My dog won't eat. Vet gave Apoquel. Is it dangerous or for appetite?

Gastrointestinal upset and a decrease in appetite can be a side effect of Apoquel but it is not very common. Often the symptoms will improve after a few days. As long as Remy is not vomiting I’d continue the medication and contact your vet to let them know once they’re open.

It is hard to really answer your question about Rocco beccause many factors go into allergies. There are three types of allergies in dogs - this inculdes food, environmental and flea. I would highly recommend apply flea prevention every 30 days to Rocco even if you do not see fleas. When a dog is allergic to fleas it only takes 1 bite to make them very itchy. It can be difficult to tell the difference between food and environmental allergies. I typicallly do not start apoquel unless the patient has been on a food trial. This is where they feed a prescritpion food ONLY for 12 plus weeks. Over the counter food can be contaminated with proteins and will not work to determine a food allergy. If we have proven the patient only has an environmental allergy than apoquel can be a good medication to use. However it is only going to work ifthe skin does not have any type of infection present (like bacteria or fungal and also ear infections). Apoquel does suppress the immune system to help decrease the itchy. Typically this is not harmful for most dogs. However I would recommend consulting your vet fist to make sure nothing in Roccos medical history would make him a bad canidate for apoquel and it is a proper drug for him. Hope that helps. You can aways try a pet coach consult if you need/want more information.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I have several patients that have been on it for a little over a year now and seem to be doing quite well on it. The one thing we routinely monitor is a complete blood count to make sure the immune system is not being suppressed, which Apoquel has been known to do in some patients. Other than that, I really do not see any other side effects of using Apoquel. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It looks like an allergy. Apoquel is an effective medication for excessive skin itchiness, it is a safe drug and it does not have many side effects. If you continue to use Apoquel for the next few days, Ben will most likely get better. For a relief in the meantime, you can use a soothing oatmeal shampoo.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Apoquel will not work if the dog has a skin infection. I recommend anytime that the apoquel has stopped working that the dog be taken to the Vet for an exam to check for a bacterial or yeast infection. Most dogs with allergies need to be on a special diet, apoquel or cytopoint, an antihistamine and an Omega 3 supplement to keep the dog comfortable, but flare ups are bound to happen, we just hope less frequently. As for the bloody diarrhea, it is likely unrelated to her skin and the apoquel but it is fine that you stopped it. Especially if it wasn't working. The blood indicated inflammation in the colon. Common causes of diarrhea are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infections, dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis, food allergy/intolerance, reaction to a new food/treat/table food. If the diarrhea is bad I would fast her for 12-24 hours to rest her GI tract then start feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 normal stools. I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Apoquel is a great drug for scratching. It is also very safe. There is no drug made on the planet that doesn't have some side effects. Nausea and diarrhea has been reported as a side effect, though I have only seen it very rarely. That shouldn't be a reason to not use it. I do agree with you about the age problem. It has been only labeled for use by the FDA in dogs older than 12 months. Using it in dogs younger than that is considered off label use. I recommend calling your Vet and asking if they are comfortable using apoquel in Sushi. It is up to your Vet and your comfort level. I hope this helps and I wish Sushi the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Apoquel can result in a higher propensity of developing infections and the other concerning possible side effect is the higher chance of development of cancer that we think may happen with this drug. For this reason, usually I recommend using it on as needed basis and stopping it when the itch resolves. In theory, if the main cause of the itch is being addressed, such as treating allergies for example, you may not need to use Apoquel long term. Good luck and have a great day!