Can I give my dog's Apoquel second dose 9 hours early today?

Apoquel is dosed twice daily initially, and due to it’s pharmacokinetics I would agree that twice daily would be preferable to increasing the dose once daily. There might be some other options as well - you could ask your vet about trying Cytopoint or other medications for allergies.

You are correct in that most pets are started and maintained on the twice a day dosage. We can’t legally go against what your vet says without establishing a pet client relationship after physical exam, but you can do what you think will achieve the desired results for your pets itchy skin knowning that it is safe for twice daily dosage with this medication. Best of luck with your pet Lily and I hope that her eye ulcer resolves quickly so that she can resume her normal allergy treatment. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is very little information available in the literature about overdosage of this drug. However, there was a study were dogs received 6 times the normal dose for several weeks and mostly only gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting, diarrhea and inappetence were observed. I think that Tippy is most likely going to be just fine though keep a close eye on her and if any of the clinical signs described above are observed, have her evaluated by your veterinarian. Good luck and have a great night!

Poor Lily. Sometime both Apoquel and steroids might be necessary to control skin condition. Generally speaking, steroids have more side effects compared to Apoquel and is important to consider correct amount and length of treatments. Steroids need to be tapered gradually so please do not stop them without having gradually reduced the dose. Apoquel has a maximum effective dose so if Lily is already getting the maximum you won't see any beneficial effect if you increase it further. I would suggest to ask your vet exactly when to start and stop steroids as she knows Lily condition very well and can organize for her a treatment plan. Please post again in the forum if you need further advices and I hope my answer is helpful.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Lily's allergies. I would highly advice that you consider Apoquel. This medication is very effective to decrease the itch and help with the clinical signs associated with allergies that you describe. The best thing about Apoquel besides its efficacy is that you can stop it at any point so you can consider using it just for the time being while she is affected by allergies the most. That is how I use it for my own dogs and they are going great. Good luck and have a nice day!

It is best to give the next dose at his regularly scheduled time unless the dose you just gave was very close to it. 8-10 hours apart should be fine to get him back on his regular medical schedule. If he has any issues, or if you are concerned about the meds you are giving, it is best to speak with his treating veterinarian for more information.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear Snow had an anal gland rupture. Ideally twice daily medications are given every 12 hours, but giving them a little early should not be an issue. Good luck!