How Much Does a Convenia Injection Ccost?
Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by 
CFA Alexander Popinker
The Convenia medicine contains cefovecin, an antibiotic that is given by injection (subcutaneously). It is used in dogs and cats.
Each Convenia package is made of two vials, one containing a powder and the other containing a diluent. Before use, the powder is dissolved in a diluent to prepare a solution for injection.
This injection is available only by prescription.
How much does a Convenia injection cost?
The typical cost for a Convenia injection administered by a veterinarian ranges between $360 and $470 for a bottle of 10 ml. Also, according to Zoetis, the total cost will greatly depend on the size of your pet. But the majority of the pet owners said that they had to pay more than $110 for a large-sized dog and around $25 for a cat. The cost of Convenia injection is influenced by some factors such as the geographical location and the vet.
These estimates won’t include the cost of the extra lab tests required before the shot is even considered and the fee for the vet office examination for the prescription. It was reported that some pet owners paid more than $2,100 for the injection of Convenia, vet examinations, and lab work.
For example, the Entirely Pets Pharmacy sells a 20 ml bottle of Convenia for $492, but if you choose the auto-ship option, you will have to pay only $467 and you will be able to save $25. This shows us how much a vet has to pay wholesale for their cabinet.
According to some pet owners from the TheCatSite.com forum, the price of a Convenia treatment for a 20-pound cat would be anywhere between $25 and $85.
You might also like our articles about the cost of the Canine Influenza vaccine, Bordetella Vaccine, or deworming.
On the other hand, according to Dr. Gennifer Coates, the average cost of a Convenia shot for a large dog would be around $110.
Cefovecin sodium – the treatment of skin infections in dogs and cats
Convenia is used to treat infections caused by certain specific bacteria. It is generally administered in the form of a single injection, and the effect can provide up to 14 days of antibiotic therapy. Depending on the infection being treated, the injection may be repeated if necessary (up to 3 times).
Once you aseptically reconstitute Convenia with 10 ml sterile water for injection (as indicated by the manufacturer), should be used immediately or stored according to the manufacturer’s guidelines.
The Convenia medicine is administered to dogs to treat skin and soft tissue infections. These are infections that occur on the skin and in the layers just below the skin, such as wounds, abscesses, and pyoderma (an itchy skin infection and pustules), including those caused by susceptible strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus canis, and Staphylococcus intermedius group. The Convenia is also used to treat dogs with urinary tract infections caused by some specific bacteria.
This medicine is also administered to cats to treat bacterial skin infections, such as wounds and abscesses. Convenia is used to treat cats with urinary tract infections caused by some specific bacteria.
How does the Convenia work?
The active substance in Convenia is cefovecin, which belongs to a group of antibiotics called third-generation cephalosporins. All of these cephalosporin antibiotics, including cefovecin, kill bacteria by inhibiting the formation of bacterial cell walls, killing bacteria, and curing the infection. As with other antibiotics, cefovecin is not effective against all types of bacteria.
Cefovecin is different from other similar cephalosporin antibiotics because it stays in the body of your dog or cat for a very long time after the injection. The effect of an injection lasts up to 14 days.
Dosage recommendations
To ensure proper dosing, body weight should be determined as accurately as possible to avoid underdosing. The recommended dosage for this product is a single subcutaneous injection of 3.6 milligrams /kg (1.6 mg/lb) of body weight, according to the drug label. Just like humans, some pets may need a repeat dosage for the medication to be effective. According to a U.S. efficacy study, only 14% of dogs with skin infections required another injection after their initial treatment.
Dose by Body Weight – safe use of Convenia in dogs or cats
Important things to consider
To date, no side effects have been reported for the Convenia treatment. However, it should not be used in dogs or cats that are allergic to cephalosporin or penicillin antibiotics.
The Convenia should also not be given to dogs or cats under 8 weeks old or to dogs or cats with severe renal impairment.
The use of the Convenia is not recommended in pregnant or lactating dog or cat females. Treated animals should not be used for breeding for 12 weeks after the last injection with the Convenia.
I went and got a stray cat a Covenia shot the other day for an 8 pound cat at City Vet at Fort Worth and it costs me $64.73.
There is no treatment in South Africa.I live in Kensington Joburg South Africa.Pls refer me to some vet her
In California, ConVenia shots for a cat cost anywhere between $30-$40. On the east coast for the same cat, the same shot costs anywhere between $63-$95. With a high estimate of $500 per 20ml vial, with a cat being charged for 1ml ( on the high side) The vet pays $25 for that 1ml. So charging $50 is a 100% markup. Anything over that is extortion. We all need to start standing up for this armed with this knowledge.
This is the problem when a lunkhead (such as the person who wrote this article) with no training in medicine, journalism, and no reading or math ability is allowed to spout their stupidity. Some politicians are guilty of exactly the same problems and the folks that swallow their excrement are deserving of what they get.
From the article: “For example, the Entirely Pets Pharmacy sells a 20 ml bottle Convenia injection for $492…”
NO IT DOES NOT. FOR STARTERS, CONVENIA IS NOT SUPPLIED IN A 20ml SIZE.
EntirelyPets sells a 20ml bottle of CERENIA for that price. THEY DO NOT SELL CONVENIA.
Katie, please recalculate your numbers with the correct price of about $420 for a 10ml vial of Convenia. In your example, the injection is now being given to you at cost. The 20 pound cats in the article paying $25 for Convenia are getting their shots at substantially UNDER cost. Have they expressed their appreciation? Have you?
Didn’t think so.
Your numbers really are not that far off for the specific case you suggest if using Convenia instead of the incorrect drug. Specifically, a 10lb cat would receive a bit under 40mg, or a bit under 1/2ml at a cost of about $20. Selling this at $50 is about correct when the overhead– syringes, waste fees, overhead– are figured in. Selling it for $25 is a losing proposition (“But we’ll make it up on volume, right?”)
Extrapolating, at a cost of about $5 per milligram and a sell of about $1.25 gives an income of $1000 on a $420 (and rising, with 2 price increases in 2022 alone) cost. Figuring a 15% direct overhead gives a cost of just under $500 for the 10ml vial and a 100% markup, rather standard in the biz.
Client’s are always welcome to ask for a discount. The veterinarian is welcome to tell the client to go pound sand. If they do not like our price they can go somewhere else, pay them for a consult, and try to save a few cents elsewhere.
My prices are fair and I do NOT knuckle under to price shoppers. Go tell your grocery store you want to pay $3 a pound for steak and see what happens. Tell your restaurant server that $30 for crab cakes is nuts (it is!) and you’ll pay $7. I wonder how much spit would be included in THAT crabcake. Try paying only $1.75 per gallon of gasoline and you might get to feel what an armed robber faces.
Note that if a veterinarian erroneously used Cerenia instead of Convenia, (s)he would face disciplinary action and likely sanction. Whoever wrote this flawed, sloppy article will suffer absolutely no consequence. Indeed, that person was probably paid for this inaccurate garbage.
And THAT is really sad.
With your nasty attitude, I would not go to your clinic even if the injections were free.
Cost is $0.5, not $5, a sloppy mistake on MY part.
I just took a 5lb kitten to an emergency clinic for an injury to her R front carpal pad. They charged me $91.00 for a convenia shot for a FIVE POUND KITTEN. THAT is shameful. While I am grateful to have been able to take her to an emergency clinic where you pay $125.00 to walk in the door, the shot was nothing less than extortion ~
I feel your pain. My cat weighs about 6 lbs and I am being charged $70 as of July 2023. Last year it at the same vet it was about $65. When I was at a different vet, they charged me $40 every time. I live in Fort Worth, TX.
I was charged $360 for a 4.3ml injection for my 90lb dog with a UTI. Seems a bit expensive compared to I’m seeing others have paid.