Cefovecin: veterinary dose and monograph

At a glance

Drug class

Antibiotic

Also known as

Convenia

Species with doses

Dogs and Cats

General dose range

8 mg/kg SC once; may repeat in 14 days — check the species tables for the indication

Routes

SC

Last reviewed

1 October 2026

Indications

• Feline / canine skin infections (wounds, abscesses, pyoderma)
• Susceptible urinary tract infection
• Soft-tissue infection where oral dosing is impractical

Cefovecin dose by species

Doses are per administration unless stated. mg/kg doses scale with body weight; per-animal, per-quarter and infusion-rate doses are shown as the reference writes them.

Dogs

• Skin / soft-tissue / UTI: Plumb’s p.221 (Convenia): USA — 8 mg/kg SC once; a second injection if response is incomplete after 7 days (S. pseudintermedius) or 14 days (Group G strep), maximum 2 injections. UK — may repeat at 14-day intervals up to 3 further times; UTI and periodontal infections one injection. Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg SC every 14 days, some indications at 7 days.

Cats

• Abscess / wound / pyoderma: Plumb’s p.221 (Convenia): USA — single 8 mg/kg SC injection for Pasteurella wounds/abscesses (therapeutic levels ≈7 days). UK — one further dose after 14 days if needed; UTI one injection. Papich 5e: 8 mg/kg SC every 14 days.

Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to cephalosporins / penicillins. Caution in renal impairment (prolonged exposure cannot be withdrawn once injected). Not established in animals < 8 weeks or in pregnancy / breeding animals.

Adverse effects

• GI upset (vomiting, diarrhoea, inappetence)
• Injection-site reaction
• Hypersensitivity (rare)

Drug interactions

• Strongly protein-bound — may transiently displace or be displaced by other highly bound drugs (NSAIDs, furosemide)
• Bacteriostatic antibiotics: theoretical antagonism of bactericidal activity
• Probenecid: prolongs cephalosporin half-life
• Other nephrotoxic drugs: avoid in renal-compromised patients — the depot cannot be withdrawn once injected

Pregnancy and lactation

Safety in pregnant, breeding or lactating animals not established — avoid unless clearly necessary, as the long-acting depot means exposure cannot be retracted.

Monitoring

• Clinical response across the 14-day interval
• Renal function in at-risk patients before dosing (irretrievable depot)
• Delayed hypersensitivity / injection-site reaction

Clinical pearls

• The 14-day depot is its strength and its risk — you cannot retract the dose, so confirm the patient tolerates cephalosporins first
• Reserve for cases where oral therapy genuinely will not happen — antimicrobial-stewardship pressure on long-acting 3rd-gen cephalosporins is real
• Reconstituted vial keeps ~28 days refrigerated; protect from light

Mechanism of action

Third-generation cephalosporin. Binds penicillin-binding proteins to block peptidoglycan cross-linking → time-dependent bactericidal killing. Its exceptionally high (~99 %) reversible plasma-protein binding and slow renal elimination create a ~14-day therapeutic depot from a single SC dose.

Formulations and products

• Convenia 80 mg/mL (after reconstitution)
• Convenia (Zoetis) — 80 mg/mL (reconstituted), Long-acting SC injection

Storage

Unreconstituted powder per label; reconstituted solution refrigerate 2–8 °C, protect from light, use within ~28 days.

Before you use this dose

Reference doses for veterinary professionals. Confirm the dose against the product label, the patient’s condition, current guidance and local regulations before use; the attending veterinarian remains responsible for every clinical decision.

Other antibiotics

• Cefazolin
• Cefixime
• Cefoperazone
• Cefotaxime
• Cefpodoxime proxetil
• Cefquinome
• Ceftazidime
• Ceftiofur

Frequently asked questions