Why is my dog still itching on Apoquel & has bloody diarrhea/lethargy?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poor Dove! Apoquel will stop working or not work well if the dog has a skin infection. It only helps control itching. If the apoquel was working and now it isn't that could be the cause. Yeast or bacterial skin infections are possible which can easily be determined with cytology (looking under the microscope). Apoquel is only labeled to be given twice daily for 2 weeks then decreased to once daily due to the risk of suppressing the immune system. I would have Dove rechecked by your Vet. I always recommend for my bad allergy patients to start an Omega 3 supplement and also use an antihistamine. Sometimes bathing in medicated shampoos can help as well (bathe twice weekly and leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing). I wish Dove the very best! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/ https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307

Hello. While Apoquel has been an absolutely wonderful addition to our ability to help allergic dogs, it is not 100% effective all the time & in every pet. I have had to add medications to the really tough cases, including using the injectable Cytopoint, adding antihistamines, or even very low doses of glucocorticoids. Talk to your vet to see what might be the next step for helping Zelda. You might also consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist to see what exactly she might be allergic to & if a desensitization protocol would be helpful. Good luck & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! While apoquel is a great drug to stop scratching and to help atopic dermatitis it doesn't do anything in the face of a skin infection. Coco should be checked to see if she now has a yeast and or bacterial skin infection. There is also the option of doing an injection for scratching called cytopoint, which lasts 30-60 days (dog dependent). I would also consider adding Omega 3 fish oils and changing her diet to a non-chicken based novel protein diet (try venison, lamb, fish). Claritin, benadryl and zyrtec can be sued in dogs, see links below: https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/zyrtec/ https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/claritin/ https://www.vrshealth.com/canine-products/omegadog/ https://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15235

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Apoquel is a mediation that reduces skin inflammation and excessive skin itchiness. It is considered as a very safe medication with few side effects. Apoquel does not have any effect on dog's appetite. If Rocco's appetite is down, he should be checked for fever, infection, abdominal pain, liver and kidney diseases. Please, get in touch with your local vets to clarify what is Rocco's main problem and to make diagnostic and treatment plan for him.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Chlyo, this has been a tough week for him I recommend calling your Vet. Maalox is not my first choice to fix diarrhea and vomiting. Doxycycline is an antibiotic notorious for causing tummy upset, regardless if you accidentally gave too much. High doses of steroids can cause tummy upset. Prednisone can not be abruptly stopped and needs to be weaned and in Chlyo's case is likely needed to save his life if he has immune mediated hemolytic anemia. There are other antibiotic choices to rule out tick borne disease causing his immune disease. My recommendations is to call your Vet and have Chlyo seen again today. If he was my patient I would use cerenia, metronidazole and have him on prilosec or famotidine (pepcid). I would not stop or wean the prednisone unless his red blood cell count was normal. I would temporarily stop the doxycycline until he is eating and the stool is better and consider amoxicillin instead. We can not tell you want to do on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach because the laws in the US require a valid Veterinary Clinet Patient Relationship which means we have to actually touch and examine your dog. We can provide advice but your Vet needs to be the one to tell you what to do with the medications. In my opinion, and I have answered a lot of questions from you regarding Chlyo, is that he is a sick dog and he has been dealing with this diarrhea for 1-2 days and is now getting worse. It is in his best interest to be rechecked and examined by your Vet. I hope this helps and I wish you and Chlyo the very best!

Based on the redness, crustiness and loss of pigment on the nose and eyelids, I would worry about him possibly having an auto-immune disease such as lupus or pemphigus. These diseases commonly affect the eyelids and nose in this way. Only a skin biopsy can definitively diagnose these conditions. It is also possible that there is a secondary infection. I would recommend having a skin cytology and a culture and sensitivity done. This means that the vet will take a superficial sample of those areas and look for bacteria. It will then be cultured to see what kind of bacteria is it and the sensitivity shows you what kind of antibiotic it is sensitive to. If there is an infection, it is best to clear that up prior to doing a biopsy as infection can make it hard to see the primary cause. Even though he doesn't seem to be responding to Apoquel, it could still be allergies. Most dogs I have treated with Apoquel have done very well, but there have been some dogs who don't improve in their allergy symptoms. I hope this helps and that he gets better soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be licking due to allergies. Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Jameson evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. You can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!