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Enrofloxacin
associated retinal degeneration in cats
Is therapy with enrofloxacin associated with blindness? Yes!
It apparently is - if one goes by the recent observations
made by a dedicated team from Ithaca. Gelatt et al at the
Animal Medical Centre, New York, Ithaca have explored the
relationship between the administration of parenteral enrofloxacin
and the onset of acute retinal degeneration in cats. In their
study, all 17 short haired cats, 3 -16 years old ( 7 females
and 10 males) on systemic enrofloxacin developed retinal degeneration
shortly after therapy.
The
investigators took fundus photographs in seven cats, and electroretinography
in five cats. Cats were treated with enrofloxacin for conditions
varying from lymphoma, pancreatitis to otitis and dermatitis,
and urinary diseases. The investigators noted that there was
an absence of recordable electroretinographic responses suggesting
diffuse and extensive outer retinal disease.They also reported
that though vision returned in a few cats, the retinal degeneration
persisted or progressed. In one case, histopathology of both
eyes revealed primarily outer retinal degeneration, with diffuse
loss of the outer nuclear and photoreceptor layers, and hypertrophy
and proliferation of the retinal pigment epithelium.
Picture of a cat walking with a blindman's walking stick
The
experience of the clinicians calls for a lot of caution in
the use of enrofloxacin and probably other members of the
quinolone family. Perhaps, it may be safer to avoid using
the antibiotic even though manufacturer's labels recommend
the use of the antibiotic as 5mg/kg body weight every 24 hours.
Reference
for further reading
Vet Ophthalmol 2001;4(2):99-106. Enrofloxacin-associated retinal
degeneration in cats. Gelatt KN, Van Der Woerdt A, Ketring
KL, Andrew SE, Brooks DE, Biros DJ, Denis HM, Cutler TJ. Department
of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine,
Box 100126, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA, The
Animal Medical Center, New York, NY, USA, All Animal Eye Clinic,
Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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