Cefovecin sodium (veterinary medicine): Uses and side effects

Uses of Cefovecin sodium

Cefovecin sodium is a broad-spectrum, third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic that effectively treats common canine and feline bacterial skin infections. Mostly sold under the trade name Convenia, each box of Convenia comes with two vials, one of the powder and the other of the diluent. The powder is dissolved in the diluent before use to make an injection, which is administered by subcutaneous injection.

Convenia is used to treat infections caused by certain specific bacteria. It is generally given as a single injection, and the effect of the injection lasts for up to 14 days. Depending on the infection concerned, the injection can be repeated if necessary (up to three times). Convenia is used in dogs to treat skin and soft tissue infections; these are infections on the skin and in the layers just below the skin, such as wounds, abscesses and pyoderma (a skin infection with a rash and pustules). It is also used in dogs to treat urinary tract infections caused by certain specific bacteria.

The study reported that subcutaneous Cefovecin sodium was compared with oral amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in a clinical treatment of dogs, and its results showed that Cefovecin sodium was not statistically inferior in all clinical diagnoses, with efficacies as high as 96.9 per cent and 92.5 per cent, respectively. Similar results were seen in a clinical treatment of cats, where Cefovecin was as effective as amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, with 100% efficacy for both treatments.

Mechanism of Action

The mechanism of action of Cefovecin sodium, like other beta-lactams, binds to penicillin-binding proteins in the bacterial cell wall, thereby blocking cell wall synthesis and causing cell death. However, Cefovecin is not effective against Pseudomonas or Enterococcus.

Side effects of Cefovecin sodium

Cefovecin sodium is usually well tolerated.Common side effects of Cefovecin sodium include vomiting, diarrhoea, drowsiness and decreased appetite. In rare cases, neurological symptoms and injection site reactions have been observed with the use of the The most common adverse reaction to overdose in puppies and kittens is mild and transient swelling at the injection site.

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