Anyone using Atopica?

[jztherapist]

I recently ordered Cyclosporine (generic Atopica) from a website called Vet Rx Direct. It has the best price of any site I've used, $26.69 ,25 mgs. for a 30-day supply.  I ordered a three-month supply, since there are no shipping charges for any order of $49.00.  My vet was happy to write the script for a 3-month supply.  This price is roughly half the veterinarian price and much less than the previous supplier I was using  (KVet), which for some inexplicable reason, is now charging tax on prescription items. 

I also ordered (from my vet) Royal Canin HP cat treats.  It's only around $6.00 for a good-sized bag and all of my cats love it, not only Semi, with the Eosinophilac Granuloma Complex. I generally give her a couple after I've dosed her with the Cyclosporine capsule and she loves them!

 

[jztherapist]

I recently ordered Cyclosporine (generic Atopica) from a website called Vet Rx Direct. It has the best price of any site I've used, $26.69 ,25 mgs. for a 30-day supply.  I ordered a three-month supply, since there are no shipping charges for any order of $49.00.  My vet was happy to write the script for a 3-month supply.  This price is roughly half the veterinarian price and much less than the previous supplier I was using  (KVet), which for some inexplicable reason, is now charging tax on prescription items. 

I also ordered (from my vet) Royal Canin HP cat treats.  It's only around $6.00 for a good-sized bag and all of my cats love it, not only Semi, with the Eosinophilac Granuloma Complex. I generally give her a couple after I've dosed her with the Cyclosporine capsule and she loves them!

 

[jwows dad]

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My cat has been on Atopica for 4 years. In my opinion the stuff has been a god send.

It started with a cyst that formed under her jaw/throat not long after adoption. The vet shaved the area with an intent to drain the pus, and then decided it was not a good idea and better to let nature take its course. I wonder if that shave job introduced the bacteria for what was to come.

Anyway, the cyst broke, and a skin infection with hair loss spread down her chest, belly, and to this day stubbornly loiters around the lowest area of her stomach. That is, just above her private area between her legs. The dermatologist had a heck of a time controlling the migration of this infection. But today things are much better although the irritation will come back if the Atopica stops.

Anyway, every morning I squirt the Atopica into her mouth and there is a trick to doing it. You people who are choosing the gell caps instead just may be putting more stress into your animal than if you were to stick with the liquid. Yes, I can tell my cat does not like the taste, but she gets over it quickly. She knows it is coming every morning and the ordeal only lasts 10-20 sec and your both done.

The trick is you put the cat in sitting position in your lap(along their spine), and dosage up the syringe. Your left thumb opens the cats mouth right at the cats left corner of their mouth, and your right hand squirts into the cats mouth. It is important your squirt is done with authority and that your left palm has positioned the cats nose up towards the ceiling. You time the squirt just when the cat just “begins” to open their mouth. A second or two after the squirt, let the cat go and watch her scamper off with her ears folded with disapproval. The point is, they get used to it and expect it.

Have fun changing up your daily pattern once the cats learns when that time of the day has come.

My Derm things fleas are the root cause of this condition never going away, except the cat is only indoor, and to be sure she has been getting the flea treatments anyway for over two years. Flea comb never brings up anything. Me thinks my derm just wants to sell me flea treatments to support their business. At least that is the way it is working out anyway.

The cheapest internet site for the liquid Atopica is Lambert Vet supply. Their consistent $5 coupon brings the price to $74 for the 17ml bottle and free shipping. I wish there were larger bottles sold.

 

[jztherapist]

The trick is to catch your cat so that you can administer the medication on a regular basis.  I've had to vary the times that I dose my Siamese, as she will make herself scarce if I do it at a set time.  The good news is that she is so greatly improved, my vet has approved tapering the dose to every other day.  Eventually, I may only dose her on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  I use the gel caps and find them to be fairly easy to administer, although she complains a lot. 

The cyst may have been a sign of an autoimmune problem.  My Siamese came to be with Stomatitis and had all teeth but her canines removed.  A year later, she developed hideous lesions and was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex.  The Atopica (which I order as the generic Cyclosporin) has been a godsend, as has limiting her diet to Royal Canin HP dry food.  All expensive, but Semi's meds are covered by insurance.  (Not the food, though).

Your system seems to be working well and I wish you luck.  I don't think your cat needs to be on flea medication, which has its own set of side effects.  I found that Sentry's Hot Spot, which is inexpensive, worked very well on Semi's lesions when they were quite stubborn. 

P.S. As for the HP cat treats, all of my cats except Semi, (who is the only one who needs it) continued to love it and my vet was kind enough to give me a credit.

 

[jztherapist]

My Siamese rescue came to me with Stomatitis and the only effective treatment is called a Full Mouth Extraction.  Semi had all but her canines removed and this did the trick for her. (The rescue group was kind enough to pay for the procedure, since it was clearly something that she had when I adopted her.)   It did not interfere with her ability to eat dry food and there was no need for ongoing medication ( although an autoimmune skin problem requires that she be on Cyclosporine , which is now being tapered because she is so greatly improved).  Would suggest that you go to the Feline Stomatitis Facebook page, which I found to be very helpful when Semi was symptomatic.

 

[jztherapist]

My most recent response re: Feline Stomatitis was for Allie, who has a cat suffering from this syndrome.

 

[kdin]

This medicine works fantastically....once you can get your cat to take it! I struggled with forcing it down her throat, which led to her avoiding me every time I stood up...it was a real hassle and she hated it. We tried mixing it with tuna which worked okay, but she would only eat it half the time, if she was starving. My boyfriend saw how frustrated I was and went out to the store and bought 10 types of fishy wet cat food. Finally we found one!! She eats it up immediately with the meds in it every morning, without issue. The one that worked for us is Fancy Feast Medleys Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Florentine Pate! I know every cat is different, so I would highly suggest getting a bunch and trying them all to see what your cat likes best! I'm so thankful because she doesn't hate me anymore and isn't licking all of her fur off!

 

[grzina]

I've been all over this site looking for info about Atopica, which is the next thing I'm going to try for my cat who has been itching for a year. We've tried two types of behavioral medicine, steroid shot, two types of flea and parasite medication and an antibiotic shot when the itching was so bad he was making sores. Now doing a chinese herb and Royal Canin Select Protein food which he hates so I'm trying to slowly mix it with his current food. He just won't stop licking and itching. Is the liquid dose of Atopica a small amount? I cannot pill this cat but I do have success with liquid as long as it is not an entire syringe. I don't know what else we will do if I cannot get the Atopica into him. Have an appointment in two days because he has made another sore and enough is enough. Going for the stronger drugs even though I don't like the side effects I've read about. FRUSTRATED!

 

[beansmom]

It didn't not work for my kitty (gave her horrible diarrhea and no improvement of her granuloma), but she had a lot of unrelated issues, so it's worth a try. I have over 1/2 a vial left if you would like it to try since it's so expensive. Let me verify tonight that it's still good, but it should be fine. Always used sterilized syringe so no worry of contamination. Was a very small amount per dose (she was 6.6lbs)- should be easy to syringe.

 

[jztherapist]

I've been all over this site looking for info about Atopica, which is the next thing I'm going to try for my cat who has been itching for a year. We've tried two types of behavioral medicine, steroid shot, two types of flea and parasite medication and an antibiotic shot when the itching was so bad he was making sores. Now doing a chinese herb and Royal Canin Select Protein food which he hates so I'm trying to slowly mix it with his current food. He just won't stop licking and itching. Is the liquid dose of Atopica a small amount? I cannot pill this cat but I do have success with liquid as long as it is not an entire syringe. I don't know what else we will do if I cannot get the Atopica into him. Have an appointment in two days because he has made another sore and enough is enough. Going for the stronger drugs even though I don't like the side effects I've read about. FRUSTRATED!

 

[jztherapist]

Are you're using Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein Dry Food? My Siamese loves it, as do my other cats, who consider it a treat. Have you tried using a pill pusher for cats? You can get them on EBay. They're very inexpensive and worth a try. I don't know of any cat that accepts the liquid Cyclosporine (generic of Atopica)...it's supposed to be vile. Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex is so frustrating, because it is a chronic condition. When Semi has cleared up, she's beautiful. At her worst, it was painful to look at her. The lesions were mostly on her face and they were so angry looking. The cyclosporine has been a godsend. Hope that this helps.

 

[cat princesses]

Hello
I am currently using atopica for my cat. Similar situation like you described, tried everything you have as well. I went to a pet dermatologist and she was diagnosed with severe allergies to dust mites and storage mites. We are using the atopica for dogs because that comes in a nice oval gel capsule. I coat it In butter and she's easy to pill. Yes, the liquid is apparently vile makes cats foam and drool at mouth. If you can manage a technique like going to a small bathroom and pulling your cat it's worth the hassle. I have not experienced any side effects with my kitty and she's finally stopped itching! To me it's always about quality of life. I would caution you that the dermo told me that some cats are known as super absorbers somyou need to get blood work done every 3-6 months to check to be sure it's not affecting the liver or kidneys. Atopica does have a manufacturer rebate so you submit the receipt for your vet and with every 2 boxes you can submit for a $30 rebate which they send you a visa gift card. So far I have $90 in rebates so that I just out towards more atopica. It's been a life saver for us! It does take aprox 30 days to work fully so my dermo had us also giving prednisolone for a month and tapering the dose down towards the end skipping every other day and now she's just on the atopica. We have eliminated 1 day of the week and will be starting tomorrow skipping wed and sat. The goal is to hopefully get her down to 3 days per week but it's a slow process. You can also see a dermo and get an interdermsl test done. They sedate your cat and shave a spot and similar to adult allergy testing they out a bunch of needles and see what they react to. Then they can mix up allergy shots for you to administer at home. Keep in mind allergy shots are life long, not a year or two like humans take apparently animals need them for life. We are considering adding that to the mix as well.

 

[jztherapist]

Hello
I am currently using atopica for my cat. Similar situation like you described, tried everything you have as well. I went to a pet dermatologist and she was diagnosed with severe allergies to dust mites and storage mites. We are using the atopica for dogs because that comes in a nice oval gel capsule. I coat it In butter and she's easy to pill. Yes, the liquid is apparently vile makes cats foam and drool at mouth. If you can manage a technique like going to a small bathroom and pulling your cat it's worth the hassle. I have not experienced any side effects with my kitty and she's finally stopped itching! To me it's always about quality of life. I would caution you that the dermo told me that some cats are known as super absorbers somyou need to get blood work done every 3-6 months to check to be sure it's not affecting the liver or kidneys. Atopica does have a manufacturer rebate so you submit the receipt for your vet and with every 2 boxes you can submit for a $30 rebate which they send you a visa gift card. So far I have $90 in rebates so that I just out towards more atopica. It's been a life saver for us! It does take aprox 30 days to work fully so my dermo had us also giving prednisolone for a month and tapering the dose down towards the end skipping every other day and now she's just on the atopica. We have eliminated 1 day of the week and will be starting tomorrow skipping wed and sat. The goal is to hopefully get her down to 3 days per week but it's a slow process. You can also see a dermo and get an interdermsl test done. They sedate your cat and shave a spot and similar to adult allergy testing they out a bunch of needles and see what they react to. Then they can mix up allergy shots for you to administer at home. Keep in mind allergy shots are life long, not a year or two like humans take apparently animals need them for life. We are considering adding that to the mix as well.

 

[jztherapist]

I use the generic Atopica called Cyclosporin and get it from Vet RX Direct. (30) 25 mg. capsules cost $26.69, which is half of the veterinarian price and I order a three-month supply to avoid shipping charges. My vet happily prescribes it to them over the phone and I'm sure that your vet would too. If you have pet insurance, which I do, the company pays 80% of the cost of the meds.

I have tried to wean my cat to three times weekly, but she does begin to scratch again. I'm not sure where her allergies originate from and do not want to subject herself or me to what may be a fruitless quest.

 

[cat princesses]

Yes the dermo told me you have to be careful with weaning them to less days because she said when they start itching again you kinda have to back track and start over again to get the itching back under control. She said it's a delicate dance.

 

[grzina]

Just got back from the vet and Atopica is definitely the next thing to try. My poor kitty had scratched himself so badly under his chin he bled and had a nasty scab. So, also got another antibiotic shot for that. Yes, he is on the Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein food. Right now, I'm mixing that with his regular canned food because he doesn't LOVE it, but will eat it reluctantly. My goal is to get him on that 100% in the next few weeks while we start the Atopica. I haven't tried the dry version of the food but have ordered it online and will give that a shot. I have another cat who happily eats the prescription food straight out of the can. Figures. I am hoping he doesn't have issues with vomiting or diarrhea and that it does work. The vet said if it works we would reduce the frequency of the dose as I've read above but that likely he'd be on it a year as long as it is working, with the long term goal of getting him weaned off the Atopica and managing the allergy with the food alone. I hate for him to be on it that long because it suppresses the immune system but he is not comfortable now with all the itching so I guess it is the best path at this point.

 

[cat princesses]

I'd strongly caution you against dry kibble what so ever. My other cat was just diagnosed diabetic 2 months ago. She was a kibble eater and kibble is linked to kidney disease, diabetes and all sorts of other junk. Have you ever considered raw food? Rad cat makes a great raw food - again, it's expensive but probably not much more than you're paying for the hydrolyzed. So your vet is convinced it's food related and nothing environmental? Well, like we said, it's about quality of life and if the atopica keeps your kitty itch free for 10 years of it's life and something happens, well, they were itch free for 10 years. I can't imagine being itchy like that constantly with no relief. I hope your kitty starts to feel better soon!

 

[grzina]

I'm not going to eliminate the canned food. I keep dry food out all the time for free feeding. Because I have two cats, and the other one prefers dry, I need to convert that to the hydrolyzed as well. So, both will get canned and dry. I read somewhere that it is not good to feed raw with Atopica because raw food can have toxmoplasmosis, which would make a cat very sick if they were on an immuno suppressent drug. So, not going to try that now. The vet says the allergies are either food or environmental and she says she'd refer me to a vet dermatologist but also says the allergy tests are under debate as to if they are reliable. Reading here, I see that many who have gone to a vet dermatologist end up trying Atopica anyway. Also, easier to control food than what is in the environment so that's why I'm trying the hydrolyzed diet.

 

[cat princesses]

LOL yep, you're right on the money - that was probably my post about that! I had to stop the rad cat raw for my girl on atopica because of that though honestly, I'm not fully convinced it's a concern. I called the manufacturer of rad cat and they were extremely well versed on toxoplasma and said that it can't survive when kept frozen for 2 or more days below zero degrees. Then someone pointed out well, you can't control what happens during transport...ok,I get that but the pet food store said it comes in a crate with dry ice. ugh...both of mine LOVED the raw, I'd love to go back to it for both. I'm putting my diabetic cat back on it.