Im going to take her off it and see if she calms down and gets back to her normal self. He was on it for about 5 months and then he began having stomach trouble. I think I will try those probiotic and omegasits worth a shot. Please never use acepromazine for dogs. Hydroxyzine is a drug that can bring much relief to your furry friend when they are not well. company and they said no connections. Wow so glad there are others who experienced hell with this drug. Working very well for paw licking, but like others, he has to pee all the time and did so in the house yesterday (something he NEVER does). Its not a perfect answer, but with some experimentation this drug is helping us keep him comfortable and from blowing up and getting infected areas. My Ginny was placed in ICU to help regulate her breathing. Dogs who have a weight of 10 to 14.9 lbs should be given 5.4mg tablets daily and two times. Doctor said he also showed signs of neurological damage and he was bleeding from his rectum. I got him at six weeks old, so I can say I know him better than anyone. I saw your interview, where you complained people werent being told about the side effects of medications. We immediately stopped the apoquel and he has never had a seizure since. her fur has grown in and is like silk. As I write this I just want everyone to know.the drug may stop the itching as it did with my dog, but it allows the immune system to weaken and your dog wont be able to fight off the most basic thing: fungus. I paid $10,000 or more over 12 years trying to heal my dogs itching. Thank you Dr. and for the shared testemoniesI assumed their were possible side effects but I think every dog reacts differently. And only started happening when she went back on the drug. I am so glad I did and came across these suggestions. A dog who never once peed in the house, started having accidentswhen she was on a morning, noon, evening and bedtime schedule. More serious side effects can include coma and apnea. My chocolate lab has been on Apoquel for years now. This drug is NOT a wonder drug and can kill your pet! DB00821. He is so sick he cant pick his head up. After several trips to the vet,nothing was resolved. Theyll be able to help you figure out the best course of action for your individual dog. Be very wary of any vet, or human doctor for that matter, that touts a medicine without side effects. He kept saying its a new drug. Im convinced its from this med!!! Dogs treated with Apoquel works within four hours, controls allergy itching within 24 hours, and is safe for short-term and long-term usage. And dont forget if youre at all concerned about your pets medication, then give your veterinarian a quick ring. 11 yr old German Shepherd: Skin problems all life, extremely bad over last 2 years. Then I searched it on the net & see all this stuff. I ran to the vet and asked for more$55 later, I had another months supply. 5 days later & I still have a very very different dog He went from an extremely confident, friendly & vocal dog who was running round & playing all the time with my other dog into & nervous wreck & he also seems to still have discomfort in his bad leg. They are firming up slowly. But it is not the only antihistamine that vets use. These drugs were first discovered in the 1930s. Apoquel can be given with or without food. He had stopped eating and drinking. It has been approximately 3 weeks since I took him off of all meds and we are completely back to normal. He still licks his paws a lot at night is the only symptom left. She slept on my bed and had since she was 10 weeks. The meds worked for 3 days of clearing his itching and swollen eyes but then the vomiting, not eating, stomach pains, panting, not drinking, exhaustion, completely out of it wondering and hiding in corners, didnt open his eyes for 3 days, and death happened. I have had her since she was 6 mths old and she is now an old lady at 13. It does seem that the shot and the baytril will make her infection go away and allergies better at least for awhile. It worked almost immediately. We drove her tp the vet which advised us that her pancreas was way over the chart as well as her liver enzymes and showed to have a severe infection that her body could not fight off. 1,2 The #1 prescribed medicine for allergic itch in dogs. What drugs should not be taken with hydroxyzine? I knew the potential for problems but was willing to do anything make her comfortable, and hoped that she would not show any negative effects. Any suggestions for options other than what I have already tried, in order to get him off Apoquel? The capsules come in the following dosages: 25 mg; 50 mg; and 100 mg. It stops the bone marrow from manufacturing red blood cells and your pet will get very ill, which may not be able to turn around. The vet said she No more for my precious girl! Tried Benadryl which worked some, but she would get flares. When I looked them up I immediately stopped the drug but it was too late. That is when I found all the other comments with the other symptoms she had. He is now on phenobarbital for life because the seizures never went away. Therefore, many dogs require increases in their phenobarbital dose over time to maintain the same level of seizure control. After I moved to Germany my new Vet prescribed Apoquel. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to help your dogs allergies, I suggest you try my supplement, Dr Jones Ultimate Canine Health Formula. This drug should be taken off the market! Thanks! Anytime a drug is taken side effects are possible. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The answer is no. He has urinated in front of me, also not wanting to stay outside, or even go outside. Stay away from this POISON. This is sad. Is APOQUEL and my dog was also very unstable and had trouble walking when on Apoquel. Well after about 4 mths I couldnt take it anymore. It was told to us in private that the long term effects of the Apoquel could be the cause of her cancer. However, he also developed skin growths right around that time and they will not go away. Indianna veterinary dermatologist, Dr. Stacey L. Silva, DACVD, explains that while the active ingredient in Apoquel, oclacitinib, inhibits the production of histamines, its still unknown how the drug works to decrease inflammation and the itch associated with allergies. My English bulldogs vet (different vet from Philippe) also prescribed Apoquel and it works for her. He is the sweetest pup and has been through so much and I am so frightened that we could lose him next time. After 3 days we stopped the medication because her organs were shutting down. It especially targets the immune system. among the oclacitinib group compared with placebo (2.6% vs. 0%, respectively). The rate of adverse events overall was low (<5%) and included The vet prescribed Apoquel and after 2 weeks she never itches. He is nibbling them constantly. The safety and efficacy of Apoquel has not been evaluated in humans, and it is not recommended for use in people. The other option would have probably would have been a lot worse. She nearly died and has never been the same since. Lastly, I think you choose to bash a drug just to sell your supplement. My dog was given this because it was said to work faster. E-mail: rfisher1951@yahoo.com Dead dogs dont itch. In his 10 years he has never defecated in the house. I have a 90 pound mixed male Shar pei who has been on Apoquel 3 years now. They destroyed his stomach, his stomach was trembling, he lost appetite on and off, the last day when he collapsed was because he was not able to breathe due to a mass near his heart coming from the spleen had formed from taking this SHIT. As always, you should talk to your veterinarian before starting your dog on any new medication, even if its something as seemingly innocuous as Benadryl or Zyrtec. I was also giving him baths with malaseb or microtek shampoo every few days. Im not continuing the apoquel! I am seriously thinking this drug is to blame. He has always had allergies, some seasons are worse than others. My Rocky is a Staffordshire Terrier. Hi, my sweet grand pup was put on Apoquel about 9 weeks ago for allergies. On Sunday Nov 19th, we drove to our Thanksgiving destination. Since August 2018 when we discontinued giving Aries Apoquel, there are a few papillomas of small size but nothing like was spreading all over his body. so I went back to my regular vet I trusted who pit Ollie on ever increasing steroids to try to kill this yeast infection. Please help if anyone knows Im going to stop giving to her for the rest of the week and see what happens. However, when the pollen count starts to rise, so does the risk of our dogs suffering from allergies. Im not one to complain but, I feel compelled to share our nightmarish experience with this new anti-itching drug called Apoquel. It was not the first thing we tried. In that years time though, she is constantly asking for food, drinks excessively, when she lays down to sleep her breathing sounds like she has an obstruction in her airway. His breathing labored at times and a runny nose. This is how hydroxyzine is used on humans. Apoquel suppressed her immune system and allowed a serious infection to start that has resulted in severe diskospondylitis. I put my Saint on it and it did seem to help and chemistry). My dog (66 lbs boxer/hound mix) is prescribed apoquel daily by her current vet for allergies. If you want to help call: Roger 586-343-9003 Too few veterinarians are explaining the risks. Has anyone else has had similar issues? She began taking it in Nov. Of 2019. Apoquel is the only thing that has worked. he was bleeding internally , his lungs were inundated with blood, I will sue Zoetis, and I will make this vet live the nightmare I am living everyday, she will share my pain, because I will report her to the board of veterinarians and I am talking to the supervisors of the clinic she is in, she is the Medical Director of it , how can she be so unprofessional, and just for a couple of bucks on commission she made from selling me this poison, kill my dog. How to Report Apoquel Side Effects in Dogs Apoquel side effects in dogs can be reported directly to the manufacturing company. (Answered 2023). Or, where on the site do you file a complaint? It makes him miserable! We actually had to feed her out of our hand or put the food on he floor because I think she was afraid of Apoquel in her dog bowl ( yes I believe pets are smart line this). I will never place another animal on a medication like this again. Good. You may even want to read about the legal definition of slander: http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/slander/. Just as I was dozing off, she abruptly sat up and started crying. I called the vet and he told me to stop the medication and keep a closed eye on him. I cant say enough how appreciative I am this drug came along! Vet Dermatol 2013;24:587-597.). Both drugs can have neurologic side effects such as weakness, sedation and lethargy. He walks daily and plays with is two sisters. I think I will try the lady Anns recipe and see if that helps her. My vet has referred us to a vet specialist, which I hear is very expensive. In general, Cytopoint is safe to use in combinations with other medications including Apoquel, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, antibiotics, antifungals, and even with allergen specific immunotherapy.You should not give the following drugs at the same time as Apoquel without consulting your veterinarian: cortisone-type medications or Atopica.In Thats why I blame Apoquel. He gets one pill in the morning and one in the evening. Generally, a 7 to 10-day therapeutic trial will reveal if the treatment is going to work. There is a wide variety of reasons your dog may be itchy. NO MORE DRUGS FOR THESE GUYS. The vet recommended Apoquel new improved antihistamine drug. I called the vet but they said she must have eaten something to cause it. Metronidazole can have a bitter flavor and so may be best tolerated when given with food. He refused to eat or drink water for hours. She had bloods done 2 weeks ago and they were all fine so Im hoping the last few days of the drug wont cause any irreversible issues but she has had her last dose and Im hoping to see improvement. Apoquel cannot be used for dogs under one year or breeding, pregnant, or lactating . Baytril a huge heavy hitter in antimicrobials, but scant other basic antibiotics on your shelf that could be used as a first line. But, we are seeing improvementfinally. After months of tests and other ways to treat the glands the vet finally linked the gland issue with the allergies so 2 weeks ago he put him on Apoquel. Recently we moved to a different side of town in a metropolitan area and needed to find a new vet. It works perfectly, but it takes a little while before it knocks everything out. When we arrived at the er we learned he was having a seizure and needed IV phenobarbital. Between your irresponsible claims and your ridiculous supplement, you are a disgrace to the profession. This is the reality of pharmaceuticals. We are stopping the med and taking to vet tomorrow to have full blood work done. Expiration range: Several years. But, your dog may be displaying signs of anxiety because of discomfort. They treated him with holistic drugs. Do dogs [] Try the new diet for 4 weeks. Yeh! There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to determine which is better for dogs Benadryl or Zyrtec. He is scheduled for more blood tests and an examination I hadnt associated the bed wetting with the Apoquel but based on others statements I think their is a connection. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm055369.htm, http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/slander/, http://creative.advanstar.com/mkdv/2011/mkdv_vetbenchmarks_email0811/images/VBMZ300_preview.pdf, http://news.zoetis.com/press-release/investors/zoetis-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2014-results#sthash.hYHWSMPk.dpuf, http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel-Comments.htm, http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/wouldnt-give-dog-new-allergy-drug/. Better safe than sorry. The most common side effects were: With that, you will be able to give them the right dosage. Fingers crossed she wont have any lasting problems from this drug. To all dog owners WARNING do not give your dog Apoquel . Never told that it destroyed the immune system or the side effects. It is disturbing to realize that others have had almost the same situation. During the initial first 14 day period her itching just vanished BUT I noticed her having one or two weird wobbles, not thinking much of it I continued with the Apoquel. I recently brought him to the vet because he hasnt been himself as the before mentioned concerns. All dogs itch sometimes, but when you notice it happening more and more, it could be a sign of a medical condition. My Yorkie/jack Russell, around 8 years old is supposedly allergic to fleas, around 20lbs. My vet is reporting my Yorkies side effects to the makers of Apoquel. 8 3/4 yr old unknown mix (black & tan head, white with black spotted body & pink skin) to the vet after almost 8 years. We gave it a try because her itchiness was causing almost a seizure like problem. But, there are also side effects that you should keep in mind. But now its scared me to continue to give him the next dose! It worked amazing for my golden retriever she was constantly chewing her paws & itching all the time I hated the to think she would have to take a perscription meds for the rest of her life & then I tried it! (Answered 2023). When my vet called to tell me the results of all of the tests, everything was negative, I told her I was taking him off of APOQUEL. Apoquel incidentally never stopped her itching and I will never resume the Apoquel. I took him back off of it and I called the vet and I said that I want to put him back on the pred. I felt terrible because she was still itching during this battle with cancer so I kept her on the Apoquel. I also give him on 25mg Benadryl with his food at night. The comment section sure sounds familiar. I am convinced that apoquel is the cause and I would like to know if his liver enzymes will return to normal now that apoquel has been stopped. Hamish is very threadbare and I have been loathed to clip him. As another poster mentioned she was panting, in pain and suffering. I supplement benedry to keep the itching controllable at night. For example, it can counteract the effects of warfarin. What is hydroxyzine? My 10 year old Maltese 10 pound has had intermittent allergy problems his entire life. The veterinarian removed the cysts with Aries requiring to stay overnight under observation. She was refusing to eat out of her bowl which was a red flag because our cocker spaniel is OBSESSEd with food ( I think she likes food more than she likes us ?). We had a lovely dog who frequently got ear infections and because of this drug we have no dog. Multiple doses of antibiotics for skin infections. As luck would have it, I did a research on both meds as I normally do with any meds, and as fate would have it came upon this site. I am giving my own allergic dog an oatmeal shampoo weekly. But by God she earned it become i g a vet is harder than med school Despite going back to the Vet she was kept on this medication and given antibiotics. I find that hydroxyzine work best for my girl but that requires an Rx. I hate that we now must take him off the medicine because he has been able to live a more comfortable life, but I cant ignore the side effects and how its affecting him. besides, hes strong and healthy overall, maybe a little miserable at times but we could live with that. We thought we were going to lose her. At the advise of a new vet we put her on Apoquel. I'll do all I can to help. I asked at one point how this worked and was told that it lowered the immune system to keep the itch mechanism from affecting the dog. Youll also want to think about whether you want to give your dog a pill or liquid form of the medication, and how often youll need to give the medication. But it doesnt seem to work as well anymore. Two days ago (45 days into Apoquel) Peatie woke from a nap and walked around frantically bumping into things, hes blind, but it seemed more than usual, so I picked him up and he went tight in my armskind of like a dog stretching, but I soon realized he was in a seizure when he urinated all over me. Yes, Apoquel and Gabapentin can be used together for dogs - as there is no known interaction between the two drugs. Dogs are able to take hydroxyzine. He chews at his hind quarter, scratches at his paws and ears keeping me up at night. Diagnosis is a mite type(Demoditic? One more thing I would like to say is that he was eating those CET dental sticks for about a year and a half before this whole skin issue started and I wonder if they caused anything to happen with his skin? No way will I us it.Thank you every one for opening my eyes. 2 packs of apoquel tablets Her itching is in full force but were having some success with tea tree oil massages. He was gone 6 days later. Im heartbroken that I didnt do my due diligence on this medication. Even though dogs and cats produce their own vitamin c, (we humans as you know do not) are you aware of anyone trying this approach in the animal world? The most horrible thing I was witness to.His right eye sunk in to his skull. Kind of mad at my vet that they were so casual about giving it to her again. Keep in mind she has been on the Apoquel since the spring of 2014 when it came out. Please be aware and do your homework on this drug. It's a synthetic monoclonal antibody . which is causing more messes to clean up. She has had two skin infections where we had to give her antibiotics and antifungals, and we are diligent with flea control even though I tried using natural control and it wasnt enough. As soon as I stop giving her apoquel the stomach problem stopped. I am now convinced its the apoquel. Will be calling the vet on Monday, fingers crossed she goes back to herself today! Still itching and the straw that broke the camels back was seizures. 6.Probiotics are increasingly being used for dogs with allergies. He had pancratitis attack 2 yrs ago, so they do not want to give him prednisone alot. Vet took her and watched her for a day and said blood work came back fine. He is somewhat aggressive to a sweet little girl puppy that we got as a friend for him. I wouldnt recommend it after our issues with it and reading others comments. I was never told this drug is an immunosuppressent. immune-mediated disease. After reading the comments here I will not be continuing on Apoquel. We will know more next week when the report comes back from histopatholgy. He now has lumps on his thighs and side under his skin. Im starting to think all these different vaccines may not be such a good idea. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Veterinarian, author, advocate for alternative, natural solutions for dog and cat health, Dr. Andrew Jones, DVM Required fields are marked *. As the weather starts to warm up, many of us are turning our attention to the outdoor activities we enjoy with our dogs. Apoquel seems to be an amazing drug. Ive never had major issues with veterinarian medicines for my pets. The only thing different in his life has been the apoquel! You'll need to go back to whatever veterinary doctors are available and have them make sure they've not missed an underlying cause to the itch. Dont give this drug to your pets. neutrophil, eosinophil, and monocyte counts decreased among dogs in the oclacitinib group None of these worked brilliantly but they did have an effect on reducing some of his symptoms. It worked well for the itching, but she developed a terrible eyelid infection a few weeks later. I have her on flea meds year round, no fleas. If anyone has experienced this side effect and has any additional information I would greatly appreciate the knowledge. At this point our cost has been $2200. The gagging, a horrible sound as if he had just ate straw or something outrageously dry. Finally the neurologist did and MRI and found no stroke, no tumor, her blood vessels looked good and she was over 6 yrs old. I dont want my baby to have these terrible side effects I am reading about here. Fortunately many other pet owners think otherwise. It has taken one year of medication, hepaticlear to even touch the level and see it slowly come down. His allergies are now extreme and he has no fur on the back of his paws/legs. She examined him and told me that he was having a reaction to the hydroxyzine so dont give any more to him. I talked with a Homeopathic vet about my dog and this med and she said that she is seeing at least 4 dogs a week that are coming to her because of reactions to APOQUEL. I have her now on a strict diet with premium dog food from Four Friends and Ropodog and the situation has much improved. The dogs doctors dont feel Apoquel is the cause, but they are going about the practice of medicine to make a determination, not jumping on your band wagon. Sadly, with the infections appearing after only a month on the drug, I felt in order to save her life, I had to take her off Apoquel, as I could only guess at the havoc she was going through internally from having her immune system suppressed. Apoquel Dosage in Dogs. Reason for delay: Vets have killed two of my pets very painfully and believe that the prior vets medication killed this one. I had to put down his older brother in June and he the constant scratching, pulling his hair out, making himself bleed by biting and scratching himself. I have photos of that food really odd changes!!! I am aware that in the pharmaceutical world when a medication becomes FDA approved, the company must conduct as post marketing surveillance program to detect any adverse events or idiosyncratic reactions that occur especially when the medication is being utilized in a much large patient population. We tried Benadryl, Temaril-P & homeopathic remedies. We have a small medical practice (my wife is med director.). I found a Veterinarian that was also a Herbalist. I gave him a pill at 9 a.m. yesterday morning and another at 9 p.m. yesterday evening. My border collie always gets itchy in spring & summer. There should be some mornings to the vets, but there arent. We tried everything for our dogs itchy skin, and finally agreed to try Apoquel, although I was concerned about side effects. Yes, it stopped his itching but at what price? Just a follow up to my earlier post. My 13 year old did has suffered from severe late summer/fall allergies for the past 8 years or so the usually end up with a lot of missing hair and her in a cone until a long freeze. However, after about a month and a half our four year old dog started vomiting and was extremely lethargic. As always, if you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. Of the types administered, hydroxyzine was one of the most effective. I cooked for him for 8 years because he wouldnt eat dog food. Ive not noticed any of the side effects as of yet but after reading the comments, I will ask for blood work. The vet told us anal gland problems can definitely be due to allergies. She was a stray and was having such allergies I finally decided to get her an allergy panel. He has been on it for over a year now with wonderful results. She suffered from a myriad of allergy issues as well as lots of other issues (Chronic UTIs being one.. we finally got under control) The allergy medication worked wonderfully!!! diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy that resolved spontaneously in 90% of cases and did not We are on the 16mg dose, but we break it in half and he is on 1/2 pill a day. Within the first 12 hours he developed runny poop and lethargy. The vet could not detect what was wrong with her so this means a whole lot of blood test. I will admit that I had no KNOWN adverse affects to the second dog and the drug did clear up the infections in both. Itching and licking had gotten worse. Its incredible how this drug is not off the market!! That is sad. THIS STUFF OUT LIKE CANDY If your dog is taking hydroxyzine, you should keep the possible side effects in mind. I dont trust drugs and I dont trust doctors, or car sales men, or lawyers for that matter. Your vet may prescribe it to relieve the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Its been about 21 hours since he had a pill, so Im hoping that by tomorrow morning, its out of his system. We stopped Apoquel today because Alk phos is very high on last two tests. Noticeably happier and energetic. There are a few things youll want to know before giving this to your dog. The vet prescribed it and at first her allergies were better. Both Apoquel and Zyrtec are effective at relieving allergy symptoms in dogs, so combining them may provide even more relief for your dog. Apoquel starts relieving allergic dog itch and inflammation due to skin allergies within 4 hours and controls it within 24 hours. My 12 year old German Shepard mix was prescribed Apoquel for seasonal allergies after Zyrtec wasnt effective. The sedative properties are beneficial in these instances. So I would take care to note if you see her drinking more than usual. Our vet suggested it for our 4 yo GSD to control itching due to an unknown allergy. I called the largest vet hospital in the area where they had a neurologist and got her in thru the ER. When we took her out to potty, she was randomly falling down and her back legs were very unstable. But I dont know if 30 days is enough. For slight allergies try otc antihistamines like Zyrtec. I noticed that she did have some more frequent urination and she had a kind of balance issue, she just wasnt acting right when she first started on the apoquel. I usually research medications on the internet before taking them and this is the TRAGEDY OF MY LIFE, as I did not do it thoroughly, I trusted the doctor and when I looked it up I only read one first ad that pops up , ad from Zoetis, they only list vomiting, diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems, that right there should have been a Red flag for me, but again, THIS IS THE TRAGEDY OF MY LIFE. Apoquel targets specific cytokines (proteins) that lead to itch and inflammation. Thanks for your advise earlier about the beta 3. Nothing processed, out of a can or a bag, no dry food ever (its basically rubbish anyhow). The vet put him on Apoquel 16mg a day. He continues to take 1 pill each day, although we have . It's an artificially synthesized substance that's injected into the body with the intention to cause changes in physiology and function.