Do Vets convenia for cats’ dental surgery? Sometimes yes! The traditional dental procedure removes the infected teeth and gives them a root canal. But, this method must be done carefully because it may hurt your cat. As a result, many vets now use the Convenia tooth anesthetic for cats‘ dental surgery. This anesthesia helps them relax during the procedure, so they don’t feel pain or discomfort.
Why The Most ‘Convenia-not Antibiotic May Be The Wrong One For Cats
What Is Convenia?
Convenia is a long-acting parenteral antibiotic available in both intravenous and intramuscular forms.
It has been used to treat skin infections, respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, soft tissue infections, and wounds.
Cefovecin belongs to the cephalosporin family of antibiotics and works by inhibiting cell wall synthesis in bacteria.
The drug is made from an altered form of ceftriaxone (an injectable antibiotic that binds well with blood proteins) that extends its duration of action.
Like other drugs made using this process (examples include Zmax), Convenia can be given once every 14 days instead of daily or every three days like many other injectable broad-spectrum antibiotics such as gentamicin and amikacin.
Another difference between it and most other injectables is that, unlike penicillin or ampicillin, which must be injected into muscle tissue because they tend to bind too strongly with blood proteins causing them to stay in the bloodstream too long, cefovecin does not.
Convenia’s Side Effects
Studies state it’s not as safe as its manufacturer, Pfizer, would have you believe; serious side effects are common and don’t always show up right away, which means they may occur but aren’t reported during clinical trials because they’re not yet known at the time of approval.
Because of this incomplete data set, an examination of adverse events reports shows that Convenia can cause long-lasting blood levels far beyond those expected from any other injectable antibiotic used in veterinary medicine today—levels high enough to cause life-threatening reactions months after the injection!
That’s especially scary considering Convenia isn’t being administered just once but twice: Once for each ear when administering the drug and then again after surgery to the infected tooth.
Bacteria that have evolved over millions of years to fight off modern medicine – when ‘real’ antibiotics finally do, some strains will already be immune to them!
The adverse effects reported in Convenia studies include anemia, low platelets (blood cells), leukopenia (low white blood cell count), and neutropenia (low bone marrow production).
These are not uncommon side effects of long-term antibiotic use, but they occur only in animals that receive very high doses for a prolonged time through injection or IV.
Unfortunately, many cats receive both injections at once, and as mentioned above, this can lead to life-threatening reactions months later.
Convenia’s Wider Effects
Veterinarians have been pushing for a long time to change the law so that we can offer more of these drugs without having to wait for test results.
The worst thing about this is having to send a pet owner home with their suffering animal and then trying not to think about it over the next few days.
We understand how difficult it is for owners to see their pets in pain, but if you want us to treat your pet, even under those circumstances, we must ensure there’s no other cause before administering antibiotics.
Why Does It Matter?
The first-line antibiotics we use to treat human infections are also used for treating sick animals.
Unfortunately, bacteria exposed to these drugs in veterinary medicine can become resistant.
When a pet owner gets an infection from these drug-resistant bugs, the only remaining treatment may be more expensive or toxic medications.
Even worse, if your doctor diagnoses you with a disease caused by one of these multidrug-resistant bacteria, it might not respond to any antibiotics!
Final Thoughts, Do Vets Convenia for Cats’ Dental Surgery?
In conclusion, I hope you can see why we’re so concerned to see this drug used for treating a bacterial infections in cats.
The risks of severe side effects are real, and the benefits, if any, are not sure.
Convenia may provide some benefit, but it’s also possible there will be no benefit at all. We don’t know yet!
FAQs
Is Convenia good for dental infections in cats?
Can be, Convenia is a good antibiotic for dental infections in cats. It is effective against a wide range of bacteria, and it is given as a single injection. This makes it convenient for both the cat and the veterinarian.
What does Convenia treat in cats?
Convenia is a long-acting antibiotic used to treat a wide variety of infections in cats. Some of the most common infections Convenia is used to treat include urinary tract infections, skin infections, and respiratory infections.
Do cats need antibiotics after tooth extraction?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the need for antibiotics after a tooth extraction will vary depending on the individual cat. However, in most cases, antibiotics are not necessary after a tooth extraction.
Is Convenia an antibiotic for cats?
Convenia is an antibiotic for cats that is given as a shot. It is used to treat a variety of infections, including skin infections.
