Apoquel for allergies

[Crla]

Does anyone have any experience with Apoquel? My boy has environmenta (seasonal)l allergies and Apoquel has given him tremendous relief and it is supposedly not as bad as prednisone. Just wondering about any adverse reactions or any experiences which others have had??? Thank you.

[kjdonkers]

I know of some friends who use it for their dogs (one is an Akita Inu, and another a Sheltie). Both respond very well: no more itching, hot spots, scratching. I have not heard them talk about side effects, but I would recommend to use as little as possible, and for a limited time only (which seems possible in your case as it is seasonal). My friends look carefully when the dog needs it, and then start with half a pill or less, to see if that is already enough. All the best!

[DebraDownSouth]

I have vet tech friends who swear it can be almost miraculous. It doesn't work for every dog, but generally it gives some relief to full relief. There are, however, side effects, so most want it to be a last effort, not a quick first step.

If you have eliminated fleas (even one flea can set off reaction), tried topical and benedryl, looked at foods/chemicals/yard sprays/carpet cleaners and every possible thing in your dog's environment and nothing has helped, then I personally would choose Apoquel over general steroids. But limit how long. There are no studies on long term use, and it isn't approved for 2 pills a day past 2 wks, so if your dog needs a higher dose longer, talk to your vet about increased risks.

[Crla]

Thank you for the replies and Yes, I agree on short term use and it has given great relief. It could be coincidental, but the last 2 times about 6 - 8 days after stopping Apoquel (he was only on it about 2 weeks this last time) he had an exacerbation of IBS type symptoms; diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fever - requiring iv treatment with antibiotics and fluids. I am wondering about the possible immunological issues due to Apoquel. He has always had the sensitive gi tract which seems to be fairly common with basenjis from what I've read. I've gotten some good advice on dealing with the gi issues including novel protein and carb, and having my vet consult with Dr. Willard re: IPSID, EPI, IBS or IBD. Just wondering if anyone could shed any light on a possible relationship to Apoquel. The vet thinks the med is too new to really know all the possible side effects.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Crla Diarrhea and vomiting are 2 main side effects of Apoquel.

... for the first 2 weeks of medication the most common side effects are gastro-intestinal ( vomiting/diarrhea), BUT after 2 weeks, there are measurable blood value changes.
Apoquel is suppressing the immune system, and this caused pneumonia, mange, skin infection, bladder infection.<<

[Crla]

@DebraDownSouth said in Apoquel for allergies:

@Crla Diarrhea and vomiting are 2 main side effects of Apoquel.

... for the first 2 weeks of medication the most common side effects are gastro-intestinal ( vomiting/diarrhea), BUT after 2 weeks, there are measurable blood value changes.
Apoquel is suppressing the immune system, and this caused pneumonia, mange, skin infection, bladder infection.<<

Wow! I thought I had done lots of research, but where did you find that? I'd like to pass this info on to the vet. No more apoquel. Thank you very much.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Crla Gosh I usually give links but I found it several places. The quote above from here:

http://www.theinternetpetvet.com/apoquel-alert-serious-side-effects-of-new-dog-allergy-medication/

Another site:

http://www.drugs.com/vet/apoquel.html

In the 283 dogs that received APOQUEL, the following additional clinical signs were reported after beginning APOQUEL (percentage of dogs with at least one report of the clinical sign as a non-pre-existing finding): pyoderma (12.0%), non-specified dermal lumps (12.0%), otitis (9.9%), vomiting (9.2%), diarrhea (6.0%), histiocytoma (3.9%), cystitis (3.5%), anorexia (3.2%), lethargy (2.8%), yeast skin infections (2.5%), pododermatitis (2.5%), lipoma (2.1%), polydipsia (1.4%), lymphadenopathy (1.1%), nausea (1.1%), increased appetite (1.1%), aggression (1.1%), and weight loss (0.7)......

After completing APOQUEL field studies, 239 dogs enrolled in an unmasked (no placebo control), continuation therapy study receiving APOQUEL for an unrestricted period of time. Mean time on this study was 372 days (range 1 to 610 days). Of these 239 dogs, one dog developed demodicosis following 273 days of APOQUEL administration. One dog developed dermal pigmented viral plaques following 266 days of APOQUEL administration. One dog developed a moderately severe bronchopneumonia after 272 days of APOQUEL administration; this infection resolved with antimicrobial treatment and temporary discontinuation of APOQUEL. One dog was euthanized after developing abdominal ascites and pleural effusion of unknown etiology after 450 days of APOQUEL administration. Six dogs were euthanized because of suspected malignant neoplasms: including thoracic metastatic, abdominal metastatic, splenic, frontal sinus, and intracranial neoplasms, and transitional cell carcinoma after 17, 120, 175, 49, 141, and 286 days of APOQUEL administration, respectively. Two dogs each developed a Grade II mast cell tumor after 52 and 91 days of APOQUEL administration, respectively. One dog developed low grade B-cell lymphoma after 392 days of APOQUEL administration. Two dogs each developed an apocrine gland adenocarcinoma (one dermal, one anal sac) after approximately 210 and 320 days of APOQUEL administration, respectively. One dog developed a low grade oral spindle cell sarcoma after 320 days of APOQUEL administration.
To report suspected adverse events, for technical assistance or to obtain a copy of the MSDS, contact Zoetis Inc. at 1-888-963-8471 or www.zoetis.com.<<

Finally:

What are the side effects:
Apoquel may increase susceptibility to infection, including demodicosis. It may also exacerbate neoplastic conditions. Adverse reactions reported in a masked field study included diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, new cutaneous or subcutaneous lumps, and lethargy. In most cases, diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy spontaneously resolved with continued dosing.<<
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Apoquel-prod11700.html