Jaye and Chester
Active Member
Hey Folks,
I posted this over in Lantus and was asked to also post it here.
I haven't been here in a long while but things weren'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. Salivation is also a symptom that he had. Drooled for days.
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.
I posted this over in Lantus and was asked to also post it here.
I haven't been here in a long while but things weren'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. Salivation is also a symptom that he had. Drooled for days.
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.
