Alternatives to Devomycin-D

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Chris Geddes — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:55:57 GMT

Hello all,

To the OP - I'm afraid Devomycin D has been discontinued.

Pen Strep has been available in ROI but intermittently due to supply problems - sorry about that.

If anyone has any questions regarding stock of any other product, please feel free to drop me a PM on here or email me on chris.geddes@norbrook.co.uk - or alternatively contact your Norbrook Territory Manager.

For any tech queries - again either contact me or call our head office on 01536 741 147 and ask to speak to a Vet Advisor.

Chris

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:05:09 GMT

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Rachel Brown — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 12:18:40 GMT

I am not aware of that Zactran poster. Did they run a comparative study or just treat all C/S? Does anyone have a link/pdf. Zactran is not licenced for use in dairy cows in case some unsuspecting vet decides to try this out! Cost price to me, no vat, is around €24 euro per 600kg dose, although that is probably only 10p sterling with the current exchange rate.

Leaving aside the fact we are using a pile driver instead of a hammer I can see the attraction of a single shot in the psychotic cattle we see now. However I like the idea of the farmer having to handle the cow daily as at least they are guaranteed to see them.

Rachel

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Ashley Rubens — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:43:56 GMT

We've had no issues getting hold of penstrep, 20 bottles in today's order. I use penstrep for Caesars but have used a one off long acting oxytet before with no problems.

I saw the Zactran poster, seemed a bit strange to feel the need to use it, not surprised it works but do we need to use that sort of antibiotic for Peri/post operative cover?

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 09:42:13 GMT

Rachel, to the best of my knowledge Norbrook manufacture all the Pen/Strep products in the UK market.

If you'd asked small animal vets 20 years ago if you could spay a bitch without antibiotics, I suspect the great majority would say you couldn't. Things move on and we clearly know this is not the case.

I agree that some do suffer degrees of contamination, and I'm not really thinking of stopping using them just yet - more mulling things over in my head. I think the concept is worthy of discussion, at the very least.

I'd rather inject daily with short acting amoxycillin than the long acting, anecdotally I think it does a better job (greater AUC?). I've not had problems with Hexasol as a sole agent, and its what I use in fractious animals. There was a poster presented at BCVA with a practice using Zactran as cover for caesers. They seemed to have good results.

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Rachel Brown — Wed, 19 Aug 2015 06:55:56 GMT

Michael

We were told it was an issue with one of the ingredients which came from India and failed quality control. All the generic suppliers used the same source AFAIK. We were going to use a LA prep of Amoxycillin with a daily oxytet when we run out. Plenty of injectable Synulox/Noroclav here but no Synulox LC tubes.

Even though we use all the precautions regarding sterility you mentioned, and get excellent results (touch wood) I am loathe to go the zero AB route. The environmental conditions of the operating and recovery areas, the non routine/emergency nature of the surgery, patient stress, possible pathogen profile etc.

I don't know if I could ever operate on a bovine here without any AB. Definitely not AB free castrations! Maybe if a vet was working on animals the had clean post op accommodation, had full and complete clostridial vaccination and didn't try to kill you during surgery-mainly small farm suckler here- then that vet could try. But what would be the VDS stance if it went horribly wrong

Rachel

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 23:41:22 GMT

Rachel - what is the issue with Pen Strep? We have it readily available here and it comes from Norbrook. Can't get their products with clavulanic acid at the moment - I have a treasured last bottle of Combiclav in the car I am saving for a special occasion....

I have always used Pen Strep and get good results. Given the spectrum of action and the likely bugs I think my 2nd line would be amoxycillin - I want more gram negative cover than Depocillin offers.

I have used Hexasol LA (Oxytet and Flunixin) in beef animals if not very handlable, to good effect.

I'm not sure the antibiotic makes much difference in most cases. Wide clip, good asepsis (sterile gloves, gown), sterile assistant I suspect we would get away without any antibiotic - I'm just not gutsy enough to try.

Currently doing LDAs with the scope with no routine antibiotic therapy. Don't use them for castrations. Don't use them for digit amputations. mmmm.

Anyone out there doing major large animal surgery without antibiotics?

(we stopped using them in small animals a couple of years ago and have had no problems)

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Rachel Brown — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 22:56:12 GMT

PenStrep (all companies) has been unavailable in Ireland since the Spring. Ultrapen LA (Norbrook) gone but Depocillin (MSD) still here.

What antibiotics do posters use post cow caesar?

20 yrs using pen strep and can't remember was it cost or clostridium the reason behind its use in my first practice! Loathe to change my protocol but once our hoarded supplies are used up I will have too.

Most of our patients don't have the luxury of clean straw bedding as most winter housing here slatted sheds.

thanks

Rachel

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 22:47:30 GMT

I was just pleased to see a cow question TBH.

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Ashley Rubens — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:47:22 GMT

Buying in, will just switch them to something else! probably should have researched that myself a little rather than misusing the community!

RE: Alternatives to Devomycin-D

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 09:59:19 GMT

My understanding was the reason people used straight streptomycin was in the 'olden days' it used to have no milk withhold. Lepto actually is sensitive to a lot of different antibiotics and I would leap for Pen/Strep or Oxytet if not a milking animal.

Successful resolution of leptospirosis in cattle by administration of dihydrostreptomycin-penicillin G confirms results obtained by other investigators. Three other antibiotics (oxytetracycline, tilmicosin, and ceftiofur) also were effective for resolving leptospirosis and may be useful substitutes for dihydrostreptomycin, an antibiotic that is no longer available for use in food-producing animals in the United States. Cost, safety, and withdrawal times of these various treatment options need to be considered. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11549093

Is this for use when buying things in or are you seeing herd level outbreaks? (I have a few bottles of Devomycin D if you only need a bit and are desperate?)