Efficacy and safety of cefovecin in treating bacterial folliculitis, abscesses, or infected wounds in dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of administration of cefovecin, compared with cefadroxil, for treatment of naturally occurring secondary superficial pyoderma, abscesses, and infected wounds in dogs.


METHODS
Multicenter, randomized, positive-controlled clinical trial.


METHODS
235 client-owned dogs.


METHODS
Dogs with clinical signs of skin infection confirmed via bacteriologic culture were randomly allocated to receive a single SC injection of cefovecin (8 mg/kg [3.6 mg/lb]) followed by placebo administered PO twice daily for 14 days or cefadroxil (22 mg/kg [10 mg/lb]) administered PO twice daily for 14 days following a placebo injection. Two 14-day treatment courses were permitted. Treatment success was defined as reduction of clinical signs to mild or absent at the final assessment.


RESULTS
Clinical efficacy achieved with cefovecin in dogs was equivalent to that observed with cefadroxil. At the final assessment, 14 days following the completion of treatment (on day 28 or 42), 92.4% (109/118) of the cefovecin group and 92.3% (108/117) of the cefadroxil group were treatment successes. There were no serious adverse events or deaths related to treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
A single cefovecin injection (8 mg/kg) administered SC, which could be repeated once after 14 days, was safe and effective against naturally occurring skin infections in dogs and as effective as cefadroxil administered PO twice daily for 14 or 28 days.
Six
Robert
R
Pfizer Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, 7000 Portage Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, USA.
Cherni
Judy
J
Chesebrough
Robert
R
Cleaver
Dawn
D
Lindeman
Cindy J
CJ
Papp
Georg
G
Skogerboe
Terry L
TL
Weigel
Daniel J
DJ
Boucher
Joseph F
JF
Stegemann
Michael R
MR
D000038:Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002434:Cefadroxil / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005499:Folliculitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; C516253:cefovecin; D002434:Cefadroxil