Comments on Apoquel : Dog Drug With a Dark Side - Homeopath Vet

My pit and bull dog mix is 8 months old. The vet prescribed BOTH the 16mg and a 5.4mg. My dog is extremely ill. He is losing his hair, vomits, has red bumps all over him now. The original 1 inch spot, that was irritated, which is why he went to the vet, has become a huge ring all the way around his neck. I believe it is from the Apoquel. And, now I do not trust the vet.

Oh, I don't even know where to start setting Jeanie the vet tech straight. And maybe it is not for me to do so. But rather have her do better research and investigation rather than regurgitate info from drug and prescription food companies whose stake in animal wellbeing and health is limited to bottom line benefit.
So, for starters Jeanie, read the well written comments from Joyce above. Very good information with lots of good tidbits for you to then follow up and do some more research. If you are a scientist as implied by your comment of being a vet tech, you surely know that forming a hypothesis and then proving that doesn't always take the path you think it will.
You know Jeanie, you could be an extremely valuable asset to your vet clinic and the clients you serve if you would take the time to follow up finding out really good information to share with your veterinarians to pass along rather than just being one to repeat what you have been told. Yes, it takes time. And, no, you probably won't agree with all that you find that is contrary to what you have been taught, choose to believe, or have embraced for maybe years or a life time. But open minds, questioning minds are the most brilliant and most helpful to others.
Most of us who have taken the time to investigate, test, trial, and learn differently don't mind a rousing debate as it make us all better informed. But please don't insist that only conventional medicine has the wrap on animal health and wellness. I would have to say quite the contrary. Conventional medicine might well serve us better as the "medicine of last resort" rather than the place to start. Look to nature for health and wellness.

1.) As a vet tech, I will say that I have seen many clients satisfied with the results of Apoquel. Since it is an immunomodulator, its only common sense that it should be used in caution in geriatric pets, or pets with any previously diagnosed chronic conditions, and proper preventive diagnostics should be ran before placing even a healthy dog on such a medication. As with ANY medication there are some patients who are not good candidates for certain medications for variable reasons, and it is a decision to be made between you and your DVM. Ask questions, explore your options.
2.) Grain free diets are the pet food industries way of making money off of consumers. Most dogs with food allergies are actually allergic to the proteins commonly used in commercial dog food (chicken, beef, salmon). Prescription hypoallergenic foods (diets backed by years of clinical trials and scientific research) contain "select" or hyrolyzed proteins, usually from venison, duck, rabbit, etc. While there are dogs who are sensitive to grains, it is quite uncommon. A true food allergy has to be determined by food trials of eating certain diets EXCLUSIVELY for a minimum of 8 weeks each, or testing by a dermatologist.
3.) In otherwise healthy animals, routine vaccinations don't tend to cause long term skin issues. Local swelling/tenderness is not uncommon, and older vaccinations could at times cause localized hairloss at the injection site, but have since been replaced by better vaccines. DAPP can be given every 3 years (or more) in adults. Rabies protocol depends on the county in which you live. Bordetella (kennel cough), depends on your dogs exposure to other dogs in high volume situations, as kennel cough is much like the flu -- you may get vaccinated for the year, but can contract a strain that the vaccine didn't cover. Prevention of things like parvo and distemper in puppies can save you hundreds of dollars in medical bills when comparing the money needed to treat those illnesses. Plus even with hospitalization, your puppy may end up dying anyways. The cost of mandatory quarantine of a non rabies vaccinted pet, will certainly cost you more than the vaccine (owner of pet is responsible for cost of quarantine). Not to mention the fun process that follows quarantine period if a pet displays suspicious behavior: euthanasia, have his head cut off, and send his brain to be tested for rabies. THEN! if the brain tissue test positive for rabies, anyone exposed has to go for a series of post exposure rabies vaccinations that are quite expensive (about $1300 before insurance, good luck if your provider will cover it!). Oh! And if leptospirosis vaccines (depending on your area) conflict with your holistic, anti-vax views, I have one word for you: zoonosis! Thats right, if Fido contracts lepto, it can be easily transmitted to humans -- resulting in renal failure, liver failure, meningitis, or even death. As much as we would all LOVE to be holistic and all natural in the things we do for ourselves and our pets, sometimes modern science overcomes and serves a better purpose.

I have a Hairless Chinese Crested who's turning 9 next month. He's been on apoquel for almost 6 months now, 1/2 of a 5.whatever tablet 2x/day. Initially the results were incredible. We've been battling issues that he developed almost 3 years ago now. Until the apoquel, he was on prednisone, several antihistamines, 3 different kinds of medicated shampoos, moisturizing shampoos, probiotic powders, SEVERAL food diet changes that cost a fortune....you name it, I tried it. My poor guy would literally bite chunks out of his skin, destroy his skin itching and scratching, constantly covered in scabs or hives.....it was absolutely horrendous. He was miserable, we were miserable, and I was broke trying to figure out what was going on. We would cry each other to sleep.
Fast forward to today: apoquel for ~6 months, only med. Been on a raw food diet for 6 months, which I make myself. I use only pasture-fed ground beef/no antibiotics/etc etc, and buy the vitamin/mineral mix from knowbetterpetfood.com. He gets non-fat plain yougurt/or keifer daily with an assortment of fresh fruits for his dose of probiotics and antioxidants. I make his own treats, either dehydrated sweet potato chips or I make little cookies using almond or coconut flour (OATMEAL IS A GRAIN PEOPLE). ---------- He is starting to show signs that the apoquel is no longer working like it used to. Started scratching and broke skin about 3 weeks ago. Also noticed that he's developed these tiny little round bumps randomly around his body, about the size of a dime, perfectly round. The vet seems to think they're just cysts. My reaction - hell no, he didn't have these prior to the meds, I want him off of it. I know that it's an immune inhibitor and I've been researching to find holistic approaches to address the underlying issue. Consulting with a holistic vet, who recommended bovine colostrum, which he'll be starting today.
The greatest thing I've learned throughout this journey so far is DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE. It's absolutely daunting when you see how much information is out there to learn, but if you're anything like me, there's just not enough to learn that can save my four-legged kid and lead him on the right path to living a healthier and happier life!! If I can make these strides of change in just as little as 6 months, I believe everyone else can too. Get out there and ask those hard questions!

A couple months ago, I took my dog to the vet to take care of a hot spot on her tail (from an injury we missed). My regular vet was not available and so I had a different vet. My dog, only 2.5 years old, already has a history of sensitivity to drugs - vaccines, flea meds, anaethesia, pain meds - and I made sure the clinic listed it on their records for all vets to see.
Did that stop the sub vet from pushing drugs? Nope! She prescribed not only antibiotics, but Apoquel as well, and even prednisone! I asked about the Apoquel, "Are there any side effects?" Nope, none, she said, only if they're on it long term, then it can cause cancer (that should have been a red flag to me). I said about 3 times that my dog is sensitive to meds, and that the week before she had a vaccine for kennel cough, then Sentinel 5 days later which caused her to vomit. And the vet kept pushing the drugs anyway, even though we were already using 2 different topical for it. I relented, trusting the vet heard my concerns and took my dog's history into consideration with this treatment plan.
24 hours later I finally read up on Apoquel. I was LIVID to learn not only does it have side effects but it also works by interfering with the immune system, AND is targeted for dogs with all over itching/allergies. I had already given my dog 2 pills of it, and she was showing signs of nausea - lethargic, panting, drooling. The Apoquel was completely unnecessary and over the top.
I wrote a very stern and upset email to the clinic, and demanded I get my money back for the pills since they should have never been prescribed in the first place. It took a while for me and my vet to finally speak, and she allowed me to return the meds.
I like my vet, especially the way she handles my pets, and we've had very blunt conversations about my view of drugs. But I am seeking a more holistic one. The clinic is a huge drug pusher, and it's pretty much just drugs or nothing. No other alternative is offered.
I can understand how a med like Apoquel can be a relief for certain dogs, but my dog had A SINGLE HOT SPOT. Just one. Not all over. Not bleeding or scratching or staying up all night chewing her fur all over. One. Hot. Spot. What kind of veterinarian prescribes a drug like that for a hot spot??
But the sliver lining was the Apoquel that led me to this website, so thanks Dr Falconer for all this info! It's given me some alternatives to my dog's constant drugging, and I'm planning to stop my dog's Sentinel after the summer is done, which hopefully means only one more pill, then never again!

Works well for my dog. My dog gets allergies late July/Early August every year. I put him on Apoquel for 1-2 months and it gets him through. The itching stops. No side effects that I have noticed!

I’ve been giving my dog Apoquel for about a month now, Yes, the crazy itching that kept us up both at night stop immediately. We live in a wooded area where there is a lot of poison Ivy and Oak. I thought that this was contributing to the itch, so when he came in from his walk I would wash his paws and under side. This helped for a bit but the itching got worst. So the Vet. started him on this wonder medication, however, I started to notice some odd behaviors, not right away but it’s getting worst.
First he cries out for no go reason, and then I notice that he refuses to walk outside. I take him for walks about 3 to 4 times a day to get his business done. He loves to walk; currently he just goes out to the front of the property and stops. Now he a big dog, he weighs about 80 lb. I have to drag him to walk down the road so he can do his business if he refused to walk I just bring him back. Then he starts that he has to go out again, and again when I take him out he refused to go this can go on all day. One day I took him out about 10 times within an hour and an half. Mind you he get excited when I pick up his leash like always but once we get to the end of the property he freezes.
The other night I forgot to give him his medication, and I notice that we went out for our usual walk the next morning and he was back to normal there was no coaching or dragging the whole day. Last night I resumed his medication and this morning we were back to the same coaching and dragging refusing to walk.

My dog has been on apoquel for about 3 months now. The improvement was astonishing... He had been basically bald & at times would tear himself up itching to the point of bleeding & infection. He's now covered in fur (something we've never seen bc we adopted him as the bald, stinky, itchy dog) & no itching. But... To me it seems he's aged years within the 3 months. And he's more lethargic than usual (he's always been low-key). And now he has a strange growth on his pawpad the size of kidney bean & what appears to be a wart on his toe. We are taking him to get these checked Friday. I'm wondering if it's because of this "miracle drug" as our vet called it (&it has seemed to be). But honestly, we're broke. We can't afford a holistic vet. I'm already anxious about what the visit Friday is going to cost & what will ensue from the visit. It's not a cost priority issue, it's a "we ain't got no money" issue (right now). I'm scared for my dog, he's the best dog I've every known & i love him dearly... I don't know what to do.

It appears that this drug has nearly cost my dog his life! He had an adverse reaction and his body started killing off his platelets. He became extremely lethargic and had MASSIVELY blood shot eyes (looked like red food dye was dropped in his eyes). After excessive testing, we found some fluid filled lesions around his kidneys.
While we can not 100% confirm, it happened at the exact time he took the medication. It is the only thing that was different for my dog. He is a HEALTHY 13 year old Cairn Terrier that has not had any previous health issues.
This drug does stop the itching yet, the side effects seem to be unknown. In the testing of the drug, many of the placebo dogs dropped out of the study so, the results appear to be skewed.
Investigating and vet is reporting this episode to the drug company.

I have an almost ten year old shiba that started having very bad allergies when he was around seven. It started with him chewing at his paws, and then scratching at his face, and within a few weeks he had no zero fur around his eyes, his sides, or his paws. After trying what felt like every elimination diet, every vet prescribed food, every swap of any sort of cleaning/detergent/product, every steroid, oatmeal bath, medicated shampoos, paw wipes - nothing helped. He lived in an e-collar for about a year and a half, until eventually I found a dermatologist, ran a test, and on a scale of 1-5 he popped up at a 4 for basically every plant and insect, as well as human dander and rabbits.
Apoquel has been the only thing that's helped him - I guess we're about two years into it. It started with a pill a day, and now we're doing half a pill every other day. Bloodwork every 6 months, always within normal limits. His energy is up, his fur is the best I've ever seen it. I've seen zero negative side effects.

Our dog is a 4.5 pound Yorkie. We noticed that he developed an itch and determined from observing that his skin was dry and flaking for whatever reason. Not wanting to see him suffer, we paid a visit to the vet, who then prescribed Apoquel in a dosage for his size and weight. His response to the drug was rapid, but a lot happened that we hadn't anticipated. Within 24 hours of ingesting the drug he became listless, appetite declined and had to be given water from a syringe just to stay hydrated at all. This prompted several calls to the vet who told us that it sounded as if he had contracted a 24 hour bug and that we should discontinue the drug, monitor him for a period while on a bland diet. Done. Resumed the drug, the symptoms reappeared overnight. Turns out that he cannot adapt to it at all and in the process developed diarrhea tinted with blood in addition to a poor appetite and a lethargic mood. To make a long story short, he won't be receiving it ever again and we'll stick with topical medications that offer some relief. For all the hoopla that we heard from the vet, it wasn't worth watching our baby suffer as the result of this so called 'wonder drug'.

I know this is an older post, but I just had Aqpoquel recommended for my dog. He's suffered each spring/summer with itchy skin and paw licking. I spray Betagen on him but his coat is fairly thick, so it's mainly sprayed on armpits, stomach and neck. He hates to have it sprayed on his front paws as he gets hot spots between his toes. He's been prescribed an anti-inflammatory which we give him each day and gets Benadryl 1-2 times a day which makes him tired. I read the post about mange, but mange seems more severe. Could my dog have mange even though his skin is just really red and itchy though his hair is not falling out? If I treated him with the natural product recommended here and all he has is allergies, would that harm him? Thanks very much for this informative site!

My Trulee, age 4 years old, mixed terrier, has had a horrible time with allergies since I rescued her from the local shelter. Just this past month, she began scooting, so I took her to the vet to have her anal glands expressed, even though I expressed them just a few days before, and to leave a fecal sample. When we got home the scooting became non stop. I picked her up to take a look and she had an infected rash on her abdomen. The regular vet was closed so we rushed to the er vet, where they diagnosed her with moist atopic dermatitis. They drugged her so badly with steroids and benadryl, and pain medication, that she couldn't walk the rest of the night and cried unless I was holding her. Finished the antibiotic and made an appointment for her to see her regular vet. She immediately suggested Apoquel, and because I didn't know much about the drug at that time, I agreed to try this new miracle drug. The vet also wanted me to give Trulee Nextgard, and it took me an hour to get her to understand why I was refusing to give that medication to Trulee. Started Apoquel that night after dinner, and within 2 hours of giving it to her, she became a different dog, but not in a good way. She was batting her eyes constantly, had a blank stare on her face, like she didn't recognize anyone in the house, and appeared agitated when any of the other dogs would even walk towards her. Trulee has never been aggressive , so I knew this was some sort of neurological effect from the Apoquel. I called the vet the next day and she agreed that Trulee couldn't take that medication, but didn't seem to have any other suggestions to help her with the allergies, except for allergy tsering and weekly shots. That's when I started doing my own research and asking everyone I knew, what do you do for a dog with allergies. I have started cooking her food myself, and put her on natural supplements for allergies, skin, and coat. She is doing great! No licking her paws, no more scratching! All seems to be good, as I build on her diet weekly, one item at a time, to check for allergic reactions. No more gluten, and some raw foods. She is doing great!

This is a Homeopathic blog and all of you are sulking about some stupid drug instead to have an appointment with Dr Will.
There are very few animal homeopath in USA he is one of the very good ones.
Why do we not discus the homeopathic remedies here?
I am head shaking at this!
My studies of homeopathy get me to treat in emergency and some common mishaps. My mentor died last December and my ageing Afghan Hound will need more and Dr Will will be the one to consult.

Find a good holistic vet. They will work alongside the oncologist. I have used both for more than 20 years and it is the way to go. And listen to your gut. You know what is right.

My heart goes out to you but what to do? My Lhasa Apsos has recently started on Apoquel after 8 years of itching. She was on cortisone during this time and it didn't work completely. The cortisone caused cushings disease and she has a huge swollen belly and I was told that could lead to diabetes. I decided to try the Apoquel in spite of it costing over $3 a day and in spite of some of the reviews. The reason is I would rather she had a shorter more comfortable life than one of misery with the itch. I get allergies myself so I have a bit of an idea of what she went through with continual itching. Her whole personality has changed since Apoquel. She is so happy and loving and now plays like a puppy with my other dog. I am aware of future problems with Apoquel but weighing things up I think this is the right way to go for us.

My black lab was started on apoquel at age 7, after years and years of allergy tests, diet testing, steroids, creams, anything and everything we could possibly try. Nothing was working. My vet had told me about apoquel and literally referred to it as "the miracle cure"and stated that he has a number of patients who have achieved fantastic results. Unfortunately there was a back order or shortage, so we had to wait 6 or 7 months before we could get the drug. Once we got it, it did seem to truly be a miracle cure. He was on it for a year and his symptoms had completely subsided, he wasn't experiencing end dose failure and I thought we had finally found our fix. Right around that 12th month my pup had gotten what I thought was just a simple broken nail. Took him to the vet, they cleaned out the broken nail and wrapped him up. I'll never forget, for as long as I live what the vet next said to me; he said "if it comes back (the infection) I want to see him again for an X-ray to see if there's something inside causing the nail to break and push out". I remember thinking to myself, "why would he need that? It's just a broken nail, right!". So off we went. 2 month later Toby developed a severe infection in the same toe. Much worse than the previous one, and the nail had never grown in. I remember trying to drain the toe and these semi-hard pieces of what I thought at the time was just pieces of his nail broken apart. I later learned that they were pieces of his bone. His toe had been completely obliterated by subungual squamous cell carcinoma. His toe needed to be amputated and due to some severely significant findings in the pathology report, I brought him to the best oncologist on the east coast. The oncologist was very concerned that the cancer had already spread based on the path report. So he ordered an ultrasound of his stomach and lo and behold, he had yet ANOTHER type of cancer in his stomach called a GIST. So a perfectly healthy dog with nothing other than a skin condition now has two different types of deadly cancer, all of which developed quickly and aggressively over the same 3 month period. My oncologist (who did not prescribe the apoquel) is rightfully concerned that it was the trigger. My general practitioner veterinarian says that nothing could be further from the truth and that apoquel is completely safe. I can tell you one thing for sure, neither of my dogs will ever touch another apoquel. There is absolutely not a shred of doubt in my mind that the apoquel caused my dog to have a very rare condition of two completely different cancers that both developed aggressively during the same exact time frame. I don't want to be one of this looney anti-vaxxers, I'm all for modern medicine. Just not this one. I believe it in my bones that apoquel caused this. And now THE ONLY med thy can save him is yet ANOTHER Phizer drug..... Palladia. I can't even begin to describe how terrified I am. This dog is my life, my child, my best friend, and they're killing him
????????????????

Is it possible this drug could be better suited for larger breeds? It seems like the challenges (and I didn't read all of the comments) were with smaller breeds > 20 lbs.
I just started my 3.5 y/o, 57 lb. Vizsla on Apoquel 4 days ago after trying everything to keep him from itching. I have been giving him 4 Benedryl a day for 2.5 years along with organic coconut oil and he only eats the Blue Salmon/ Potato to avoid Chicken and Gluten..... He has allergies like I do, and let's just say, I have tried everything.
Our vet didn't prescribe this for a spot, or a bite. His allergies have been an ongoing concern of ours for years and we're hoping this medication will help him. It seems to be helping him already. It's day 4 and he's off Benedryl.
Of course we'll monitor him closely, but I'd love to know if there have been any negative experiences with large breed dogs that have seasonal or skin allergies.

So glad I found this article plus all the comments! Yesterday the fill-in vet prescribed Apoquel for my dog's hot spot on her tail. My dog DOESN'T have allergies, as the hot spot is from an older injury and she started taking off the scab. So why am I given Apoquel??
I told the vet repeatedly that my dog has medication sensitivities - to vaccination, to anesthesia (she vomited throughout the night after her spay surgery), to flea pills. I asked the fill-in vet repeatedly, "What are the side effects?" to which she answered "None."
My dog has had 2 pills so far, one last night and one this morning. And now she's lethargic, passed out on the couch, and wobbles around in a daze when she is awake. Quite out of character for the young labrador she is.
Don't know why it took me 12 hours after the vet visit to actually check out this new drug. I was so mad when I discovered what it was and what it's used for. I don't need an immune suppressant for my dog's hot spot, I need to support her immune system to heal it! And most common side effect of the drug? Vomiting and diarrhea. So why did my dog get Apoquel?
The vet even commented on how shiny and healthy my dog's fur is, asking about what I feed her. As if she's not used to seeing healthy dogs?
Sorry for the vent. But has anyone else heard of this, of Apoquel being prescribed for ailments other than skin allergies?

My 18 months old golden retriever was put on apoquel 4 days ago due to itching, redness and excessive hair loss. It was so painful to watch him shedding and scratching all the time. Of course at this stage apoquel is working wonderfully on him, it stopped the scratching and looks like his coat is improving and the redness gone. By what I see and read it seems like he's having atopic allergy and his skin problem started few weeks after we got him and my husband believes it's because of the backyard in our current rental house which has allergy causing plants. We'll be moving house at the end of the year and hopes that'll help to improve his health. Currently we're feeding him grain free food. After reading about apoquel I'm worried and and feeling helpless. Definitely I won't put him on it for a long time but I need to find a manageable solution to treat his skin allergy.