Apoquel is not safe. According Zoetis, big pet pharma, Apoquel is the "the first medicine designed to target canine itch and inflammation due to allergic and atopic dermatitis" and "works differently from steroids and cyclosporines" by targeting "specific cytokines that cause itch and inflammation, relieving symptoms of allergic skin disease with minimal impact on the immune system."
It absolutely does relieve allergic symptoms at the expense of destroying your dog's immune system in the long term. Apoquel or Oclacitinib stops inflammation by destroying your dog's innate disease-fighting capacities by interfering with enzymes called kinases or JAKS, which are necessary in normal immune function like:
- Policing the body against tumor formation
- Controlling body growth and development
- Forming white and red blood cells
- Ensuring antibody-producing B cells and “policing” T-cells are functioning well
- Regulating inflammatory response
(Source: Dogs Naturally Magazine)
Apoquel is not approved for dogs under 12 months of age, dogs with infections, dogs that are pregnant or nursing. This makes perfect sense because Apoquel is not safe for dogs and puppies that have either developing, compromised or working over-time immune systems. Puppies have immune systems that are developing. Dogs with infections have compromised immune systems. Pregnant or nursing dogs have immune systems that are already working over time to either grow an offspring and produce food for said offspring. Apoquel isn't approved for dogs in these categories because I believe Zoetis knows they would be liable for poor outcomes. Apoquel is not safe.
Apoquel or oclacitinib is an "immune modulator" and an anti-allergy medication often prescribed to alleviate itchiness. Zoetis, the manufacture of Apoquel, states that the drug has been "prescribed for over 12 million dogs and counting."12 million dogs and counting is a huge amount. I have to wonder why so many dogs are so itchy or uncomfortable. Were 12 million dogs and counting itchy 50 years ago? The answer is no.
So, what has changed in the last 50 years? Diet. Too many vaccines. Environmental toxins.
But, board certified dermatology vets will attribute itchiness and allergies to a host of diseases including:
- Flea allergy dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Food allergy dermatitis
- Contact dermatitis
- Sarcoptic Mange
- Demodectic Mange
(Source: VitalAnimal)
Apoquel is not safe long-term despite what your vet may recommend. To be clear, vets are not at fault here. Most are well-intentioned and work very hard. Big pet pharma and kibble companies are to blame here. They dominate the industry and are in the business of keeping animals alive, not curing them or keeping them healthy. Vet schools are funded by the dog food guy, the dog food guy is owned by the vaccine guy and the vaccine guy makes the laws on what makes what legal and what is approved. The dog food guy is also friends with the vet board guy and is funded by the vaccine guy and the vaccine guy is also the drug guy.
In the case of Apoquel, the drug guy here is Zoetis. I think it's important to note that Apoquel, was worth $4.34 billion in 2012 before Apoquel even hit the market It is owned by a pharma company called, Zoetis (Source: VitalAnimal), a subsidiary of Pfizer and MARS inc. partner, who basically have a monopoly on the dog food industry. These companies do not care about the health of your dog. They care about profit. Speaking of profit, Zoetis in 2023 has a net worth of $85.52 billion. In 2018, Zoetis made $434 million from just Apoquel alone.
Zoetis also funded the clinical trials for Apoquel and research studies on its' efficacy which is why it has been deemed safe, even though it is not. For example, in this 2013 randomized control trial on Apoquel, the authors concluded, Apoquel was safe and "provided rapid, effective and safe control of atopic dermatitis." Zoetis funded and published the study on their own product. In this 2022 study on the safety of chewable Apoquel tables, the authors concluded that the chewable tablets "were well-tolerated and are a palatable alternative to the film-coated tablet." All of the authors are employed by Zoetis. Lastly, in this 2023 study that intends to examine the efficacy of Apoquel 10 years later, the authors are. also all employed by Zoetis.
So the same guys that make the product are also the same guys that are funding the clinical trials to prove the safety and efficacy of said products. This is a massive conflict of interest. Any product that chronically disrupts natural immune function will do more harm than good. Apoquel is not safe.
Apoquel's website even states that "APOQUEL may increase the chances of developing serious infections, and may cause existing parasitic skin infestations or pre-existing cancers to get worse." (Source: ApoquelDogs)I don't know about you, but the risk of anything that may cause pre-existing conditions, like cancer, to get worse, definitely does not outweigh any benefit.
When dogs are sick, it is typically inflammation somewhere that is causing symptoms to appear. Apoquel will treat the symptoms, but will not heal the root cause. When inflammation is present, the immune system will do its' thing and actually try to heal itself because that is what immune systems are for. In fact, infectious disease, trauma, bites and stings, lacerations, all of these heal with inflammation (Read more on that here). However, when inflammation is chronic, the body gets stuck and needs help to heal itself. Apoquel will not help the body get unstuck because Apoquel will disrupt optimal immune function over-time and your dog will get sicker. Apoquel is not safe.
If you want your dog to thrive, you must heal the root cause. Often the root cause is lack of nutrients, lack of exercise, too many vaccines, environmental toxins or a combination. Feed a nutrient dense diet and detox from toxins.
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