apoquel

[jackie schaffer]

My vet wants to start Harley on pique. Any one have any information or experience with this drug. Its for allergies

[jackie schaffer]

Stupid auto correct. Apoquel.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jackie, this drug was only FDA approved 8 months ago. I am pretty sure you will not find anyone here whose dog has been treated with it. 

I strongly advise you to consult a veterinary dermatologist for treating Harley's allergies. General practice vets can be wonderful, but they cannot be experts in every field of medicine, and I have found that most are not very knowledegable about treating allergies. Many of us here have had wonderful success with the use of immunotherapy treatments desensitization)  for keeping our dog's Atopic Dermatitis controlled. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Not only was it first approved 8 months ago, but it first became available 3 weeks ago!!! 

Not enough use in dogs yet for me to feel comfortable with that! 

http://www.4-traders.com/ZOETIS-INC-12482719/news/Zoetis-Inc--APOQU...

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree completely. Go for treatment that has had time to be evaluated in a broad, general population.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I found this article, written by a veterinary dermatologist. While he is impressed with Apoquel, he also states that you must be sure of the correct diagnosis. Apparently, Apoquel is best used under certain scenarios and is not a "one size fits all" treatment. Harley should really have skin testing done first before you decide on a treatment plan. The types of allergens to which he responds and the severity of his responses is what determines which treatment would be best for him.

http://www.dermatologyforanimals.com/apoquel/

[jackie schaffer]

That's what I thought as well...drug is too new!  Thanks for your input.

[Dean]

1.  Check your dog's thyroid.

2.  Blood allergy test

3.  Skin allergy test

4.  Saliva allergy test (done with a vet in CA)--- look it up.

    My yorkie has protein and food based allergies.  She also has environmental allergies.

  I've done everything.  Tried everything.    Prednisone was the ONLY thing to work.. But, I try to do a quarter tab EOD.

   Apoquel DOES work.  And in responding to the person who is worried about it JUST being released on the market, I can respond to you..

    Usually there are 4 phases of drug trials... Phase 1 is animal testing... testing for cancer causing agents and toxic doses...  They test high amounts of the new drug on animals to see at what dose causes toxicity or cancer or lethal level doses..

    Phase 2 --- Safety and effictiveness of the drug  (serious and adverse side effects)  small group of subjects..

    Phase 3 --- is Efficacy  (just effectiveness)  longest and priciest trial  (large group of subjects)

    Phase 4 --- is AFTER drug is released to the general population.. the feedback received from doctors and their patients..  recalls, problems, etc..

    For animal testing, its not a vigorous as humans, but this product is definitely as effective as prednisone, w/o the long term side effects of pred.  Apoquel goes straight to-and-targets the itch and has minimal effects on other parts of the dog's body UNLIKE prednisone..  So if a dog owner trusts prednisone, then I would surely hope they would go the route of using APOQUEL.  

    So I ask everyone this question:   Would you rather enjoy your dog while he/she is ITCH and PAIN FREE for 10 years on medication??  Or would you rather them live 12-14 years of a miserable ITCHING and PAINFUL life w/o the use of an immunosuppressive drugs?

    When apoquel hit the market, I jumped all over it.  And my dog stopped itching 4-6 hours after the very 1st dose.  I am now able to give her a 1/2 tab EOD.

    

     In the meantime, I am also giving her hydrolyzed protein dog food and will also start introducing her allergy shots again in hopes she builds a natural immunity to her environmental allergy issues.

      Good Luck! 

    Apoquel MUST be used ALONE.  Do not use it with other systemic immunosuppressive agents..

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dean, with all due respect to you, when someone joins this site and immediately posts what appears to be a product endorsement in a discussion that is several weeks or months old, it usually turns out that the person works for the company, sells the product, or has some other vested interest in promoting the product. Especially when that person does not have a doodle, since this is a site for doodle owners.  

For the record, all clinical research has shown that blood and saliva testing for allergies is so inaccurate as to be worthless. There is no accurate test for food allergies; skin testing, which is accurate, only diagnoses environmental allergies.

There are alternative treatments for Atopy that do not involve prednisone, namely desensitization shots, and of course there are other immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine, which while it also has significant side-effects, has at least been widely used and studied in dogs for many years. 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I would also add that as a Janus Kinase Inhibitor, Apoquel presents the same increased cancer risks as the  human biologic medication Xeljanz, (and as cyclosporine, for that matter.) Since lymphoma, one of the cancers for which the risk is increased with the use of these drugs, is extremely prevalent in Golden Retrievers, Goldendoodle owners should weigh their options very carefully before using Apoquel. 

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Friend's dog is on this - any Apoquel updates?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Is your friend using a veterinary dermatology specialist? if not, I would strongly urge her to consult with one.

There are a couple of dogs in the Atopic Dermatitis Group who are on Apoquel, including Lucy of "Lucy & Annabelle's Mom". I think she just started on it. 

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

Thanks, Karen!