What is Apoquel?
Almost 85% of cats and dogs suffer from extreme itching, at least once in their lifetime. The drug that helps dogs relieve itching, food allergy, contact allergy, and dermatitis is called Apoquel. Pet dogs have the tendency of eating the wrong food, coming in contact with something that could trigger irritation on their skin – there are so many unpredictable things that go around an animal that itching sounds perfectly normal to the vets. The drug that focuses and targets the bacteria causing the infection is Apoquel. The dosage and the course are strictly given by the vet.
Description of Apoquel
Apoquel was one of the first medicines that was designed
solely to attack the bacteria/ virus / germ causing the itch anywhere in the
body. It is specifically designed to not affect the animal in any other form –
be it immunity-wise or any other side effect. Apoquel for pets is non-steroid
that only works on dosage prescribed by the vet. The most common side effect
(if any) is vomiting on a very mild level.
Is Apoquel really a miracle drug?
When it was first
launched in the market, Apoquel looked like the miracle drug that could solve
any and every allergy that the dog would have. It was a non-steroid that gave a
lot of happiness to the dog owners, you could stop the drug whenever you’d want
and you could also resume the usage when the irritation came back into the
picture. But over time, vets realized even this drug had certain side
effects.
One has to be absolutely careful with the usage of drugs. A
lot of observation helps as soon as you start giving the pet the drug – observe
every symptom and change in their body. That being said, the best part is you
can stop the drug all at once after you see the allergy subsiding. You can also
start (with a heads-up from the pet supplies) without worrying about severe side
effects.
Apoquel Anti-Itch drug remains in short supply
Zoetis was the producer of the drug back in 2010-14. After a
severe demand and the results that people saw of the drug in the animals, there
was an acute increase in the demand that Zoetis could not cater to. Veterans as
well had called out on a strike that led to a supply shortage and severed
supply line.
After 2015, the supply chain went back to normalcy and the
drug was back in demand and supply in the normal and healthy way.
Benefits of Apoquel
There are many benefits of the drug on the canines. You will
be able to see the benefit and the value in about 4 hours. Here are the summed
up benefits you should eye out for:
You will be able to see the results and eased irritation in
the pet dogs in about 4 hours
It is reliable as it is a proven drug existing since years
with a lot of study done on the drug
It not just impacts the short term itching, it also cures
(or at least addresses) the long term itching.
Normally, the drug would have an impact on the skin as well.
But with Apoquel for cats, the skin inflammation goes down drastically.
How does Apoquel work?
The functioning of the drug is rather simple- They attack
the trouble causing allergies (JAK1 and JAK3). While they are doing so, they do
not attack the one that has no allergy (JAK2): or at least, they have minimal
effect on the rest of the systems.
How should Apoquel be given?
The single dose of the tablet would be around 0.18 to
0.27mg/lb. This one is a standard dose that you can refer to.
The dosage is twice a day for 14 days as a standard and best
practice. You can stop the dosage after 14th day if the irritation goes down.
If not, continue using the same. Also, it is healthy to get the vet checked
again after the 14th day if the irritation does not subside. Get the drugs off
the pet pharmacy.
Please note that there might be mild side effects and you’d
have to keep a keen eye of observation.
What are the potential side effects of Apoquel?
The drug has mild to moderate side effects on drugs over the
age of 12 months. The side effects can be summed up as:
Edema of feet
Pneumonia
Warts
Cysts
It was then discovered that the drug cannot be used on dogs
that are less than 12 months of age. The pet prescription would clearly mention
this. A lot of puppies faced these side effects because of their age and the
usage of the drug without a prescription.
What happens if I miss giving a dose of Apoquel?
Normally, the dose is given twice a day for 14 days. If a
dose is missed in between and you realize it before 12 hours, go ahead and give
the dose. The next dose stays the same, in the same time you chose. But if 12
hours have passed by, you can easily skip the dose and continue with the course
like you did till now. This isn’t an issue otherwise. The concern would be if
you miss more than 1 dose.
What should I avoid while giving Apoquel to my pet?
As per FDA as well, there isn’t any strict guideline on what
you should not be giving your pet while dosing on the Apoquel. You can go ahead
as normal, keeping the pet away in safe environment. Making sure that your pet
is not eating anything from the outside can be a good practice as well. The
side effects might amplify if they get in touch with more allergic items in the
meantime.
Monitoring, dosage, and Administration
Like mentioned above, the dosage would be the classic 0.18
and 0.27 mg/lb given twice a day for 14 days. This is after getting the pet
checked by the vet – approving the use of Apoquel for dogs in the first place.
Administer the dose carefully like a tablet by noting down
the time when you give the first and second dose. The remaining doses follow
the same pattern. Make sure you are not missing doses in between or are mixing
up with the timing.
Monitor the pet for any side effects that might creep in 4-5
hours after taking the tablet. Usually the results start showing up on the body
in 4-5 hours.
Recommended Products
Apoquel tablets by Apoquel: 3.6 to 16mg is the standard
available tablet dosage. You can find this at pet chemist online and is the
authentic company that only manufactures the drug.
Apoquel by Zoetis: 0.18 and 0.27 mg/lb is the standard
tablet. This is one of the most trusted tablets by vets that you can find at petchemist as well.
