Cefovecin treatment of a dental abscess and associated Enterobacter cloacae infection in a red panda (Ailurus fulgens) utilising therapeutic drug monitoring

Abstract

A red panda was presented with an abscess affecting the left maxillary premolar 2 caused by a foreign body and opportunistic infection with Enterobacter cloacae. As this panda was intolerant to the handling associated with frequent medication, cefovecin (Convenia Zoetis) was chosen to treat the infection. Cefovecin is a long-acting antibiotic licensed for use in dogs and cats using a dose interval of 10-14 days. In many non-domestic species, a much shorter duration of action (less than 24 hours) has been reported, so clinical justification for its use was necessary. A dose of 40 mg/kg body weight given at 7-day intervals was chosen based on a clinical appraisal of the likely progression of this case. Therapeutic drug monitoring was used to validate this treatment; blood samples were collected at appropriate intervals and analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Plasma cefovecin was shown to have been maintained at values greater than 17 µg/ml for at least 7 days after each injection (minimum inhibitory concentration for the isolate 4 µg/ml-0.5 sssIr 8 Intermediate). Treatment was successful, and the tooth did not require removal.