Apoquel for cats- has anyone tried it?

sarah ann

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Apoquel is a drug for allergic skin disease in dogs. It has not been approved for cats.

My cat is currently being maintained on Clairitin 1x daily and Natural balance wild boar dog food with taurine added. He has extreme food allergies and environmental allergies as well.

While the current regime seems to work well- he still needs antibiotics a few times a year and has to live in an E collar 24/7.

I have not been able to take the E collar off him without him traumatizing himself. 

We tried allergy shots without much improvement. I actually think he is doing better right now being off the shots.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Mainly just bumping this up for you since no one has responded.  Did your Vet suggest this as an experiment, or do YOU want to suggest it to your Vet? 

Have you tried Steroids, or do you not want to because of possible long term side effects?  Why antibiotics a few times a year?  Not sure I understand how allergic reactions would need antibiotics.  Does he manage to break open his skin even with his E-Collar? 

Have you tried putting Soft Claws on him so he can't really scratch himself?  I guess I don't quite understand either why, if the current regime of Claritin and Wild Boar is working, he needs to still wear the E-Collar.  Doesn't really sound like it's working too well
   Did you know that some cats can actually be allergic to medication?  I guess it's possible he's allergic to the Claritin.  Have you ever tried a different allergy medication?  Perhaps a different CLASS of allergy medication? 

Anyway, I guess I went way past your initial question.  Sorry 'bout that.  Hopefully someone will be able to answer it for you. 
 

tobilei

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I have a terribly itchy cat who didn't respond at all to antihistamines so I know your frustration. He is currently maintained on prednisilone which I hate long term and we're trialing an exclusion diet. If that doesn't work our next step is Atopica.

My vet did mention apoquel, however it was explained to me that Atopica is approved for cats, apoquel is not. What this means is that one or two people have tried it on their kitties and had success. But it also means that the company gets to wipe their hands of anything that may happen to your kitty while on it because it hasn't been tested and they really don't know what long term effects are on kitties. Have you tried Atopica? It's similar and might be a safer bet at least initially.
 

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There's a cat at the shelter that was on Apoquel for roughly three months, but I couldn't say whether it worked. He came to us with a nasty case of ringworm which took forever to get cleared up, plus itchy bald spots that weren't ringworm. The cause of those was never determined, but the theory was an allergy to flea bites or to a spot-on treatment for ticks and fleas. He was tested for food allergies. He also had ear mites. He received Itrafungol for the ringworm and topical treatment for the mites. The bald itchy spots remained after the ringworm and mites had been resolved, but disappeared after six weeks of Apoquel, which was continued a while longer just to make sure he didn't relapse. There were no apparent side-effects.
 

foxxycat

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I have not heard of this medication but I have heard of people doing a novel protein diet.

We have several members who only feed rabbit or duck and they have IBS which is an allergic reaction to food internally. I am curious if the vet wanted to try a novel protein diet. some cats react to the corn in the food or chicken. What about bathing the cat?

I have a friend whose dog breaks out and itches and needs a bath weekly. The weekly dip seems to help. Maybe using a hypoallergenic cat shampoo?

I will have to check the ingredients of the boar food you are feeding. How long has this been going on?

Sometimes pred is added to see if it stops the itching.

Do you notice any difference in the seasons? Some animals get super itchy in the spring and summer then the fall/winter it wans.
 
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sarah ann

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Thank you everyone for the replies. I forgot to check back in- too busy with work.

We have tried:

A long list of antihistamines. Claritin works best without knocking him out.

Allergy testing (by blood test) and allergy shots. Didn't work.

Prednisolone gives him urinary issues. Even a low dose. Guaranteed to be a mess everywhere. We tried tapering to a super low dose- nope.

He gets a bath once a week, sometimes more depending on if he is broken out with facial sores.

We tried the prescription diet for food allergies. He was allergic to it. We tried every limited ingredient diet by natures variety. He did best on the Turkey but eventually reacted to that as well.

I would love to try kangaroo meat- haven't found a source. He might do okay on a fish based diet. But I don't like feeding fish due to his history of urinary issues.

Ive tried home cooking a limited ingredient diet... Didn't work. We tried Turkey, chicken and beef individually. He severely reacted to beef. Moderately reacted to Turkey and chicken. Lamb, venison, and rabbit did not work either.

You can tell when he is allergic to food. Within 24 hours of switching foods, his face will be a raw oozing mess. He finds a way to scratch even with the E collar- any piece of furniture will do.

I've actually considered buying live mice and feeding them to him. That, kangaroo, and fish are the only things we haven't tried.

The problem is he is also allergic to something in the environment as well.

So far he has done best on the boar meat. At least his face remains mostly clear with some mild acne.

He gets skin infections easily- hence the antibiotics.

This is probably a cat that would get put down by most people. He is very medically challenged. But with intensive management, he thrives. Fortunately he is an excellent patient- he lives for attention, and is very good about vet visits, injections, baths, and taking his medicine. Did i mention he has urinary issues too? And vision problems. But the moment you touch him, he melts in your arms. Loves everybody except the dog.

Actually he is doing well at the moment- his urinary problems are under control and he hasn't had any accidents in months. I just wish I could remove the E collar but he is too itchy for that.
 

vanessa vlad

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This story sounds so much like my cat story.

We are still trying to figure out what allergy she has, since it took a long time to find a veterinary dermatologist and our all time vet didnt know what diagnostic protocol to apply for her.

Its been 1 year since the problem started with the itching and scratching and obsesive licking.

We've tried claritin and desloratadine - didnt work at all. We're tried bathing her once a week, puting all sorts of ointments on the woonds, almost everyting - didnt work.

We're tried a dry food with hydrolised protein (with soy!- at that time i wasnt aware of the horror stories about the pet food ingredients - she had diarheea). 

She has a 24/7 E-collar as well, i sometimes take it off so that she can clean her self like cats do, but she will make all kinds a different bloody sores on the feet, neck, face.

After all of this we found fleas on her which she never had since she is an indoor cat and we didnt put any flea treatment on her since the dermatitis started (big mistake).

Now she is on Apoquel 2,7 mg twice a day for 15 days and after that 2,7 mg per day. We are on day 5 of treatment, no side effects, but no improvement on the pruritus also.

I was told that at this stage of diagnosing her i can chose between prednisone or apoquel, and since i am a doctor i know the long time side effects of steroids.

Hope all the kitties here are well.
 

suadeblue

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Yes--I am administering it to my Seal Point Siamese, Sash. We moved into a new home last year in October 2015, and he started licking himself all over real fast and running through house like he was trying to get away from something. I looked him over for possible fleas that he has NEVER had (as the previous owners had a dog that came in and out of the house). I didn't see fleas nor signs (flea residue).

Once again this year (exact same time), he started it again. I had all of my cats on Advantage Plus. He started licking, itching, over-grooming his legs to the point of taking his beautiful black hair off his legs. The local vet did state that Apoquel was approved in dogs, but not in cats that she knew of and it would be experimental for him. I worked in Animal Health Biologics as a Packaging Buyer, so I was used to working with the USDA, QA and Regulatory Affairs with animal drugs.

***Sash in on 1/2 tablet of 5.4 mg of Apoquel a day, and his symptoms of over-grooming has subsided. He is finally experiencing some comfort and peace.*** I am also alternating Frontline and Advantage Plus on my cats for any infestations (transparent mites) that may be in this home.

I'm thinking that their could be mites in this home that he is over-sensitive too because recently I have been attacked as well, and he sleeps with me. I am constantly vacuuming, washing bed linens, etc. to rid this home of anything that could be here. My next plan is to have a carpet cleaning company come in and clean the carpets as the previous owners did not have that done prior to us buying the home, and it was overlooked.

I do not want Sash to be on this medication long-term; however, it temporarily gives him some relief to his sensitivity.

Thanks,

Terri
 

vanessa vlad

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Update on my 8yo Ragdoll 3.9 kg with allergies. We did a trial with Apoquel for 25 days, first 15 days 5.4 mg/day, next 10 days 2.7 mg/zi. It had no effect on the scratching, maybe a bit worse i could say since she had a new hot spot on the neck. No adverse effects either.

She is now on Prednisone 10 mg/day. It is much better. 
 

flowerandangel

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I was very happy to read of someone else with the same problem as me. My kitty obviously has allergies, as she scratches and chews herself raw, but only in the winter! It started last year when shw was 8, and we switched from oil heat to gas heat.  I cant help but think this is the problem - but how? My vet tells me it cant possibly be; its got to be a coincidence, but also we've tried food and flea allergies, and its not that.We've tried steroids, and creams and just everything.  I feel so sorry for her.  She is NOT the sweetheart that your cat is, but she loves me so much, and trusts me - I just cant put her down unless she is going to die anyway. She would never tolerate getting a bath, I cant even get a pill down her throat.  She fights everything so hard I'm afraid Im going to squish her or snap her neck! But Id find a way - maybe one of those cat sacks? - if one pill a day would help her.I cant keep an ecollar on her, although she has one. I've tried, and looks like she is losing her mind trying to get it off.  I know it would help, but why? If shes just going to kill herself or become  "crazy". trying to get it off.  Thats why I was inquiring about apoquel. Sounds like it would be perfect if it was approved by them for cats. At this point, Ill try anything.  
 

Chana

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Apoquel is a drug for allergic skin disease in dogs. It has not been approved for cats.

My cat is currently being maintained on Clairitin 1x daily and Natural balance wild boar dog food with taurine added. He has extreme food allergies and environmental allergies as well.

While the current regime seems to work well- he still needs antibiotics a few times a year and has to live in an E collar 24/7.

I have not been able to take the E collar off him without him traumatizing himself.

We tried allergy shots without much improvement. I actually think he is doing better right now being off the shots.
You sound like a responsible pet owner. I think your wonder "drug" would be making your own cat food. Less bills less stress. Most allergies come from commercial pet food which is garbage. Any educated vet will agree. You have to transition your cat very slowly from one to the other and read sites that will tell you exactly how to do it. The best way would be to by a supplement that includes all necessary vitamins including taurine and mix it under raw meat. Look at the website "better in the raw"
 
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cat princesses

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My cat was licking herself like crazy and making sores on her knees and legs. We tried most of the things you mentioned already as well. The dermatologist said she's allergic to dust mites and storage mites. We did almost 2 months of prednisolone and also atopcia but the dog version which comes in a capsule. She completely stopped licking and was totally normal. We are done with the steroids now and just on atopcia. I have noticed that her licking has increased slightly but she is not making any sores on her body. We aren't sure yet if we will also add in allergy shots ( which for pets is lifetime, not like humans where you stop after a year or two ) and also keep her on the atopica. We have already eliminated 1 of the days we give atopica and the goal is to remove another day to get her down to 5 days a week and hopefully eventually down to only 3 per week but it's a slow process. Is your cat still in an e cone? I would do whatever you can to get the cat out of that, can't be much of a life to have a cone on your head all day and all night. I sympathize with you though - we had to buy a baby onesie and alter it for my cat for awhile to keep the areas that she was making sores covered.
 

dee1953

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Wow. Great blog! We have a cat that has to get a steroid shot every month. It is the only thing that helps him with his sores. We have tried everything!! We have spent a lot on tests
 

dee1953

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We have spent a lot of $ on tests, but they are not able to pin point it. We changed Foods, bowls, but he still gets his sores. He has been gettting steroid shots now for 5 yrs and no side effects. It does not clear it up all the way, but almost! Wish I could find a magic pill!
 

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My cat has been in remission of diabetes for about 4 months. We had a case of fleas and have been fighting the fleas for 2 months, now. I spray with Knock Out every 2 weeks, he's on Revolution, and eats diabetic Hills Formula Cat food for a year. He is so battered from tearing out fur and licking. The vet started him on Apoquel (because steroids would trigger his diabetes again) and his hair started to return and licking was at a minimal. When he transitioned into one pill a day, the licking got worse. When he ended the run of medication, he got really bad again, even with Zyrtex. He's back on Apoquel and his licking has subsided. I was thinking about giving him Comfortis, but I will wait to see how the last month of the flea program goes. It takes 3 months to get rid of fleas, if you keep spaying and use a flea product on the cat. Wish me luck!!!
 

secenne

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Apoquel is a drug for allergic skin disease in dogs. It has not been approved for cats.

My cat is currently being maintained on Clairitin 1x daily and Natural balance wild boar dog food with taurine added. He has extreme food allergies and environmental allergies as well.

While the current regime seems to work well- he still needs antibiotics a few times a year and has to live in an E collar 24/7.

I have not been able to take the E collar off him without him traumatizing himself.

We tried allergy shots without much improvement. I actually think he is doing better right now being off the shots.
I am just curious how your kitty is doing? If you were ever able to find relief for the poor baby.
 

ej x

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Me too, I know this thread is old but I am on the same boat!
 
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