While you may have gotten lucky so far, I wouldnt allow your vet to continue giving convenia...it has effects on kidneys and the liver...per the research that has been conducted.

Good luck

Murphy

 

[maryann118]

Just following up here about my Olive, who was given Convenia Oct. 23, 2015. Today is April 4, 2016.

Physically, it seems Olive has recovered, although the amount of sleeping she does can sometimes concern me. Perhaps the saddest turn of events is that Convenia changed her personality. Olive was a real love bug before the shot...so open and friendly with all people...and now she can be very withdrawn. Sometimes I feel like my heart is just broken over it, but then she'll have a good day where the old Olive is back, and I'll have some hope.

I have Olive on FortiFlora (probiotics), a digestive enzyme (Prozyme), and Omega 3 fatty acids (when she'll eat it in her food).  As someone mentioned on another site, it's important that after a Convenia shot that an animal be on probiotics for at least six months. I probably should have had her on a much bigger dose from the beginning, but I just didn't know.

Right now she is also on an antianxiety med called buspirone (BuSpar) as about three weeks after the shot, she went into a weird PTSD state after a home visit from the vet tech. Something about him freaked her out, but obviously she was also a very sick cat from the Convenia. I've been working with her using play therapy as well...using specific types of games to build her confidence.

The med has definitely brought her anxiety down, as she's no longer under the bed, and her body language is just so much better. She seems comfortable in her own skin again, but she's still not the affectionate cat she once was.  I just bought some books on clicker training, as I read that it's great for anxious cats, and she's very play oriented. That part of her has also come back. The heartbreaking part is the loss of affection, although she still loves to be petted and will let me hold her for long periods of time.

She's such a gentle, loving cat who I had such a bond with. I'm just so enraged at the vet, I don't have words for it. I found out later that they didn't even put the "adverse event" in her chart!  As she was also given vaccines that day, along with DepoMedrol, I asked them to give me a waiver that Olive never needed to be vaccinated again. The receptionist told me there was nothing in her chart about any reactions to anything. Luckily, they did give me the letter, but it was carefully worded to avoid culpability.

To anyone reading this who has had great success with Convenia, please keep in mind that you're playing Russian Roulette with your cat's health. There's no way to know if your cat will react, and if it does, there's no way to stop the cascade of side effects as it's in the animal for two weeks.

Prayers for Olive are welcome.

 

[murphy3730]

Maryann,

Hi, I am glad that Olive is doing better physically.  Have you considered that some of the meds, maybe the antianxiety meds are what are making her sleep?  The probiotics and other natural drugs also may be making her sleep more....this may be a natural effect of just getting better.  Have you tried weaning her off of the meds and just trying to let her get better on her own?

We have talked before..I have Zoie who is still alive an thriving and Felix that died after the convenia shot.  What did Zoie the most good was switching her to the Proactive Purina diet, I dropped any and all other medications.  over medicating can take a toll on their kidneys and liver...this can also make them sleepy because it causes the body to work twice as hard.

I think you have doe a wonderful job of getting Olive back to healthy again....you must really love her a lot..  Keep trying, and just give her a lot of love just as you are doing, she will get back to her lovely self.  I can almost guarantee it. 

I read an article once about cats and how their immune systems are amazingly strong, twice as strong as human beings because evolution made them that way for survival.  Drugs whether natural or not are not part of that process.  You will know what is best for Olive...I wish you the best of luck, and praise you for loving your cat and taking care of her to the best of your ability. 

Animals are an awful lot like kids, they give without hesitation, smile and live from their hart, live their lives from their bellies....laughing again without hesitation.  I love listening to kids belly laugh, and watching animals play because there is never a hesitation or holding back. They love this way to.  We owe them all of our love and laughter in the same manner. 

 

[dexie]

I took my little Simon into the vet because he wasn't feeling well. Vet said it was a respiratory infection and gave him Convenia (without giving me a choice vs oral or explaining the risks). Simon appeared to get better at first... OVer the next three weeks, my precious little guy became increasingly lethargic and started dropping weight, so back to the vet he went.

They could not find anything wrong with him (Thursday), so we took him to a different vet the following Monday (a week ago today). Vet#2 found that Simon had an enlarged kidney. He was anorexic so we were told to force feed him and make sure he had fluids too. We immediately started his feeding regimen and Wednesday, the biopsy results came back negative for cancer, so we remained hopeful.

We continued to feed Simon as directed, then Sunday he had a seizure - then between midnight and 7am, he had several more. As I was putting on my shoes to take him to vet first thing, he had one last seizure and passed away.

I have been beside myself trying to figure out why a 10 month old kitten who has not gotten into any poison - and who what relatively healthy prior to our first vet visit would end up with kidney failure. After reading the stories in this thread, I cannot ignore all of the similarities between what happened to my beautiful little Simon and these other kitties.

My heart is breaking and tears are in my eyes as I type this, but I had to share Simon's story in the hope that it will stop this from happening to even one more kitty.


Dex

Ps. Did any of you have an autopsy done to link it specifically to Convenia?

 

[dexie]

Just to clarify, Vet#2 put Simon on some vitamins, antibiotics, and "special" food. This is what I meant by his feeding "regimen".

 

[murphy3730]

Dexie,

Hi,  Convenia is a dangerous drug and is misused on cats and dogs to an extent that is negligent.  My cat Felix died because of this drug and a careless vet.

My one cat Zoe survived and is still alive.  The FDA has the side effects of Convenia listed on their site, kidney and liver issues are just 2 of the side effects.  

To pull Zoie out of her vomiting and the issues I started giving her a normal diet.  Purina Pro Plan wet food...the gravy cans are the best.  I also dropped her down to the basic Purina dry food.  She still throws up occasionally but she has gained her weight back and is not really sick any longer.  Whatever you do do not let them talk you into changing foods to the kidney diet....this was what they did with Felix and it was lethal to him...he died July of 2015.

I cant stress water water water enough....I also know that cats do not do well with force feeding.  Another side effect of Convenia is lethargy and anoerexia...Felix suffered from this as well.  Find food that your cat likes and stick to it.  Eventually the Convenia will be eliminated from their body and they will start to get better.  Kidneys can heal somewhat as well.

Lots and lots of love, hugs and kisses.

If you look on this site the cats often change behavior and attitudes...not as cuddly or loving...just give them time...it will get better.

finally Zoie my one cat is back to almost her old self...woke me up with kisses this morning to feed her.  She still hides and isnt as friendly as she once was but that is understandable.

Whatever you do do not let your vet give another shot of Convenia.

There were posts on here where the pet was placed on IV fluids which pulled them out of this sickness.

I had left a post about a tort claim against Pfizer and Zoetis for this Convenia drug but no one replied.

You can also sue your vet in concilliation court for violating your trust and patient authorization by giving a drug without your knowledge or authorization....One of the problems is that when you sign your pet in you sign electronically which authorizes the vet to give medication and take care of your pet..there should still be a plan and your authorization throughout the care of your pet. You should be aware of any meds before administered.

I wish you the best of luck, my prayers are with you and your cat.  Please email if you have any questions or need anything.

Sheryl Murphy

 

[pam hall1966]

On Wednesday June 15 my cat Igor started acting a bit off in the late afternoon. He was eating and drinking as usual but not getting up and playing as much as usual. He is 10 months old by the way. The next morning he was not running and being active like he usually is and that day he did eat and drink but very little.

I got him an appt to the vet late afternoon on the 16th. They saw right away that he had a pretty bad ear infection with mites and dug some black gunk out of his ears with a long q-tip. I am very new to having a cat as an indoor pet. I have had Igor about 7 weeks as he was my daughter's and she no longer wanted him so I adopted him. Anyways, he was NOT a happy camper about being held down and having his ears prodded, he wiggled, squirmed and shrieked the whole time. I told the vet he had not been eating and drinking much that whole day and he said a couple days of not eating and drinking would be alright. Anyways, they said the way he was squirming and acting made the vet realize he would not be a good candidate for pills, plus he was not eating or drinking at this point so I would not have been able to get him to take them. So they suggested an antibiotic shot that was a one time thing and would work on him for 14 days. We said that would be great! Sounded like a great thing!

He had his shot about 4:30 that afternoon, we brought him home and all that evening he was up running up and down the hallway chasing a fly, he seemed better. That night about 11:00 he was zonked and slept the whole night which he usually gets up and rummages around getting into all sorts of things but he didn't. Next morning, Friday, he was listless and just laid around most of the day. He did get up and run up and down the hall a couple times later in the day chasing that fly! He ate a very little bit of soft cat food that evening but still not drinking.

So I am writing this on Saturday the 2nd day after his shot and he was listless again all night last night and this morning. He is sleeping on the couch right now and he usually follows me from room to room wherever I go but he has just been sleeping and sleeping! I had to buy a medicine dropper today and force feed him some water and broth because I am scared to death about him not getting any nourishment.

The vet of course told me nothing about any reactions and/or side effects of the shot, I thought it sounded like a great idea! Then I get on here and read all of these horror stories and I feel so guilty of having let them give him that shot! Had I known, I would have NEVER agreed to that! I am so worried about my little buddy! He sticks right by me and is always worried about what I'm doing and now he's acting like this! If I lose him I don't know what I will do! I love him so much and have become so attached to him.

I have an appt Monday morning at the vet again if he's not doing any better over the weekend, made the appt just in case. I have read that after a couple days the lethargy should subside. Late this afternoon will make 2 days so I am hoping. He seems to have bursts of energy in the late afternoon/evening.

I just hadn't noticed anyone on here saying their cat was given the shot for an ear infection. It was pretty bad because he had been digging at it and meowing loudly when he would scratch it and his ear was red inside. I guess I am wondering if the infection too could be causing the lethargy and not eating/drinking? I just don't know, I am so confused by this whole entire ordeal, I guess I just wanted to get it off my chest and to see if anybody out there had anything similar to happen with them with an ear infection.

Oh and by the way, they said he was healthy otherwise

 

[kittens mom]

Again.

I have given my veterinary clinic a list of drugs that my cats cannot be given without my permission.

It does not , as I explained to my vet mean I would never use them but rather I have a right to informed consent. Something we take for granted but it really isn't present in the world of animal medicine.

If the crap vet that gave Kitten the shot of enrofloxacin, 2X the safe dose, had told me it was off label use and the possible side effects I believe and will go to my grave believing Kitten would not be in little wooden casket/urn on my desk.  I base this not just on my 6 months or research on drugs for cats but my friend who works with pharmaceuticals and her observations on fluoroquinolones.

Convenia is not necessarily a bad antibiotic but since it stays in the system if you have a bad reaction your cat and you will have to suffer through the side effects.

Antibiotics/ NASIDS any pain killer can have side effects.

There is a government run website called DailyMed. It has veterinary drugs with the original labels both for professionals and consumers.

 

[murphy3730]

Pam,

HI,  I would not wait I would bring him to the emergency vet.  The Convenia shot can effect their kidneys and liver.  It is best if they can give him fluids to try to flush the medicine out of him especially if he is having a reaction to the shot. 

My cat Felix died after this shot.  Vets don't see the danger even though the FDA has the side effects as listlessness, anoerexia, kidney fail, liver issues, lethargy..many others. 

My can Zoie survived, thankfully.  I finally switched her food to Purina Pro Plan, and Purina sensitive systems and made sure she had a lot of water.  She vomited for months.

By the way Convenia stays in their system wreaking havoc for 72 days, but only works on infections for 14.  Convenia was supposed to be specifically for skin infections, not just as a general antibiotic which is why it does not work for many bacterial infections.  It is overused and the reactions that vets see are understated by the vets. This drug is also a Chemotherapeudic drug, which means it is like a cancer drug for pets. 

If you read the posts on this site you will see the bad reactions from Convenia.

I think what has worked the best is lots of good food (no special diets), lots of water, and lots of love.  JUst like any of us the cat will need time to get better...lots of patience.

I wish you the best of luck with your kitty. 

Thank you

S. Murphy

 

[pam hall1966]

We don't have an er vet in my town. I am taking him tomorrow morning to the vet. I don't know if it will do any good or not. Now he isn't going to the bathroom. Hasn't #1 since Friday morning and #2 yesterday afternoon about 4. He just lays there. I have to feed him chicken broth with an eye dropper. This is driving me absolutely crazy. I am trying to prepare myself for losing him as I am sure this is the way it is heading. I had a breakdown this morning because I feel like I did this to him unknowingly. He was not well when I took him to the vet now he is 10 times worse. I just don't know how much longer he can make it not eating, drinking and going to the bathroom. I'm not doing well with this at all, I am heartbroken. I love my bubby so much!

 

[LTS3]

The after hours voice mail message for your vet should have info on who to call for emergencies. Call that number and ask for help. It's worth double checking this directory for any nearby vet ERs are your area: https://www.veccs.org/facility-directory/

I posted this earlier in the thread and it's worth posting again. Here is one vet's take on why Convenia should never be used in cats: http://catinfo.org/?link=convenia

 

[murphy3730]

Pam Hall,

Hi,  I wish I could offer some suggestions to assist. Dont lose hope though, animals have a way of bouncing back. 

This is not your fault, it is the vets fault.  They should be aware of the problems with Convenia, and how negatively it effects animals. 

IV fluids will help him.  Switch his food to pro plan/Purina wet food.  Whatever you do dont let the vet switch him to a kidney diet.  The kidney diet eliminates protein and right now he needs that protein to bounce back.

Convenia is a chemotherapeudic medicine so the protein will bring up his red blood cells and increase his protein allowing his organs to fight this nasty drug. 

Maybe he was sick before but their medicine should be making him better not worse.  Convenia is a long acting antibiotic used for skin infections.  It does not work for other bacteria...it is a specific antibiotic. YOu can look up the side effects of Convenia on Pfizer/Zoetis website or the FDA website. 

Did you sign anything electronically for the vet?  Was this a Banfield vet?

Thank you

S Murphy

 

[kittens mom]

 
We don't have an er vet in my town. I am taking him tomorrow morning to the vet. I don't know if it will do any good or not. Now he isn't going to the bathroom. Hasn't #1 since Friday morning and #2 yesterday afternoon about 4. He just lays there. I have to feed him chicken broth with an eye dropper. This is driving me absolutely crazy. I am trying to prepare myself for losing him as I am sure this is the way it is heading. I had a breakdown this morning because I feel like I did this to him unknowingly. He was not well when I took him to the vet now he is 10 times worse. I just don't know how much longer he can make it not eating, drinking and going to the bathroom. I'm not doing well with this at all, I am heartbroken. I love my bubby so much!

http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines   More than an ER vet which you most likely need. Find a feline practice.

It was absurd for the veterinarian to assume that you could not medicate YOUR cat.  Cats, especially sick ones find nothing social about visiting the vet.  There is a very good chance he will recover.

There are a number of threads on this site dealing with force feeding and how to do it effectively and safely.  You need a syringe and the 1st baby meats, Chicken, turkey or beef. These have no seasonings in them.

You have found a wonderful sight and while no one can give you medical advice for your baby they can guide you and offer the support you need right now. They are also incredibly resourceful.

I know the pain of not having a pet ER close.