# Apoquel



## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Anyone using this for itchy dogs? 

Have heard some wonderful stories, but also some truly horrific ones........ just wondered if anyone had an opinion?


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

Flynn is currently on Apoquel. He appears to have seasonal allergies that flare up in spring and autumn and sometimes it gets bad so when he started itching a few weeks ago I took him straight to the vet to try and nip it in the bud before infection set in. He put him on Apoquel, a dose of one tablet a day for 2 weeks and after that a dose of half a tablet every day until the pack is finished (so he is only on it short term). After only 2 tablets the itching stopped immediately and the pustules etc disappeared. It has allowed his skin and coat to recover and he's looking back to normal now (just working on conditioning his skin as it's still a bit dry).

So, based on my experience I think it's quite miraculous.


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## Lilylass (Sep 13, 2012)

I'm sure @JenSteWillow tried it for Willow - not sure if she's still on it or not ....


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## JenKyzer (Jun 25, 2013)

I haven't heard any horrific ones? Eek.

Willow was put on it 23 April 14.. 
This is the closest time frame pic I have (3May) 








(Her legs)

By 18th June we could no longer get it as there was a mass production issue.. 
This photo was taken on the 19June









Because of the shortage / cost I remember us 'hitting hard' with a high dose at first.. Then cutting it down & down.. I think we got to 1tablet every 5days before we saw itching coming back & mucky ears reappearing. 
It worked wonders for Willow. Once she come off it we didn't have to put her back on it, but I would in a heartbeat if i needed to  
I think I read something about one of the ingredients in it stops the brain from thinking 'I need to itch' hence, no itching.


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## ellenlouisepascoe (Jul 12, 2013)

We've had it for Skyla and I'd agree it's a miracle product! Skyla stopped scratching almost instantly and her skin healed beautifully. I no longer have her on it , but I do have some in the house just in case she has a bad outbreak. 
I don't like the idea of long term medication however if she had to be on it pernamently for a good quality of life I'd do it.
Its weighing up the quality of life they have miserably scratching their skin away vs possible side effects of the medications


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

ellenlouisepascoe said:


> We've had it for Skyla and I'd agree it's a miracle product! Skyla stopped scratching almost instantly and her skin healed beautifully. I no longer have her on it , but I do have some in the house just in case she has a bad outbreak.
> I don't like the idea of long term medication however if she had to be on it pernamently for a good quality of life I'd do it.
> Its weighing up the quality of life they have miserably scratching their skin away vs possible side effects of the medications


I know certainly Flynn was scratching almost constantly through the night so of course he wasnt getting much sleep, probably the other dogs werent either and it was also keeping humans awake. A lack of sleep has a huge effect so as a result he was quite lethargic, the potential for increased seizures was there and so I agree, I dont like long term medication (Flynn is no longer even on his anti seizure medication, I took him off it because it wasnt making any difference) but if we had to go down that route for quality of life then it's a no brainer.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Thanks all. Sounds like it might work for dexter the same way it worked for Flynn, as his is very much seasonal (on steroids again atm- which is never ideal, but its either that of he'll end up damaging his eyes), so it wouldnt be a permanent thing.
Did the vets advise you to also keep them on a antihistamine?
Did you see any side effects?
I guess none of your guys were on it long enough to see the reported loss of efficacy after a while?


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

I don't know if the antihistamines question was aimed at me too but I don't use them because they have been linked to the possible cause of seizures in an epileptic dog.


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## ellenlouisepascoe (Jul 12, 2013)

I've used antihistamines but not alongside Apoquel. 
If you do a google there are a few articles on it's long term use and experiences etc. I saw no side effects with Skyla and is definitely my preferred method over steroids. Skyla got just about every side effect from steroids and was a tetchy cow to go with it.


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

Hi @Lexiedhb  Yes we started using Apoquel on Cooper about a month ago, so far so good. He has really bad allergies to dust mites and without the use of anything he scratches himself raw. He was on steroids for over a year but once we stopped using them and began Apoquel his hair grew back loads, his skin is now white not crusty yellow (!) and his itching is managed. Not compeltely gone but certainly more managable and I am sure he is much happier.


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## ellenlouisepascoe (Jul 12, 2013)

@SurfCFC I meant to ask how your boy was doing after your initial thread, so glad he is now improving!


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

ellenlouisepascoe said:


> @SurfCFC I meant to ask how your boy was doing after your initial thread, so glad he is now improving!


Thanks! Yes he is so much hairier now it's lovely to see no bald patches around his eyes or his belly. I'm thrilled we stopped the steroids and can only hope the Apoquel keeps working as well as it is right now. He had a blood test last week and all was good, so has another one in a couple of months.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Leanne77 said:


> I don't know if the antihistamines question was aimed at me too but I don't use them because they have been linked to the possible cause of seizures in an epileptic dog.


yes it was to everyone, as because apoquel just turns the itch off, I have heard/ read about some pretty nasty side effects of having huge amounts of histamine surging round the body.


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## shamykebab (Jul 15, 2009)

Lexiedhb said:


> yes it was to everyone, as because apoquel just turns the itch off, I have heard/ read about some pretty nasty side effects of having huge amounts of histamine surging round the body.


Do you have a link/citation re these side effects?


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Never heard any horror stories about Apoquel, Atopica yes but not Apoquel. Not to say that it isn't possible of course, any medications can have side effects.

Tilly was on it for a while and it worked beautifully. Her allergies were triggered due to mould problem we had in the house we rented. Now we've moved she has no need to be on it thus so far, but would happily recommend it to anyone with itchy/allergy dogs if your vet suggests it.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

There is a FB group called - funnily enough Apoquel with many great stories about it but also some pretty nasty ones - so that is just first hand experiences. One in particular was a woman whose dog got VERY ill due to the fact that the vet did not recommend them using antihistamines alongside the apoquel. It also has not been evaluated with other drugs, so not ideal if your dog is on medication for other things, Also the maker lists possible side effects as : "vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, SQ or dermal masses (unspecified), decreased leukocytes, decreased globulins, and increased cholesterol and lipase. Low numbers of dogs in the studies developed demodicosis, neoplasia, pneumonia, bloody diarrhea, skin and ear infections, UTIs, and histiocytomas" although clearly these are not seen in all dogs.

The scary one is the "lumps" that can appear IMO, many people seem to have experinced this - there are lots of "studies" on line if you google apoquel side effects this one is again only personal experience but done by a vet
http://petdermatologyclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Apoquel-Update-Use-in-Practice-2015.pdf

I will definitely still be considering it next time mine needs help, as the side effects for steroids arent pretty either.......


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

Lexiedhb said:


> There is a FB group called - funnily enough Apoquel with many great stories about it but also some pretty nasty ones - so that is just first hand experiences. One in particular was a woman whose dog got VERY ill due to the fact that the vet did not recommend them using antihistamines alongside the apoquel. It also has not been evaluated with other drugs, so not ideal if your dog is on medication for other things, Also the maker lists possible side effects as : "vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, SQ or dermal masses (unspecified), decreased leukocytes, decreased globulins, and increased cholesterol and lipase. Low numbers of dogs in the studies developed demodicosis, neoplasia, pneumonia, bloody diarrhea, skin and ear infections, UTIs, and histiocytomas" although clearly these are not seen in all dogs.
> 
> The scary one is the "lumps" that can appear IMO - there are lots of "studies" on line if you google apoquel side effects this one is again only personal experience but done by a vet
> http://petdermatologyclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Apoquel-Update-Use-in-Practice-2015.pdf
> ...


Every drug you use, or your pet has to use, will have many side effects but I can honestly say it has not affected Cooper in any way so far, fingers crossed obviously as it is early days. The only thing really that worries me are the stories of it accelerating cancerous cells and he is only young, so if he has to be on it for the rest of his life it is a little concerning. We had to decide basically between Apoquel, Atopica and Steroids; and from experience I would never put him back on Steroids if I could help it.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

SurfCFC said:


> Every drug you use, or your pet has to use, will have many side effects but I can honestly say it has not affected Cooper in any way so far, fingers crossed obviously as it is early days. The only thing really that worries me are the stories of it accelerating cancerous cells and he is only young, so if he has to be on it for the rest of his life it is a little concerning. We had to decide basically between Apoquel, Atopica and Steroids; and from experience I would never put him back on Steroids if I could help it.


Entirely agree. It does help to know what you are dealing with tho. The "dermal masses" are a bit worrysome, as is the fact that people report a loss of efficacy with time, but like I said it is definitely something I am going to consider for Dex short term next time he needs something.


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

Lexiedhb said:


> Entirely agree. It does help to know what you are dealing with tho. The "dermal masses" are a bit worrysome, as is the fact that people report a loss of efficacy with time, but like I said it is definitely something I am going to consider for Dex short term next time he needs something.


As they have not been on the market for very long there is so little long-term research but with regular blood tests hopefully if anything is affecting him they will pick up on it and if we have to stop then I guess we will need to look into something else. I have actually heard better things about Atopica side-effect wise but also that they are not as effective as Apoquel.


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

Lexiedhb said:


> There is a FB group called - funnily enough Apoquel with many great stories about it but also some pretty nasty ones - so that is just first hand experiences. One in particular was a woman whose dog got VERY ill due to the fact that the vet did not recommend them using antihistamines alongside the apoquel. It also has not been evaluated with other drugs, so not ideal if your dog is on medication for other things, Also the maker lists possible side effects as : "vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, anorexia, SQ or dermal masses (unspecified), decreased leukocytes, decreased globulins, and increased cholesterol and lipase. Low numbers of dogs in the studies developed demodicosis, neoplasia, pneumonia, bloody diarrhea, skin and ear infections, UTIs, and histiocytomas" although clearly these are not seen in all dogs.
> 
> The scary one is the "lumps" that can appear IMO, many people seem to have experinced this - there are lots of "studies" on line if you google apoquel side effects this one is again only personal experience but done by a vet
> http://petdermatologyclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Apoquel-Update-Use-in-Practice-2015.pdf
> ...


When Flynn was on Pexion for epilepsy I joined a FB group specifically about the drug. I eventually ended up leaving because it was just plain scare mongering, lots of tales of dogs suddenly developing grand mals and dying etc. I thought it best to make up my own mind about the drug based on my experience with it with my own dog and not read stories that may or may not be anything to do with the Pexion. I have probably read the same information as you regarding Apoquel too but again, I decided to make up my own mind.


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Leanne77 said:


> When Flynn was on Pexion for epilepsy I joined a FB group specifically about the drug. I eventually ended up leaving because it was just plain scare mongering, lots of tales of dogs suddenly developing grand mals and dying etc. I thought it best to make up my own mind about the drug based on my experience with it with my own dog and not read stories that may or may not be anything to do with the Pexion. I have probably read the same information as you regarding Apoquel too but again, I decided to make up my own mind.


Entirely. However part of that has to be reading the experience of others IMO, I would say 95% of stories on the Apoquel FB page are positive.


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

Leanne77 said:


> When Flynn was on Pexion for epilepsy I joined a FB group specifically about the drug. I eventually ended up leaving because it was just plain scare mongering, lots of tales of dogs suddenly developing grand mals and dying etc. I thought it best to make up my own mind about the drug based on my experience with it with my own dog and not read stories that may or may not be anything to do with the Pexion. I have probably read the same information as you regarding Apoquel too but again, I decided to make up my own mind.


I read so much stuff, constantly googling it and reading through tonnes of peoples views and you're so right, it is scaremongering but it does stick in your head. As much as it hurts to say, we've always said (and I've said on here a few times) we would rather give him 5 good years of not being itchy rather than 10 years of him being miserable.


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## Leanne77 (Oct 18, 2011)

Lexiedhb said:


> Entirely. However part of that has to be reading the experience of others IMO, I would say 95% of stories on the Apoquel FB page are positive.


Oh yes, of course, read up about both the positives and the negatives and be mindful of them, it certainly pays to be aware, but make up your own mind based on your own dog. The Pexion page I was on was against Pexion so the stories were pretty dreadful.


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## RowdsMum89 (Apr 17, 2016)

Rowdy is on apoquel and pexion the vet wants to use pexion for life as he has had 8 seizures in 6 weeks 3 of them in a 12 hour time frame!!! He is on apoquel for his skin he literally used to itch until he bled his hair is growing back and we have zero itching I'm just worried about things I have read as vets wants him on apoquel long term


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## SurfCFC (Dec 16, 2014)

RowdsMum89 said:


> Rowdy is on apoquel and pexion the vet wants to use pexion for life as he has had 8 seizures in 6 weeks 3 of them in a 12 hour time frame!!! He is on apoquel for his skin he literally used to itch until he bled his hair is growing back and we have zero itching I'm just worried about things I have read as vets wants him on apoquel long term


Sounds all too familiar @RowdsMum89  It's great though that his hair is growing back and no itching. I think the only thing that is better than the meds is immunotheraphy, which I'm guessing you have tried already, but that didn't work at all for Cooper. The only thing we can hold onto is that their quality of life is better on Apoquel than scratching themselves raw.


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## ArnaudC (Jul 13, 2020)

SurfCFC said:


> Hi @Lexiedhb  Yes we started using Apoquel on Cooper about a month ago, so far so good. He has really bad allergies to dust mites and without the use of anything he scratches himself raw. He was on steroids for over a year but once we stopped using them and began Apoquel his hair grew back loads, his skin is now white not crusty yellow (!) and his itching is managed. Not compeltely gone but certainly more managable and I am sure he is much happier.


Hi @SurfCFC,
I am currently in the same situation as you, we rescued a female beagle with high allergy to dust mites, tried to managed it with natural supplements but she is getting worse and worse.
She lost her fur on both edge of ear, nose, eyes and under the belly bu scratching too much.
Is your pup still on Apoquel today?
Is long term treatment working and not affecting his immune system?

Hope you your pup got better and is having a happy life

Let me know

Arnaud


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