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by
Shawn Messonnier DVM, author of the award-winning The Natural Health
Bible for Dogs & Cats. Join over 5 million satellite radio
listeners and listen to Dr. Shawn each week on his award-winning show,
Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet, on Martha Stewart Radio Sirius 112, Tuesday night from 8-9 PM EST.
Blindness in Cats Associated with Antibiotic Treatment
Antibiotics are often used in the treatment of various feline diseases. Due to over-use of antibiotics, bacteria can develop resistance to frequently used antibiotics; as a result, antibiotics become less effective over time, and may even become ineffective. To counter antibiotic resistance, pharmaceutical companies are constantly trying to find new medications to help win the war against deadly bacteria. One such antibiotic is Baytril (enrofloxacin.) While Baytril is very effective against many bacteria, unfortunately it is often being used as a first choice antibiotic in many situations.
While antibiotic resistance is now developing against Baytril, a
new side effect (blindness) has been reported in some cats. This
article will discuss this problem, and will also offer some
alternatives to consider that can be equally effective against
bacterial infections without causing this severe problem.
A timely report in the December 2002 issue of the Journal of the AVMA
summarized the problem and reviewed a retrospective study of 17
affected cats. The affected cats ranged from 3-16 years of age and were
treated with Baytril for a variety of medical problems. In the affected
cats, the retinas of the eyes had degenerated following treatment for a
variety of disorders with Baytril. The suspected mechanism of damage
seems to be direct damage to the retinal cells. In most cats, the
dosage of Baytril exceeded 5 mg/kg per day and the blindness was
irreversible.
Older cats developed blindness at lower dosages than what
was needed to cause blindness in the younger patients. Older cats often
have underlying kidney disease; if Baytril doses are not lowered,
increased blood levels can accumulate due to inadequate kidney
function.
Currently, based upon the cases studied, it appears that the
greatest risk factors are the dose of Baytril administered, the length
of treatment (the longer the cat is treated the greater the risk of
developing blindness,) age of the cat (it appears to be potentially
more toxic to the retinas of older cats,) and rapid IV administration
of the medication.
While there have been no official reports of this
problem in dogs, I have treated one dog whose owner came to me for a
second opinion. This was an older small breed dog that had developed
sudden blindness following Baytril administration for an oral cyst.
Despite extensive testing and referral to an ophthalmologist, the exact
cause of the blindness was never determined. Administration of Baytril
immediately prior to the dog developing blindness was the only known
link to the blindness.
While the risk of irreversible retinal degeneration and subsequent
blindness is estimated to be 1 out of 122, 414 cats treated with
Baytril, there are other options to consider. First, if antibiotic
therapy is needed, a different antibiotic should be chosen unless the
situation is so severe that only enrofloxacin would be indicated. For
example, amoxicillin, clindamycin, trimethoprim sulfa, tetracycline
derivatives, and any of the cephalosporin antibiotics could be used
without danger of retinal degeneration.
Whenever possible, a natural
alternative to antibiotic therapy would be preferred. As an example,
cats with mild, non-bloody urinary disease (FLUTD) may benefit from
herbs such as cranberry and homeopathics rather than antibiotics.
Cats
with chronic respiratory conditions (especially herpes virus infection)
can be maintained (but not cured) with a combination of other
antibiotics, immune boosting herbs, and topical saline nose drops and
sometimes decongestants. Pets with skin infections often do quite well
with frequent bathing with antibacterial shampoos, antibacterial olive
leaf extract, and various immune stimulants such as Echinacea,
astragalus, and colostrum.
My current recommendations are as follows:
First, use Baytril only if
another medication would not be suitable to treat the infection. In
general, Baytril can be reserved for serious acute or
difficult-to-treat chronic infections.
Second, whenever possible, use a
natural antibiotic-alternative for mild infectious problems, such as
some of the supplements recommended earlier in this article. Immune
support is also important when treating and infectious disease in pets.
Some useful supplements to consider include Vim & Vigor by Pet
Togethers and Arabinogalactan Powder and Vetri-DMG by VetriScience.
Extra caution is warranted in geriatric cats, especially those with
underlying dehydration or kidney disease (the dosage of Baytril in the
blood is increased in the presence of reduced kidney function.) In
cats, I try to avoid any dose over 5 mg/kg per day, and only use
Baytril if absolutely needed for as short a period as possible. By
combining Baytril (when indicated) with natural therapies and fluid
supplementation as needed, I can reduce the amount of Baytril needed
and minimize chances for side effects.
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Used with kind permission from Dr. Shawn
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About the Author
Shawn Messonnier DVM, author, the award-winning The Natural Health
Bible for Dogs & Cats. Join over 5 million satellite radio
listeners and listen to Dr. Shawn each week on his award-winning show,
Dr. Shawn-The Natural Vet, on Martha Stewart Radio Sirius 112, Tuesday
night from 8-9 PM EST.
www.pettogethers.net/healthypet
http://www.petcarenaturally.com/
Check out Dr. Shawn's new book, The Natural Vet's Guide to Preventing and Treating Cancer in Dogs, NOW AVAILABLE! www.petcarenaturally.com/bookpromo2007
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categories, then pets, then search for shawnvet to see his latest video!
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