Apoquel

[JennaPenny]

Hi, I hope every one is staying safe during this scary time. Any one else have a pup on this daily? I'm very hesitant still to give it to her, but her itching needs relief and the cytopoint doesn't really work. Allergies continue to be moderate and cause her discomfort, and we are taking her for more in depth allergy testing. However, I didn't like the literature on this medication, so I'm coming on here asking for some helpful advice or any information. Thank you.

[matese]

Originally Posted by JennaPenny

Hi, I hope every one is staying safe during this scary time. Any one else have a pup on this daily? I'm very hesitant still to give it to her, but her itching needs relief and the cytopoint doesn't really work. Allergies continue to be moderate and cause her discomfort, and we are taking her for more in depth allergy testing. However, I didn't like the literature on this medication, so I'm coming on here asking for some helpful advice or any information. Thank you.

Hi nice to see you back. My kid was on Apoquel for a year or 1 1/2 before cytopoint came out. He got some relief on the Apoquel, more when he was on cytopoin but still itched just not as bad. He had shots every 5 weeks for maybe 1 1/2 or 2 years. March 2019 he stopped scratching and I stopped the cytopoint shots. January 2020 I transitioned him from grain free food to regular kibble, a very slow transition (one month) February 1st he was fully on the new food and started scratching. One week his scratching was non stop so off to the vet for cytopoint shot. He got the cytopoint shot, since he was off cytopoint for 11 months my vet gave me 3 Apoquel tabs, 1/2 a tab in the morning 1/2 at night for 3 days to kick in until the cytopoint got fully into his system. So far no scratching. I'm sorry to hear the Cytopoint didn't work for your baby. When Cody was on Apoquel he had no side affects but, Cody weighs 12 Lbs.

There is another allergy pill, I cannot recall the name, I did a google search and could not fine it. I believe Wylie's Mom used it a time back, hopefully she will see your post or maybe another member knows the name of the other pill.
Stay safe and well and do not be a stranger

[JennaPenny]

Originally Posted by matese

Hi nice to see you back. My kid was on Apoquel for a year or 1 1/2 before cytopoint came out. He got some relief on the Apoquel, more when he was on cytopoin but still itched just not as bad. He had shots every 5 weeks for maybe 1 1/2 or 2 years. March 2019 he stopped scratching and I stopped the cytopoint shots. January 2020 I transitioned him from grain free food to regular kibble, a very slow transition (one month) February 1st he was fully on the new food and started scratching. One week his scratching was non stop so off to the vet for cytopoint shot. He got the cytopoint shot, since he was off cytopoint for 11 months my vet gave me 3 Apoquel tabs, 1/2 a tab in the morning 1/2 at night for 3 days to kick in until the cytopoint got fully into his system. So far no scratching. I'm sorry to hear the Cytopoint didn't work for your baby. When Cody was on Apoquel he had no side affects but, Cody weighs 12 Lbs.

There is another allergy pill, I cannot recall the name, I did a google search and could not fine it. I believe Wylie's Mom used it a time back, hopefully she will see your post or maybe another member knows the name of the other pill.
Stay safe and well and do not be a stranger

Thank you!! No, Chewie might not be 12 pounds, but it is encouraging to hear Cody is on it. She has had it before as a breakthrough medication, but literally only taken it twice and both times very spaced out. I just didn't have anything really concrete to say yes or no one say or another.
She's lost weight, and it's encouraging to know that our measuring very carefully has paid off. almost 1 pound!!! She was up at 7.5 pounds and back down to 6.5. Still a bit chunky but vet was well pleased. Hopefully Ann will see this so I at least have the other medication name.
Transitioned to another food and it looked okay, but then came back? Poor little man!!! I think I remember that Cody has it every where? Seriously, poor little mite!! I'll come back more often, miss you guys. Give Cody a kiss on the head and a little scratch for me (Chewsbac likes right above her tail lightly scratched) I'm glad you're doing well and continue to keep you guys as safe as well.

[Lovetodream88]

I don’t want to upset anyone using this medication but I honestly feel it is what caused Callie’s Cushings. Obviously I can not fully prove this. Apoquel keeps the body from fighting any tumors and growths which would keep some Or many from forming. Cushings is caused by a growth on the pituitary or adrenal gland. Had Callie not been on apoquel I think her body could have fought off the tumor that grew on her pituitary gland. I would only use it if nothing else was working.

[matese]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I don’t want to upset anyone using this medication but I honestly feel it is what caused Callie’s Cushings. Obviously I can not fully prove this. Apoquel keeps the body from fighting any tumors and growths which would keep some Or many from forming. Cushings is caused by a growth on the pituitary or adrenal gland. Had Callie not been on apoquel I think her body could have fought off the tumor that grew on her pituitary gland. I would only use it if nothing else was working.

My Matese had cushings at maybe 7 or 8 years old, she was not on Apoque.

[matese]

Originally Posted by JennaPenny

Thank you!! No, Chewie might not be 12 pounds, but it is encouraging to hear Cody is on it. She has had it before as a breakthrough medication, but literally only taken it twice and both times very spaced out. I just didn't have anything really concrete to say yes or no one say or another.
She's lost weight, and it's encouraging to know that our measuring very carefully has paid off. almost 1 pound!!! She was up at 7.5 pounds and back down to 6.5. Still a bit chunky but vet was well pleased. Hopefully Ann will see this so I at least have the other medication name.
Transitioned to another food and it looked okay, but then came back? Poor little man!!! I think I remember that Cody has it every where? Seriously, poor little mite!! I'll come back more often, miss you guys. Give Cody a kiss on the head and a little scratch for me (Chewsbac likes right above her tail lightly scratched) I'm glad you're doing well and continue to keep you guys as safe as well.

In order for cytopoint to work successfully, shots must be given every 4 to 6 weeks with no skipping in between. Cody was just scratching under his nose that he was losing hair, that was the only part of his body that he scratched. Cytopoint reduced the amount of scratching but didn't eliminate it, I determined the frequency of the shots when I saw Cody starting to scratch more often, basically it was every 5 weeks with no skipped months in between. As I said, in Feb.2020 after being off
Cytopoint for 11 months he wasn't scratching at all until I transitioned him to a new kibble, then he was scratching every part of his body. If I were you, I would try the Cytopoint again giving Chewie shots every 4 weeks faithfully with no skipped months.
If you have this allergy testing in place follow through with it, see what they find.
Please let us know what this allergy testing shows.

[matese]

I found one of Wylies Mom threads......



Article: Atopica vs. Apoquel for Allergies
From here.

Apoquel vs. Atopica: a comparison of two medications to control atopic dermatitis in dogs

Posted on October 7, 2014 by skinvet
By Jon Plant, DVM, DACVD

Atopica® (cyclosporine) and Apoquel® (oclacitinib) are separate and distinct medications. Both are used for controlling the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (“allergies”) in dogs. They are two of the most effective allergy treatments for dogs. Let’s see how they compare.

Availability of Atopica and Apoquel

Atopica was FDA approved more than 10 years ago and is widely available as a prescription drug through veterinarians.

Apoquel was launched in January 2014, but the demand quickly exceeded the manufacturing capacity of the manufacturer, Zoetis. This has led to very limited availability and backorders. Most veterinary clinics are unable to order any Apoquel at all. Zoetis anticipates that production will be able to keep up with the demand in the spring of 2015.

Cost of Atopica and Apoquel

Atopica comes in four sizes: 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg capsules. It is dosed based on your dog’s body weight. Each size is priced differently and larger dogs may require more than one capsule. Depending upon your dog’s weight, the initial cost may range from $1.50-$10 per day. Significant rebate programs are often available when purchases are made through veterinarians (as much as 50% off ) but not through online pharmacies. The cost often goes down over time if the dose is able to be reduced.

Apoquel comes in three sizes: 3.6, 5.4, and 16 mg tablets. Dogs less than 90 pounds need only take 0.5 or 1.0 tablet per day, long term. Big dogs will require 1.5 or 2.0 tablets per day. A novel feature of Apoquel is that all three tablets are priced the same. There isn’t much information on the retail pricing of Apoquel available, but it is likely to be around $1.50-$2.00 per tablet in most veterinary hospitals that have it in stock.

Dosing of Atopica and Apoquel

Atopica comes as capsules, which are fairly large in the 100 mg size. Pet owners often find the larger size difficult to administer. The initial dose is 5 mg per kg body weight. In most cases, it is given once daily for the first month. If your dog responds well, the dose can often be reduced to every 48 hours or even twice weekly. It is then given long-term, or at least during the seasons that your dog itches from allergies.

Apoquel comes as scored tablets, which are fairly small and easy to administer. There is a narrow dose range of 0.4-0.6 mg per kg of body weight. Your veterinarian will sometimes need to use half of two different sizes to get the proper dose. For up to 14 days, Apoquel is administered twice daily. In cases of chronic itch in dogs, it is given once daily, long term. Apoquel has a short half-life, meaning that it doesn’t persist for long in the blood stream. Missing even one dose may result in a return of the itching behavior. Establishing a daily routine or setting an iPhone reminder is important. Check out the Itchology app on Facebook, which has a built in medication reminder.

Speed of Atopica and Apoquel in reducing itch

Atopica does not usually achieve its maximum effect on itching until after daily dosing for four weeks. https://skinvet.files.wordpress.com/...pg?w=300&h=186

Apoquel reduces itching quickly, often within one day. There is a major reduction in itching within 7 days in most dogs. In a head-to-head study, Apoquel reduced the itch level more than Atopica during the first 14 days. There is often a slight increase in itch level when Apoquel dosing is switched from twice daily to once daily, usually at 14 days of therapy.

Side effects of Atopica and Apoquel

Both Atopica and Apoquel affect the immune system. An allergy is, after all, an overactive immune system. Atopica is considered immunosuppressive, effecting T-cells. Apoquel is considered immunomodulatory, blocking transmission of the itch sensation, among other activities. Both medications have the potential to increase the risk of dogs getting infections. In reality, this is uncommon at recommended doses. In clinical trials, skin infections (pyoderma) do occur, but dogs with allergies often get skin infections whether they are taking one of these medications or not.

Atopica is associated with vomiting and diarrhea more often than Apoquel. In a review study compiling results of 672 dogs treated with Atopica, vomiting occurred in 25% and diarrhea or soft stools in 15% of dogs. Usually, veterinarians and pet owners can overcome this, with a slight modification of dosing.

Apoquel is uncommonly associated with vomiting or soft stools (1-2% of dogs). In most studies, these occur with a similar frequency in placebo-treated dogs and those treated with Apoquel. Because Apoquel is still relatively new, it is prudent to monitor our patients rather closely. I recommend an examination, complete blood panel and urinalysis at 0, 3, and 6 months, then every 6 months while taking Apoquel, for now.
__________________

~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~

°¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨°

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[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by matese

My Matese had cushings at maybe 7 or 8 years old, she was not on Apoque.

I’m not saying every case is caused by apoquel. I’m also not saying that apoquel causes Cushings in every dog. I’m just saying I think it can happen. I feel very strongly about it after spending weeks researching. I think it’s a serious possibility that I would love to have research done on.

[JennaPenny]

Originally Posted by matese

In order for cytopoint to work successfully, shots must be given every 4 to 6 weeks with no skipping in between. Cody was just scratching under his nose that he was losing hair, that was the only part of his body that he scratched. Cytopoint reduced the amount of scratching but didn't eliminate it, I determined the frequency of the shots when I saw Cody starting to scratch more often, basically it was every 5 weeks with no skipped months in between. As I said, in Feb.2020 after being off
Cytopoint for 11 months he wasn't scratching at all until I transitioned him to a new kibble, then he was scratching every part of his body. If I were you, I would try the Cytopoint again giving Chewie shots every 4 weeks faithfully with no skipped months.
If you have this allergy testing in place follow through with it, see what they find.
Please let us know what this allergy testing shows.

Oh, I'm sorry I must have not been clear. I'll come back to say more, but wanted to tell you this at least really quickly. I didn't skip her at all. She had it faithfully every 5 weeks for a year and a half. It was the apoquel that I gave her for breakthrough medication, but only twice. I truly meant to say that It's so sad that the food made him itch like that. Chewie itches, and it's clearly unpleasant for her, but no where NEAR Cody, and knowing how chewie suffers with the itching and nasty nausea (we are talking gulping and licking my leg many times a day) I can only imagine what Cody is going through. The vet was telling me that clearly something needed to be done, as she had her yearly before the affects of the cytopoint should have worn off. :/. He was with her as it's closed for people to come in while on the phone with me, and he was noting her scooting (and her glands were fine, too, they checked) and itching. I Hope I was at least a bit more clear. I truly did give her the shots faithfully.

[Lovetodream88]

I almost forgot Callie had some upset tummy on apoquel so she had to take Pepcid with it.