# Apoquel vs Cytopoint Side effects



## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

Bourbon is an itchy dog. We have not done allergy test on him but from our experience he is prone to environmental allergies. 

He has had Apoquel in the past and it has worked really well for him. Recently I read about the side effects of Apoquel and heard that Cytopoint is a better alternative. 

Is Cytopoint a safer alternative to Apoquel? Are there side effects of Cytpopoint?

I went through a few threads and still in dilemma on which one is preferable. Sorry for a new thread. If there is an existing thread that covers this info in detail, please share the link.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Since Cytopoint is an injection, and is effective for several weeks, it's in the dogs system long term. If he had a reaction to it, you can't stop giving it. Since Apoquel is oral, if there is an adverse reaction you can stop giving it right away.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

If you go to the Cytopoint Website, there is a lot of information about this injection including side effects of it. 

I would discuss this injection with your Vet.


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

Definitely discuss with your vet. My dog gets the cytopoint injection and hasn't had any side effects. Benedryl is also an option and works for some dogs, if you haven't tried that. It's pretty benign. What shampoo/conditioner are you using, and how often?


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

I would discuss it with the vet. My dog gets cytopoint injections, but only 1 or 2 per year. He seems to have a seasonal allergy in the winter to something environmental. Normally sometime around Christmas he starts to itch and just won't stop. If I take him in for an injection it completely stops within 3 days. I've never had an adverse reaction. The first time we ever got the shot he required 2, a few months apart. I think because we had let it go for to long and he was more irritated. Now at the first sign I take him in and he just gets one shot. Thankfully that is the only time of the year he seems to have an issue.


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## 204408 (Jul 24, 2019)

Apoquel may or may not have led to my boy developing a squamous cell tumor - the consulting oncologist provided specific direction to stop Apoquel when the pathology results came back.

Cytopoint did not help him at all after discontinuing Apoquel, but it certainly was really expensive. What did help with itching was starting him on fully home cooked food following the cancer diet - mostly protein (chicken, beef, eggs), vegetables (broccoli, cauli, carrots), and bone meal powder, bone broth, with occasional brown rice or barley. He loved it, and my theory is that it prolonged his life.


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## Claudia M (Aug 8, 2012)

Apoquel is an immune suppressant. If you go to Zoetis and actually look at the information on Apoquel, one side effect from the trials which are very low (239 dogs) you will see the relation with malignant neoplasma (https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/apoquel/downloads/final_apoquel_pi_030116.pdf). My dog has developed Grade II Mast Cell Tumor. I was dumb and trusted my vet who told me this was the best and most safe and wonderful drug out there for "itchy" dogs". I blame myself for not asking for all the paperwork on the drugs and not checking it myself. I have changed everything. took online nutrition classes and now I cook most of their food and have a couple recipes that I have analyzed for mineral and vitamin content and to make sure calcium to phosphorus balance is correct. I mix in freeze dried food and the companies have been very helpful and I got the entire content so I can combine with what I cook at home. So far so good and it has been a year and a half. I have not even checked on Cytopoint.


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## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

Benedryl is not that effective for Bourbon. We use EQyss Micro-Tek Pet Shampoo and usually give him a bath every 5 to 6 weeks.


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

SyncMaster said:


> We use EQyss Micro-Tek Pet Shampoo and usually give him a bath every 5 to 6 weeks.



That is what I use, as well, plus their conditioner. Bathing seems to help mine when he is itchy, so he gets a bath about every other week. Like DblTrblGolden2, I have the cytopoint given on an as needed basis. I can keep most of his itching under control with diet, the micro-tek shampoo, and benedryl.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

usually lurking said:


> That is what I use, as well, plus their conditioner. Bathing seems to help mine when he is itchy, so he gets a bath about every other week. Like DblTrblGolden2, I have the cytopoint given on an as needed basis. I can keep most of his itching under control with diet, the micro-tek shampoo, and benedryl.


It sounds like you and I are doing the same things. This didn't become an issue for me until Duke was 8 years old, so I haven't been having issues with him forever. It seems he's developed allergies as he's aged. It may be tied to some other issues he's developed in the last year.

I am not a vet, but my vet said he would much rather me give a cytopoint injection once or twice a year then see me do apoquel, or prednisone ever. He is not a fan of the apoquel. He will give it to patients that insist, and he has them. I tried benadryl and zyrtec before anything else and it didn't help at all. I'm not talking about normal just occasional itching when I think it's time for his shot. I'm talking about the kind where you can't get any sleep because they are at the foot of your bed itching themselves all night. I end up feeling worse for him then me, but the first night I notice that we are off to get his shot.


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## usually lurking (Apr 21, 2017)

DblTrblGolden2 said:


> I'm talking about the kind where you can't get any sleep because they are at the foot of your bed itching themselves all night. I end up feeling worse for him then me, but the first night I notice that we are off to get his shot.


Yes, that is exactly what led me to the cytopoint. I couldn't sleep because I could hear him scratching *all* night and felt terrible for him. We tried several foods and ended up on the PPSSS salmon. He gets carrots as treats and, on occasion, some chicken-free treats that I found. He was actually worse as a puppy. He's been better since about age two. He's three now and we need the shot about 2x a year, down from the every 3 months he needed from 12mos to age 2. I haven't changed anything, so all I can figure is that he outgrew some of the allergies, if that can even happen. However, even now, he is itchier at night than during the day, so he gets benedryl at bedtime if he starts scratching. That seems to do the trick and allows us to go for extended periods without the shot. I also have to be careful to keep his skin dry. He's in the pool with the kids all the time, so I end up having to rinse him and dry him most days. If I let him dry on his own, he gets super itchy. I actually think the pool is why he needs the shot spring-fall.


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## Jmcarp83 (May 4, 2018)

My lab got cytopoint at 13.5 yo last month. Her itching for horrible in the last 6 months and I can’t even recall her scratching since she’s had it. So that’s how much less it has been. Vet said cytopoint is the only thing she will even give any longer unless patients insist on apoquel. Thankfully my Golden seems to be non-itchy.


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## samaustin (Feb 10, 2014)

*Cytopoint has been the gamechanger for my golden*

Personal experience with both medications after moving to Central Texas and unaware of how environmental allergies would take a toll on my poor pup. After spending thousands and thousands of dollars on allergy testing, shots, food modifications, and bilateral ear hematoma surgeries related to itching/shaking we had a vet introduce us to Apoquel. Apoquel provided instant relief from the itching and appeared to be worth the expense to control the allergies. But... after taking for around 1-2 years he started developing lumps all over. I didn't have them biopsied as he is now elderly and couldn't put him though any more surgeries and my goal turned to keeping him comfortable figuring that one of the several lumps was probably malignant and so I limited the Apoquel to just seasonally. My vet suggested Cytopoint about 18 months ago as an alternative to waiting for allergens to hit. Cytopoint has been the game changer! I realized they are both made by Zoetis, but Cytopoint has been so much more effective in controlling his allergies along with the fact that none of his lumps have grown since starting it 18 months ago. He gets the shot every 8-10 weeks (closer to 8 weeks during heavy allergy season). I realized this is may not work for all goldens, but I'd choose Cytopoint any day over Apoquel.


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## marcyd (Apr 5, 2016)

My 3 year old girl is on both, started Apoquel 2+ years ago when it came out. We recently added the Cytopoint injections when the Apoquel wasn't completely effective. I am concerned with what I am hearing about Apoquel and plan to use up the medication, then try just the Cytopoint. Fingers crossed. Her allergies are so bad that she stays on medication year round even though we live in the upper Midwest.


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## Shirley J (Feb 21, 2019)

Our Lucy is highly allergic with chronic ear problems but hopefully we are on right plan. She takes 2 Apoquel daily thru allergy season and a Dexamethasone injection if itch is noticeable. We also changed to Purina Focus for sensitive stomach and skin. She is doing the best ever. We did the cytopoint injections but they did not really help. We feed all 3 of our dogs this food and it has stopped smelly gas on our lab/pit mix 8 mo. pup.


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## LdyTlfrd (Jan 11, 2017)

We are in the same boat with Luna's scratching at night. The vet was seeing an unusual amount of pets suffering from allergies that summer/fall and presumed Luna was also and prednisone was prescribed. He said if it was seasonal allergies, they would most likely stop once winter came. It didn't. We then thought it might be chicken in her food and we went through trying different ones. She is now on vet prescribed dry food and is doing much better. We believe she has environmental allergies, the vet says testing is expensive and we may never know what allergen it is. We bathe her weekly with Burt's Bees Shampoo, her scratching is less thereafter. 

As I do not want to her on prednisone unless we have to, I was considering the cytopoint injections as well. I will be speaking to the vet at our next visit.


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## SyncMaster (Mar 12, 2017)

We gave Cytopoint to Bourbon about two weeks back. This is the first time he got Cytopoint and it worked like magic. He has completely stopped itching now. Want to see how long the Cytopoint lasts in his system. We have not done an allergy test on him. But we are trying to limit the number of variable we introduce.


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## DblTrblGolden2 (Aug 22, 2018)

My experience was that the very first time we gave cytopoint we followed with another shot in approximately 6 weeks. Since that time I’ve only had to do one shot each winter. I’m crossing my fingers as I type this. Lol


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## LdyTlfrd (Jan 11, 2017)

Last Friday, we took Luna to the vet as it was time for her annual wellness check and it's that time of year again ... allergy season. 

We saw another vet as our primary vet was not in. She agreed that prednisone was not the way to go, in fact a lot of vets were moving away from using it as there are other options now. She suggested Apoquel when I asked her about Cytopoint (she never had a patient research and ask for it). She said she would speak to our primary vet and get back to us as she wasn't sure about giving Cytopoint right after routine vaccinations. 

Friday night was awful, Luna spent the entire night scratching or rubbing her face on the carpet. On Saturday I called the vet office to request the Apoquel. We were able to get a Rx that day and within hours, Luna wasn't intense scratching or rubbing and is doing well on it. 

The vet called back, said our primary agreed the Cytopoint might be a good idea with Luna as she does scratch throughout the year and is more itchy in the Summer/Fall. 

Due to Luna's weight (64 lbs), we would require the 30mg & 40mg dosage. The vet office called, they come in 2 vial packages so we would have to get 30x2 and 40x2 for CAD$176.31 incl tax.


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