Baytril and Blindness?

My kitty is taking 22.7 mg of Baytril a day for the next two weeks. That translates into around 4.2 mg/kg of body weight.

From what I read about the side effects, it has been linked to blindness. The websites I saw said to give less than 5 mg/kg a day. 4.2 mg/kg seems a little too close for comfort. I know it's a rare side effect, but the statistics are still there. The Baytril is mostly a preventative measure for my cat...she risks getting an infection (may or may not have one now) if she does not take an antibiotic, but maybe she is risking blindness by taking it.

Have any of your cats experienced side effects from Baytril? I already filled and paid for the prescription, but are there any safer antibiotics (for possible bladder infection)? If not for this time, maybe for the future...I just want to know the incidence of this side effect, and your experiences and suggestions concerning Baytril.

You'll find good advice here from a DVM

http://www.pettogethers.com/PowerRep...ndYourCat.aspx

That was the site that scared me into starting this thread....

I've been giving my kitty the Baytril for 2 days now, so I suppose I'll just use the rest of it this time...She seems okay, her eyes seem fine. If an infection ever crops up in the future (knock on wood), I will talk to the vet about alternatives. Well, maybe I'll call the vet today just in case.

My Coco has been on Baytril since Jan and there have been no problems.
It is one of only a few antibiotics she can have.
I have used it alot in the past also.
I to was scared when I saw it can cause blindnss then the vet told me it will be ok and it is.
Coco gets Baytril everyday.

Originally posted by MissKalamata

That was the site that scared me into starting this thread....

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Oh oh oh. I see. Well, the good thing about this article is that it talks about things we can do to protect our kitties. (He is a very caring and conscientious vet.)

This web site gives the plain, scary facts without any additional advice.

http://avah.org/pdf/systemic/Enrofloxacin.pdf

More very important info:

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proce...A2002&PID=2677

Among the possible adverse effects are central nervous system effects, such as seizures. In young animals, especially dogs and foals, arthropathy of the developing cartilage is possible, leading to joint injury and lameness. Recently, blindness in cats caused by fluoroquinolones has attracted attention. The labeled dose for enrofloxacin (Baytril) use in cats in the U.S. was recently changed by the drug manufacturer (Bayer Corporation). Because of dose-related ocular toxicosis, the previous dose of 5 to 20 mg/kg/day, was changed to not exceed 5 mg/kg/day. In studies performed by the manufacturer, there were no adverse effects observed in cats treated with 5 mg/kg/day of enrofloxacin. However, the administration of enrofloxacin at 20 mg/kg or greater caused salivation, vomiting, and depression. At doses of 20 mg/kg or greater, there were mild to severe fundic lesions on ophthalmologic examination including changes in the fundus and retinal degeneration. Ocular problems have not been reported in other species.

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A few of my cats have been on Baytril from time to time and right now I am in the middle of a Baytril session with my cat Patch everything is alright and he has to have 6 week session of them, we are on week 4.

My cat turned blind overnight. 

The vet gave him 3x the dosis of Baytril, thinking she was giving him 1.03 times the dosis.

She could not do the math.

She apologized and we left for another vet. We didn't have the energy to sue. Or the time or the money.

There are alternatives out there. Orbax is one.

The vet took my cats weight in pounds and calculated the dose per Kilo. As a result she went blind 3 days later. While you can't really sue for pain and suffering for your pet here we intend to present her for the ER bills and the coming follow up visits , to another vet of course. We also reported her actions to the state agency that regulates veterinarians. The cat in my avatar is the cat that was robbed of her sight. Those beautiful golden eyes only follow shadows now.

My personal opinion is this drug should be banned for use in cats or prohibited unless the vet explains and the owners sign a wavier understanding the peril of this drug. I understand that in the correct dose it is rare to have this effect. My cat that should have been  on no more than 30gm per day was given a 68mg tab once a day.

This is a nice vet. Knowledgeable about cats. Something hard to find where we live. She let either vet or vet tech students calculate the dose. The math was correct. Or would have been if I had a cat weighing nearly 14 kilos.

My cat just went blind while he was in the care of animal Medical center in NYC.  He is 4th stage renal failure had already been given a dose of Covenia Oct. 20, 2016, the day before i admitted him tho the Animal Medical center in NYC to be treated for dehydration.  I don't know why they did not look at his chart and see that he had already been given an antibiotic but they continued to give him 3 doses of it.  

Everyday I went to visit him, I would ask why his eyes were so dilated and they kept telling me it was medication and that he was temperamental so they had to sedate him.  Bad idea when sedation is bad on the kidney, and he was already in fourth stage renal failure but this huge hospital with an army of a staff figured that my 5.4 lb 14yr. old cat in fourth stage renal failure was just to out of control so they would sedate him therefore, claiming they could not get an accurate read on his blood pressure, nevertheless, my cats retinal detachment was never treated while he was in their care and they take no responsibility for it. If you do not address it within the first 24 hrs.  the chances of them seeing again are slim.

I read an article published by a Canadian firm that has records stating the retina degeneration happens more in Persians, My cat is a Himalayan which makes him 1/2 persian)

When I asked the head honcho of internal medicine at the AMC, this very question he said it is perfectly safe in the dose they gave my cat.  They don't like being questioned he became extremely arrogant.

Sorry, I don't buy it.  

I wonder if kickbacks are in play with these hospitals!!!  Things that make you go Hmmmmmm!!!  

When I sent him the Article he became extremely insulted and said he was very aware for this article from 2002 when it was published!!! 

Out of all the gazillion antibiotics out there, why would he choose this one, knowing that Persians have a history of being allergic to their medicine. 

I will never know and it's impossible to sue.  I am heartbroken and they get off the hook!   

I am so angry as I am typing this, sorry for typos!