Introduction

Cefovecin sodium is an injectable cephalosporin antibiotic, indicated for use as a treatment for susceptible skin infections including superficial pyoderma, wounds, and abscesses in dogs, provides clinical efficacy for 14 days, can be repeated up to one time, and is newly available for clinical practice in India.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate veterinary satisfaction based on clinical assessment of response to treatment with cefovecin sodium in client-owned dogs.

Methods

One hundred seven (107) dogs of various breeds, ranging in age from 2 months to 11 years, in 25 different veterinary practices in India representing all regions of the country were administered 8 mg/kg cefovecin sodium subcutaneously for skin infections. The date of examination/treatment, signalment, and appearance of the dog, location of lesion(s), tentative diagnosis, and clinical reassessment/outcome were recorded. The veterinarian was also asked to provide visualization of the outcome through high image resolution digital photographs.

Results

Outcomes were as follows: 90 cases classified as either excellent (5), good (6), or satisfying (79) and 8 classified as either indifferent (5) or unsatisfied (3); an outcome was not received for 9 cases. Ten (10) dogs (9.35%) received a second injection.

Conclusions

The overall satisfaction rate in this sample of dogs from India was 84.11% (90/107), calculated by pooling results from the outcomes of excellent, good, and satisfying. This study demonstrates the usefulness of cefovecin sodium as a treatment for skin infections including superficial pyoderma, wounds, and abscesses in dogs, as assessed by clinical response through the attending veterinarian.