8/3 Chester Emergency Room Convenia Scare and Question

[Jaye and Chester]

Hi, Folks....

I haven't been here in a long while but things aren't going so well with Chester and I really feel the need to add my warning to what's been said on this site (as well as other places) about the 2-week antibiotic shot, Convenia. Sorry for the length of the post, but it was a harrowing experience!

Chester has had crappy numbers basically ever since he got diabetes (more on that later) but about two weeks ago he really lost his appetite. I was feeding him Blue Wilderness canned chicken 2X daily...and anything else LC I could get him to eat. It got so I couldn't get him to eat anything, even HC canned. I knew he needed a dental so scheduled one for the following Thursday. Got worried over the weekend so I went to the vet on Saturday, they verified that he has at least one bad tooth, and we bumped his dental up to Monday. They also gave him the CONVENIA shot, pretty quickly...I hardly had a moment to think about what was going on. My other cats have had it numerous times so I didn't think too much of it, although my vet and I have discussed what I've read here and other placed regarding the possible side effects.

That was Saturday morning a week ago. By Saturday night at 11:00 pm we were on our way to the Emergency Vet and I wasn't sure Chester was going to make it through the night. Although there was no vomiting or poopers, he was so lethargic that he couldn't walk or even really lift his head. If I put him in the litterbox he would basically collapse like a ragdoll. I can't stress enough the EXTREME LETHARGY that he exhibited. He basically looked "stoned." Long story shorter...e-vet found no cause for it...bloodwork good, no apparent pain, good temp. On the way there I scratched my brain as to what had changed that day and the only thing I could think of was the CONVENIA shot so I mentioned my suspicion. He wouldn't confirm it, but he said it was a possibility.

Monday Morning: Cancelled the dental (for obvious reasons). Chester was no better. He was eating, but only if I put the food right under his mouth. He would eat until he got too tired and then would fall asleep with his face in the food! Went to regular vet and told her that it would take an Act of Congress to convince me that it wasn't a Convenia reaction. She agreed that it was probably the case, but was concerned that something else might be going on to make him react so strongly to something he has had no problems with before.

Off to the e-vet again for an ultrasound and chest x-rays (his breathing was pretty fast...although not panting). Vet was very happy with his insides, especially compared to the horrible inflammation and pancreatitis that he had on last year's ultrasound. Our take home info said to just support him for the next several days and look for signs of improvement. If he improves, it was most likely a Convenia reaction.

The long and short of it is that it did take him several days (probably 5) before he was anything more than a total zombie. He wouldn't even get off the bed to pee but would pee in his sleep! NOT a fun situation for the rest of us in the bed! Then, within about two more days, he became his old self again, and we were THRILLED to see it, that's for sure!

Of my 8 cats, probably all of them have had Convenia at one time or another. Now there is a big red flag in my vet files that says, under no circumstances, are ANY of my cats to ever get the Convenia shot again. This was a pretty expensive way ($1000+) to find that the first side effect that Pfizer lists, Lethargy, is definitely possible! They don't mention that it is a mind-numbing, scare you out of your gourd lethargy that makes your whole life grind to a halt.

PLEASE THINK, NOT TWICE, BUT THREE OR FOUR TIMES BEFORE ALLOWING THE CONVENIA SHOT TO BE USED ON YOUR CAT. All of my cats are easily pilled and I don't forget to give them antibiotics and my vets know this so I'm kind of ticked off that they just gave him the shot as a matter of course...but that's a whole 'nother topic.

UPDATE ON CHESTER'S SS: I'm trying something unorthodox with Chester since this scare and it may or may not be working, but here goes...

We've never been able to get him stable on two meals per day of canned LC. We've been diligently trying for going on two years to do it and he just doesn't like canned food enough to keep him going. He's underweight and, when he actually does eat the canned food, he often eats so fast that he regurgitates it and we're back at square one and I'm late for work. In addition, I've come to the conclusion that Chester will never be off of insulin and have decided that that is fine. We've gotten down to just a few drops, but as I've said, he's too thin. We're sacrificing body mass just to get low doses of insulin and that's not working for him. I keep saying the mantra in my head, ECID, ECID, ECID...

I've decided to up his insulin to actual measurable doses (that we can be more consistent on) and to supplement his twice daily feedings of canned LC with "Low Carb" dry. Yes, I know...is there really such a thing? However, I have the autofeeder set so that after his nadir (or what I'm guessing it is by the numbers I'm getting) the dry is no longer available for him. So he gets a LC canned meal at 5:30 am., dry available until 11:00 a.m. and then nothing the rest of the day until dinner time.

** Although his numbers are disgustingly high, this is the first time in forever that I am actually seeing the so-called "flat curve" that I'm supposed to see with Levemir. To actually have a day's readings be somewhat within 100 pts without crazy drops is unheard of. I'm also hoping that he'll put on some weight with this plan. I'm trying to stick to the protocol now of holding the dose but I'm wondering if I'm going too slow.

BIG problem is that Chester seems to be throwing up more! This, obviously, is a no-no with a diabetic cat. The pukus has quite a bit of hair in it so we are trying some capsules of mineral oil (he won't eat any Hairball treatment) to see if that will help. Last night I rode it out, took readings but didn't supplement with HC canned after the puking and he pulled himself back up. Of course, he was high to begin with.

I know dry isn't ideal, but for Chester supplementing his canned LC with dry might be the way to go. Maybe I'm just trying the wrong dry (Evo). Thoughts?

 

[sharon and sparky]

So sorry to hear of this. Thank you for the warning. I also have heard about the dangers of Covenia. Good luck on the new protocol.

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

It sounds like an absolutely harrowing experience. I'm very glad to hear that Chester recovered well.

As far as food, Chester has to eat. The EVO cat and kitten food is probably the lowest carb food around -- or at least that's what most people have noted. If you've not already tried it, one suggestion is to smash kibble and put it on the LC wet food.

As far as hairball issues, have you tried butter? Who doesn't like butter?

 

[Ronnie & Luna]

(((Jaye)))) wow im sorry about what you and Chester have been going thru!
I hope you can crosspost this thread to health forum.

I do the same with my vet and my mom's vet - NO Convenia,
i hope things work out, i've heard yes Evo and wellness core are ok dry foods,
i suppose if u have no options for food,
hang in there!!
Keep us posted too!

 

[MauiGuppy]

OMG thank you for sharing your horrific experience with Convenia. Knock on wood we'll never need it but I'll definitely think about you if we ever have to use antibiotics!

Sorry I don't have an answer re: your dry food/new dosage. But I just wanted to thank you for this post.

 

[Jaye and Chester]

I If you've not already tried it, one suggestion is to smash kibble and put it on the LC wet food.

As far as hairball issues, have you tried butter? Who doesn't like butter?

No, I haven't tried that. Might help the issue because I'm thinking the big, undigested chunks of kibble (sorry...that's really gross sounding) might be the problem. I'll crush some a bit tonight and see if he'll go for it.

As far as butter goes...I certainly like it! ) On just about everything, unfortunately. Chester, however, has had some really bad bouts of pancreatitis. The e-vet said last year that it was the worst pancreas he had ever seen! I'm thinking the high fat in butter might put Chessie over the edge. My vet is already worried about the high fat in the dry Evo but, as you said, Chester has to eat, right? I looked at a "before" and "after" diabetes comparison picture and his little face looks almost gaunt now. I'll do just about anything to put weight back on him safely.

Forgot to mention that salivation was another symptom from the shot. The vet tech told me over and over that they had never seen any cat have a reaction to the shot. I finally just said (frustrated, as you may well imagine), "Can we just admit that Chester is your first one?"

 

[jan and Hep and sara (GA)]

Jaye,

You must have been beside yourself watching Chester have that reaction. Glad he is ok and back to himself. I too would have been a little ticked off if they had just given one of my cats something without asking. Especially since you had expressed some concerns about it prior.

As far as the dry. Yes Chester has to eat and EVO is suppose to be a very low carb dry. Good luck with your new plan and thanks for sharing your story on the convenia shot.

 

[julie & punkin (ga)]

what a story! thanks for sharing it with us - i'd encourage you to report it. not sure where, but there is a black box warning on convenia for use in cats, so a little searching would probably turn up who to report it to. my vet also was unimpressed by my absolute NO CONVENIA instructions.

i agree on the food. you can counteract the increased carbs with increased insulin - and if your cat is looking gaunt, food is critical. sounds like you've got a well-thought out plan you can try, and if it doesn't work, you can try something else. i've heard of people using a coffee bean grinder to powder the dry kibbles, maybe that would help. hahaha, but i'd want it cleaned out before going back to coffee beans! ;-)

let us know how chester does! so glad he pulled through it ok.

 

[Marje and Gracie]

Jaye: wow...what a harrowing experience. I am so glad that Chester is starting to perk up and feel like his old self. What a really scary thing. The best food for a cat is the one he will eat. Good luck with this and I hope he puts on weight.

Gracie went into anaphylactic shock from convenia. Thank God I had just left the clinic and got her right back in; her gums were completely white and she spent the day in an oxygen cage after they got her stabilized. All of my cats' records state "NO CONVENIA; NO METACAM" in big red letters.

 

[Michelle and Mannie (GA)]

Sorry I can't help with the issue, wish I could - it sounds like you have received some good suggections. I just wanted to wish you guys well. I am glad that Chester survived the convenia scare.

 

[Jaye and Chester]

Thank you everyone. I put his kibble in a ziplock bag and hammered it, then put it in his uneaten canned food this morning. He scarfed it all down! Maybe the crushed nature will help keep him from throwing up because he rarely did that before the kibble.

 

[Dyana]

Hey Jaye and Chester :razz: Long time No see.
I hope the crushed kibble works for you. It sounds like it did this morning.

I also have NO COVENIA, NO METACAM in all my vet records. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm sorry you had to go through that. It would be good to cross post in Health, so the newbie kitties over there can see the warning.

Hope to see you around more often.

 

[Bruce & Simon]

Thanks for sharing this horrible experience, it could be a life-saver for other kitties.
One other lc dry food I didn't see mentioned is "Nature's Variety Instinct", especially the
chicken meal formula. Our civies nibble on that (as a supplement, not a diet). Note the "Prairie" line is in a very similar looking bag,
but isn't grain-free.

Good luck with Chester, what a handsome boy

 

[Jaye and Chester]

Thanks. What do I do, just copy and paste into a new post in Health, or is there a different method I should use?

 

[PeterDevonMocha]

wow, how scary .. So glad chester recovered ..

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

Yes, copy and paste is the best.

I am so glad that Chester came through all that. What about a black box warning do vets not understand! :evil:

Have you tried raw? When Tess is off her canned food I go back to raw for a day or two and she loves it. We went off it because it was so low carb she bounced too much while on insulin. The easiest way is just chunked up chicken (good for teeth) and a premix pwder, there are several available. Or just chicken hearts as a treat.