Convenia for Cat Bite Wounds

Six R, Cleaver DM, Lindeman CJ, et al. Effectiveness and safety of cefovecin sodium, an extended-spectrum injectable cephalosporin, in the treatment of cats with abscesses and infected wounds. J Am Vet Med Assoc. Jan 1 2009;234(1):81-87.

Abscesses and infected bite or scratch wounds are very common problems in feline medicine. The most common pathogen involved is Pasteurella multocida. Treatment of infected wounds is accomplished by drainage and debridement, and antibiotic therapy. Antibiotics typically recommended for first line treatment include penicillins, cephalosporins, and clindamycin. These drugs require once or twice daily dosing, and treatment must be continued for 7 to 14 days. Cefovecin (Convenia, Pfizer Animal Health) is a new extended-spectrum bactericidal cephalosporin. The manufacturer recommends a one-time subcutaneous injection at a dose of 8 mg/kg. Therapeutic concentrations of the drug against P. multocida are maintained for approximately 7 days. This multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial was designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of cefovecin in the treatment of cats with abscesses and infected wounds. Cats were randomly allocated to one of two groups. One group received a single dose of cefovecin followed by placebo drops orally once daily for 14 days. The second group received one subcutaneous placebo injection followed by cefadroxil once daily for 14 days. The effectiveness of cefovecin was similar to that of cefadroxil. At day 28, 97% of cefovecin-treated cats and 91% of cefadroxil-treated cats were considered treatment successes. There were no serious adverse effects reports.
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Related articles:
Stegemann MR, Sherington J, Passmore C. The efficacy and safety of cefovecin in the treatment of feline abscesses and infected wounds. J Small Anim Pract. Dec 2007;48(12):683-689.
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Stegemann MR, Sherington J, Coati N, Brown SA, Blanchflower S. Pharmacokinetics of cefovecin in cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. Dec 2006;29(6):513-524.
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Retroviruses and Cat Bite Wounds

Goldkamp, C. E., J. K. Levy, et al. (2008). "Seroprevalences of feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus in cats with abscesses or bite wounds and rate of veterinarian compliance with current guidelines for retrovirus testing." J Am Vet Med Assoc 232(8): 1152-8.

In this prospective study, data was collected on 967 cats being treated for bite wounds and abscesses from 134 veterinary practices in 30 states. Cats were tested for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) at the time of presentation. Veterinarians were asked to retest cats 60 days later to determine if seronegative cats became positive after the high-risk event. The FeLV-FIV status of 96 cats was known prior to the bite wound event. At the time of treatment, 19.3% of cats were seropositive for FeLV and/or FIV. Risk factors associated with seropositive status included age (adult), gender (male), history of wounds, and outdoor access. Retesting of seronegative cats was recommended to owners of 478 cats at 54.5% of the practices. However, only 13.4% of cats were restested. Of these cats, 5.2% that were initially seronegative for FIV seroconverted. This study determined that a high proportion of cats with abscesses or bite wounds were seropositive for retrovirus infection. Unfortunately, compliance with recommendations to test cats at the time of the event or after treatment was low. Clearly, the FeLV-FIV status of cats with fight wounds should be determined at the time of treatment, and seronegative cats should be retested in 60 days.
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Related articles:
Levy, J. K., H. M. Scott, et al. (2006). "Seroprevalence of feline leukemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus infection among cats in North America and risk factors for seropositivity." J Am Vet Med Assoc 228(3): 371-6.
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More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library