Convenia, cerenia, or the end?

[fionasmom]

Convenia stays in the system for 65 days, which is why Zoetis gives the first two week window as the one in which side effects will appear at least as they have studied the workings of the drug.

I completely agree that you need to investigate an appetite stimulant and another anti nausea medication if one is still needed. Another opinion would also be good, if that is possible, from a vet not in the same group. I do understand that you said there may be some difficulty with finding one.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Convenia stays in the system for 65 days, which is why Zoetis gives the first two week window as the one in which side effects will appear at least as they have studied the workings of the drug.

I completely agree that you need to investigate an appetite stimulant and another anti nausea medication if one is still needed. Another opinion would also be good, if that is possible, from a vet not in the same group. I do understand that you said there may be some difficulty with finding one.

Thank you. Did your cat experience side effects upwards of 65 days or in the 10-14 day window others have experienced?

 

[fionasmom]

Rikki was given Convenia for a UTI and a skin infection, something like stud tail. It cleared up the tail almost as we watched, but he became completely lethargic, almost limp, as if he were going into a coma. I brought him back to the vet and he stayed there for supportive care and came around after a few days. In the meantime I called Zoetis and spoke to them and opened a case. That was when they told me that, in their experience, side effects almost always occur in the first 14 days. He was fine within a week.

Two things: In my experience, most vets, including the most skilled and professional, will say that they do not see side effects to most medications that they have successfully used in their practice. The one who gave Rikki Convenia has been a vet for at least 40 years and swore that he never had a problem with it. This enters a gray area in which nothing can be proven.

As for Convenia, it is very often used successfully and with no problem by those who maintain feral colonies because most ferals, if you are able to give them an antibiotic, are not going to be able to be dosed repeatedly or given liquid or pill form with any certainty that they took it.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Has anyone's kitty experienced nausea from the Convenia injection? He's been nauseous from antibiotics in the past but he hasn't taken Convenia before.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Hi everyone!

On my last post everyone recommended that I request my vet to switch my kitty from cerenia to ondansetron. I was able to get them to agree and will be picking up his prescription to take to the pharmacy tomorrow.

I'm not sure of the dosage yet, what is a normal dosage of ondansetron for a 12 pound cat? Has anyone's kitty experienced side effects from it?

After the bad reaction to the cerenia and Convenia he's currently having im nervous to give him the new medication.

Thank you!

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

And is this something he'll be able to take daily long-term?

 

[lauriannem]

Hi. That’s a pretty large dose of Cerenia. My cat is 7 lbs and will take 6 mg. Even that dose makes her stoop eating so I rarely use it.

I had my 7 lb cat on 8 mg per day but yesterday my vet upped it to 16 mg (full pill). Tonight she won't eat anything, nothing, and only is drinking tiny amounts. I wonder if I should go back down again or if Cerenia just isn't working for her anymore. She won't last more than a few days without food and they are still trying to diagnose her because the don't know what's wrong, she's 14 yrs old and it's not kidneys or diabetes (the logical choices). Have you had any more information on Cerenia use?

Thanks

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

I had my 7 lb cat on 8 mg per day but yesterday my vet upped it to 16 mg (full pill). Tonight she won't eat anything, nothing, and only is drinking tiny amounts. I wonder if I should go back down again or if Cerenia just isn't working for her anymore. She won't last more than a few days without food and they are still trying to diagnose her because the don't know what's wrong, she's 14 yrs old and it's not kidneys or diabetes (the logical choices). Have you had any more information on Cerenia use?

Thanks

No new information about cerenia. I stopped giving it to him 48 hours ago, he has eaten today but that was after a dose of mirataz, so I can't say whether or not I've seen any improvement from stopping the cerenia.

He still refuses to drink and his nausea has worsened off the medication. I asked my doctor about ondansetron and will be picking it up tomorrow.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

My cat was originally prescribed cerenia for nausea but it made him sick for a few days. My vet prescribed Ondansetron for him, but didn't make it clear if this is something he could stay on indefinitely. Is Ondansetron safe long-term? Are there side effects I should watch for like the cerenia?

How does everyone else give this medication? I have 4mg tablets and he takes half every 12 hours, but getting him to take them is a struggle. Is crushing and adding them to good safe? Has anyone had any luck hiding it this way? Thanks!

 

[nurseangel]

Hi, does your cat have a condition that would cause long-term nausea? Most people only take it for the short-term, or on an as needed basis. This is definitely a question for your prescribing vet. I hope I am not coming across as rude, because I don't mean my answer to sound that way.

As far as administering, I would check with a compounding pharmacy, if you have one near. My cays that have been on Lasix have done much better with a flavored liquid. I don't think it tastes as bad to them, but I don't know if Zofran can be compounded. The pharmacy was also less expensive than purchasing meds from our vet, even with the extra work they had to put into it.

Please keep us updated about your cat's condition. I am sorry he is sick and that you are going through this. I hope he feels better soon.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Hi, does your cat have a condition that would cause long-term nausea? Most people only take it for the short-term, or on an as needed basis. This is definitely a question for your prescribing vet. I hope I am not coming across as rude, because I don't mean my answer to sound that way.

As far as administering, I would check with a compounding pharmacy, if you have one near. My cays that have been on Lasix have done much better with a flavored liquid. I don't think it tastes as bad to them, but I don't know if Zofran can be compounded. The pharmacy was also less expensive than purchasing meds from our vet, even with the extra work they had to put into it.

Please keep us updated about your cat's condition. I am sorry he is sick and that you are going through this. I hope he feels better soon.

Thank you for the help!

He has an inoperable tumor on his pancreas, our vet said our only option was supportive care. His nausea keeps him from drinking so he was prescribed cerenia, but that made it so he wouldn't eat or drink.

Ondansetron was recommended to me by other users on this site and my vet said we could give it a try. They gave me 30 days worth plus three refills. Our vet doesn't usually give out so much medication at once so I assumed it was something he'd be able to stay on long-term.

Thank you for the compounding tip! I've already picked up his first 30 days from the regular pharmacy so I'm stuck with the plain pills for now. Plus, my boy is so picky I'm not sure he'd eat it in any form that isn't a Temptation cat treat My vet said he was her first patient ever who didn't like fortiflora.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Some conditions might require long-term use, such as kidney disease, in my cat's case. It is likely I will be giving it to Feeby for the rest of her life, and no vet has told me that this would be a problem.

I give Feeby ondansetron, cut into halves (2mg each) and wrap them in pieces of pill pockets or pill masker. In the morning, when she is most inclined to eat them, they just go on a small plate alongside a bite of her food that contains crushed up thyroid meds. I think the stuff is bad tasting enough, that if she bites down on the pill pocket/pill masker to find the pill half that she won't eat it then. I do coat the pockets/masker in FortiFlora, if for no other reason than to stop them from being sticky, which seems to help her eat them. (She has lost interest in FortFlora in general.) Later in the day, I give them to her the same way, but with other treats, like Temptations. All said, she doesn't take every dose. I try 3 times a day, and 'take what I can get'.

You could also try mixing them with lickable treats in the hopes that they are enough to mask the taste. I haven't tried this as Feeby has other meds that I use the lickable treats for. It is best to never mix a med with a full meal of food as there is no way to control whether/when they eat it.

If you want to look into possible compounding options, you can check out Veterinary Pharmacy for Compounded Pet Medications (wedgewoodpharmacy.com). They have a list of options for ondansetron in terms of flavors and ways to administer it. They will even discuss options and answer questions, if you have any - all without a prescription being on file. They ship to anywhere in the US as far as I know.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

Hi. Some conditions might require long-term use, such as kidney disease, in my cat's case. It is likely I will be giving it to Feeby for the rest of her life, and no vet has told me that this would be a problem.

I give Feeby ondansetron, cut into halves (2mg each) and wrap them in pieces of pill pockets or pill masker. In the morning, when she is most inclined to eat them, they just go on a small plate alongside a bite of her food that contains crushed up thyroid meds. I think the stuff is bad tasting enough, that if she bites down on the pill pocket/pill masker to find the pill half that she won't eat it then. I do coat the pockets/masker in FortiFlora, if for no other reason than to stop them from being sticky, which seems to help her eat them. (She has lost interest in FortFlora in general.) Later in the day, I give them to her the same way, but with other treats, like Temptations. All said, she doesn't take every dose. I try 3 times a day, and 'take what I can get'.

You could also try mixing them with lickable treats in the hopes that they are enough to mask the taste. I haven't tried this as Feeby has other meds that I use the lickable treats for. It is best to never mix a med with a full meal of food as there is no way to control whether/when they eat it.

If you want to look into possible compounding options, you can check out Veterinary Pharmacy for Compounded Pet Medications (wedgewoodpharmacy.com). They have a list of options for ondansetron in terms of flavors and ways to administer it. They will even discuss options and answer questions, if you have any - all without a prescription being on file. They ship to anywhere in the US as far as I know.

Thank you for all the helpful information! I do believe my vet intended for my boy to take it daily, but after his terrible reaction to cerenia I wanted to check with others who've used ondansetron long-term successfully.

I'll try the licksble treat first and see how it goes, he hates churu and any other likable treat like it but temptations puree. Thank you for the information about the compounded pet medications, if I can't get him to take it with the treat it might be necessary!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Try other lickable treats too, for back up. Feeby once liked Churu, then didn't, and now she likes it again - even better than Temptations Puree which used to be her favorite. I also use Tiki Cat Stix, Vitakraft, Delectable Squeeze Ups, Catit Creamy, Fussie Cat, and Applaws. There are others as well, and I am currently on the search!

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

I've tried everything I found at Walmart: the Delectables, Pure Balance, Churu, and Fancy Feast moist puree tubes and he turned his nose up at all of them.

Thank you for the ideas, I'll look for them online! I'm hesitant to put the pill in one of his favorite treats and scare him away from something he enjoys so much, I'd prefer to find something else to put it in.

 

[stephanietx]

If you're crushing pills, we have had really good success with crushing and mixing with tuna juice. I just open the can and drain the liquid (tuna in water) then place it in a sandwich size zip top bag. I then lay it flat in the freezer and allow it to freeze. Once frozen, I break it up into small chunks/pieces. When it's med time, I take out what I need and let it defrost on a plate, stir in meds and serve.

My kitty is on Ondansetron for nausea as a result of pancreatitis and presumed inflammatory bowel disease. He's been on it off and on (mostly on) for the past few months and the vet hasn't mentioned any ill effects if left on it long term.

 

[Cupcakecrazy]

If you're crushing pills, we have had really good success with crushing and mixing with tuna juice. I just open the can and drain the liquid (tuna in water) then place it in a sandwich size zip top bag. I then lay it flat in the freezer and allow it to freeze. Once frozen, I break it up into small chunks/pieces. When it's med time, I take out what I need and let it defrost on a plate, stir in meds and serve.

My kitty is on Ondansetron for nausea as a result of pancreatitis and presumed inflammatory bowel disease. He's been on it off and on (mostly on) for the past few months and the vet hasn't mentioned any ill effects if left on it long term.

Thank you for the tip, I'm willing to try anything! I appreciate your time and help!

 

[CHIKITTIES]

My cat foam like crazy when I try giving it inside of pill pocket. (Tried different size - big ball, tiny ball barely covering pill, etc). What is working for us now is put the pill inside of size 5 empty capsule, then give it with pill pocket or Churu. I was initially hesitant making it bigger by putting in capsule, but it works well in here.

Good luck!

 

[Joxer]

I've tried everything I found at Walmart: the Delectables, Pure Balance, Churu, and Fancy Feast moist puree tubes and he turned his nose up at all of them.

Thank you for the ideas, I'll look for them online! I'm hesitant to put the pill in one of his favorite treats and scare him away from something he enjoys so much, I'd prefer to find something else to put it in.

As long as your cat is interested in food, what I have found works with most pills is to buy Greenies Feline Pill Pockets, tear them into halves, and wrap each pill in 1/2 pill pocket. If the pills are too big for this, then break the pills into halves (assuming they are not some sort of extended release pill that needs to be swallowed whole) and put each 1/2 pill into 1/2 pill pocket.

The idea behind halving the pill pockets is to keep each morsel (pill or 1/2 pill inside 1/2 pill pocket) small enough that your cat does not chew the pill pocket, but rather swallows it whole. If your cat chews the pill pocket, he will taste the pill inside, and may spit it out.

There are four flavors of pill pockets, so if your cat starts refusing a particular flavor of pill pocket, you can try a different one. I am not a fan of crushing pills and mixing them with canned (or other moist) food, because then if some food is left behind, you will not know for certain what dose of medication your cat received. With pill pockets, the pill is either swallowed, or it is not.

Note that pill pockets are moist and dry out after a few hours. At that point, they do not smell or taste as good (so I hear), so it is best to give them to your cat soon after preparing them.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[lisahe]

It sounds like Cerenia may not be an option right now anyway but in case it comes back as a suggestion, I want to add that 16 mg sounds like a very large Cerenia dose. Our cat is almost 14 pounds and the two vets who've prescribed it for her have said to use one 4 mg daily. She takes it to prevent vomiting and even a 2 mg dose works very well for her, to sort of bring her back if she's had a minor incident. As FeebysOwner mentions, not every cat responds to Cerenia and it's usually prescribed to prevent vomiting.

Cerenia does make Edwina a little lethargic at her "full" dose of 4 mg and it does seem to suppress her appetite a little so I can only imagine what it might do at a 16 mg dose. Our current vet said that recommendations have changed for Cerenia doses have changed in recent years, to the lower dose of 4 mg.

As for giving pills, I sometimes use a method inspired by CHIKITTIES experience for Edwina's Cerenia: I put the little Cerenia chip into a little ball of pate and then roll it in freeze-dried chicken crumbs. Yum!