General Question Apoquel

[apennycuff]

Hello, I believe my bulldog is experiencing environmental allergies. We have tried various food changes etc. Vet wants to try him on Apoquel. I am always nervous about putting him on meds. What has everyone's experience been with this med? Most of what he is having is red paws and we have two interdigital cysts that we treat on and off. I don't want to do anything that may not be beneficial and that could cause adverse side effects worse than what we are dealing with now.


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[TyTysmom]

While we have not used Apoquel, I've heard that it works wonders. We actually were gonna put Tyson on it, however at the time we got put on a waiting list bc our vet didn't have it yet. In the long run he didn't need it, but I know many members here have had or have their bullies on it, and seem to say nothing but good things. I'm sure they will chime in!

 

[oscarmayer]

The single biggest contributor to allergies we've found is poor quality food. Even high quality food can cause problems if the dog happens to be allergic to the ingredient(s). I would try changing food manufacturer first then different formulas. Avoid Chicken. What are you currently feeding?
Concerning Apoquel...it's great stuff. It's expensive, but it can make a world of difference. Our Pippy and Strikes are both taking it and it works well.

BTW, I've read of a few instances where Apoquel supposedly caused aggression issues but I've never seen that with any of our personal or rescue bullies

 

[apennycuff]

The single biggest contributor to allergies we've found is poor quality food. Even high quality food can cause problems if the dog happens to be allergic to the ingredient(s). I would try changing food manufacturer first then different formulas. Avoid Chicken. What are you currently feeding?
Concerning Apoquel...it's great stuff. It's expensive, but it can make a world of difference. Our Pippy and Strikes are both taking it and it works well.

BTW, I've read of a few instances where Apoquel supposedly caused aggression issues but I've never seen that with any of our personal or rescue bullies

He definitely is allergic to chicken. I had switched him to TOTW bison and venison 1 month ago and noticed his allergies worsening and a new cyst on his foot. On closer look at ingredients, the second ingredient was chicken meal. I did not think about it having chicken stupid me!! Now I have him on Zignature venison. It is limited ingredient and he has only been on it a few days.....so....hoping I will see some improvement. I had talked with my vet before about the Apoquel but was just worried about possible side effects. They said cost a little high due to Mac's size. He is 82 pounds. Can you give me ideal of cost so I don't have a heart attack when I go pick up med this evening, lol!


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[Tanklin]

- - - Updated - - -

My Franky just finished his first round, it made a WORLD of difference with his itching! Truely a miracle when nothing else would work! No side effects. Our vet said the cost breaks down to about $1.50 a pill. He gave Franky a script for 2 a day for 2 weeks and then one a day from there on out. I think the bottle of 45ish was 67$. I am debating of continuing it because I too do not like the idea of drugs, always tried natural until now. But honestly, it's the first relief from itching he has had in months! I was so excited when I realized how awesome it worked! I am going to continue the search for natural relief, but Apoquel is a win to us either way.

I should also add my Franky weighs 61 pounds, if that helps you with dosage ideas. Good luck!

 

[oscarmayer]

Our two dogs are 35 and 45 lbs. They take the same dose and it runs a little over $50 per dog per month. So if it didn't work "well" I'd be saving my $ and continuing with Benadryl.

I'm confident that it would help your bullies but it will also mask the effects(good or bad) of changing food. That's why I recommend exhausting all possibilities food-wise first. Apoquel is a great last resort....expensive, but our bullies are worth it.

Additionally, you may find that delivering half a normal dose works fine. Ask your Vet about experimenting with dosage...not all dogs are alike and I view "recommended dosage" as simply a guideline.

 

[Cbrugs]

I don't have an EB yet (but I will hopefully have one in the spring/summer) but I do have a French Bulldog that has environmental allergies and he has been on Apoquel for about 3 years now. For him, it works wonders and he can't not have it. On occasion where I forgot to give it to him, I notice a difference within a few hours of when he was supposed to have gotten it. Also, for red paws, you can do povidone iodine soaks (dilute water with iodine until it's the color of iced tea then soak paws for 5 minutes. Repeat every day until redness is gone.).

 

[MrMrsDevilDoc]

Our oldest baby, Ally, has been on Apoquel for a couple of months now and it's wonderful. She has been to an allergist and was on Atopica (much more expensive than Apoquel!) a few years ago. We are in the maintenance phase with it now and I couldn't be happier. No more bumps on her skin or itchy feet.... she looks great.

Best of luck to you and your baby... I hope that it works for you and she gets some relief soon!

 

[denoerr]

Hello, I believe my bulldog is experiencing environmental allergies. We have tried various food changes etc. Vet wants to try him on Apoquel. I am always nervous about putting him on meds. What has everyone's experience been with this med? Most of what he is having is red paws and we have two interdigital cysts that we treat on and off. I don't want to do anything that may not be beneficial and that could cause adverse side effects worse than what we are dealing with now.


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I have my Gus on Apoquel. It works well for him. He still gets cysts, but not as bad as he did before he started apoquel. I recommend it, it really does work for him.