Effectiveness and safety of cefovecin sodium, an extended-spectrum injectable cephalosporin, in the treatment of cats with abscesses and infected wounds.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of cefovecin sodium in the treatment of cats with naturally occurring skin infections (abscesses and infected wounds).


METHODS
Multicenter (26 sites), randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial.


METHODS
Client-owned cats of any breed with naturally occurring skin infections with associated clinical signs and confirmatory bacteriologic culture results.


METHODS
Cats with clinical signs of skin and soft tissue infection were randomly allocated to receive a single dose of cefovecin (8 mg/kg [3.6 mg/lb], SC) followed by placebo drops administered orally once daily for 14 days or 1 SC placebo injection followed by cefadroxil (22 mg/kg [10 mg/lb], PO, once daily for 14 days). Only one 14-day treatment course was permitted.


RESULTS
Effectiveness of cefovecin in the treatment of cats with abscesses and infected wounds was similar to that of cefadroxil. At the final assessment on day 28, 97% (86/89) of cefovecin-treated cats and 91% (80/88) of cefadroxil-treated cats were considered treatment successes. There were no serious adverse events or deaths related to treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
1 SC injection of 8 mg of cefovecin/kg for the treatment of cats with naturally occurring skin infections (wounds and abscesses) was safe and as effective as cefadroxil administered orally at 22 mg/kg, once daily for 14 days.
Six
Robert
R
Pfizer Animal Health, 7000 Portage Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001, USA.
Cleaver
Dawn M
DM
Lindeman
Cindy J
CJ
Cherni
Judith
J
Chesebrough
Robert
R
Papp
Georg
G
Skogerboe
Terry L
TL
Weigel
Dan J
DJ
Boucher
Joseph F
JF
Stegemann
Michael R
MR
D000038:Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002415:Cats; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; C516253:cefovecin