Help Needed! Atopica for Allergies?

[Marine91]

I don't know why its taking so long. Its been hard to get since before last july. My vet first said the start of this year..now he says Spring. I know they never expected this demand for it but how long does it take to make?

When i was researching Apoquel for Harlea i found an article that discussed the process of making it and needless to say i was surprised when the manufacturer said it was a 3 year process. They were caught off guard with the demand as well. Supposedly they were going to build an new larger facility to produce it but i never saw anything after that. All i know is i still can't get it here.

 

[JennyBean]

I'm hoping that if I can't get Farley's skin/allergies under control with a food trial, then maybe we can try Apoquel. But it doesn't sound like it is going to be readily available in my area either. *lol*
So far he is doing well on his prednisone and antibiotic this week. We seems to be making headway with bacterial and fungal infection. Also his Vegan food seems to be doing good so far.*crossing fingers/paws* It will keep him under control once we wean him off steriods this week.

 

[hnhammond]

Hi guys! So let me give you an update! I asked my vet about Apoquel and she said they didn't make enough and it's impossible to find, but also that it is a really new drug. My vet doesn't use any drug that is brand new (something I appreciate!) so I don't think I'll be giving that a try quite yet, even when it is available again.

On the plus side, I FINALLY got Matilda to take the Atopica!! YAY! It's a huge horse pill and she kept spitting it out or eating around it. The vet had me give her an empty, peanut-butter filled pill pocket every day for a couple weeks. Then I popped the atopica in there and I guess the peanut butter masked the taste! Success! She's been on it for three days now, so we will see how it helps! The first time she took it, it made her vomit (common issue). Vet suggested freezing it and we haven't had an issue since!

She's been consistently on pred for like a month and her allergies are just getting worse so we need to do something. I hope this makes a difference!!

Also, the reason we haven't tried an allergist is because when your dog is so allergic to so many different things, it can be very hard to pinpoint exactly what the issue is. Vet says it could be like a year before we even know for sure, and even then, a customized allergy med still may not work because there are just too many possible allergens. On top of being expensive.

I'll keep you guys updated on the Atopica !

 

[1Chumly]

We rescued Chumly while living in the UK. He was a Bulldog mix but looked more like an Olde English Bulldog than anything. He had awful allergies so we had him tested. First we did a blood test which was absolutely useless then the skin test. They found he was allergic to about 4 different grasses (which is basically all they tested for along with wheat, corn etc.) and we started the shots. It helped a little bit but he was still red raw and bleeding from scratching and just miserable. The Vet then suggested Atopica so we put him on that. It cost a fortune! I cannot say it helped that much either. After a couple of years of this along with sprays, special shampoo's and on and on, we moved back to the US and I took him to a vet dermatologist and had him tested again. She found he was allergic to 13 different things including cats and wool. Poor dog! We had fitted wool carpets everywhere in the UK so he couldn't get away from it and of course we had a cat. All of his allergies were environmental. We started the new improved shots once a week and the change was remarkable. (We got rid of our wool rugs here but not the cat!!) It took a little while but we could see him improving week by week and no more Atopica! He would still have the occasional flare-up during pollen season etc. (and we are living in Houston, the allergy capital of the world), but he was a different dog. It was the best thing we ever did for Chumly and his quality of life and I would say he improved by about 95%. It was not cheap but much better than him being on Atopica and prednisone. I wouldn't rule it out as it can make a world of difference. I also had a very good vet! I do wish you luck with it all. It is awful to watch them suffer.