Anyone using Atopica?

[tobilei]

Hi all,

The new drug for dogs is called Apoquel. My vet told me it does occasionally get used off label for kitties and so far has seemed successful but hasn't been studied for any kind of long term effects or safety in cats.

I'm in a similar situation to a lot of you. My cat Jasper has been on prenisolone for almost 2 years and only turned 2 in February. He responds well to it, however every time I try to reduce it he becomes itchy again. He's currently on 1.25mg every other day but we usually have to bump it up every 3 weeks to 2.5mg. He gets terribly itchy, will scratch holes in himself, pull out large chunks of fur and over groom to the point where he can't concentrate on anything but how itchy he is. He has twice had hot spots on his hocks that took months to heal and twice his ear tips turned bright purple, swelled up and then scabbed over. We never managed to figure out what caused that.

Certain raw foods make him sick. Raw chicken is instant diarrhea, raw kangaroo will cause terribly vomiting by day 3.

We are also 3 weeks in to a Hypoallergenic diet and if this isn't helpful will be considering trying the Atopica.

I hope all your kitties are doing okay, it's a hugely frustrating and upsetting thing to deal with.

 

[jztherapist]

photo (2).JPG

• jztherapist
• Oct 29, 2015

My Siamese rescue, Semi, came to me, at under a year old,  with Feline Stomatitis and had a full mouth extraction except for her canines.  Her mouth has been fine and there have been no issues with her eating at all,, but a year later, developed what was determined to be Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex.  After a course of Prednisolone, which was tapered to 1/2 of a 5mg. tablet every three days,and a restricted diet of Royal Canin HP diet, she did very well for a year. 

However, this past September,  she had a flare-up and is now on Atopica.   Thus far, the lesions have been confined to her head.  She has also had blood work to check her glucose and liver enzyymes and  everything was normal.  It's too soon to tell whether the Atopica will be effective; however, I am giving her the 25mg. capsules daily...I did not want to subject her to the awful taste of the liquid that has been reported.  There have, thus far, been no GI issues.  I would also like to note that K-Vet Supply offers Cyclosporine 25 mg. capsules at $34.00 for a 30-day supply, which is about half of what most veterinarians charge.  You need a prescription from your veterinarian, but most, like mine, are more than willing to accommodate.

I am also thankful that, like all of my pets, (4 cats and 1 dog), Semi is covered by pet insurance, which I purchased when I first rescued her. It has covered all medical charges, although it does not cover the prescription food.  If she had already been diagnosed with EGC, the condition would not have been covered.  Since she developed this condition after I purchased  the insurance, the condition will never be excluded..  I would urge anyone who adopts a new pet to purchase health insurance while their pet is still healthy.  I have used PetsBest  (I have no connection to this company), but anyone considering the purchase of pet insurance can go to petinsurancereview.com to evaluate all companies offering health insurance.

 

[i luv my cats]

Greetings, I am just new to this site, but saw that you could not find the Atopica for cats.  I use a site called Valley Vet and they carry it.  You can go to valleyvet.com.  You just need your vet to fax them an RX and they will mail it right to your house. 

 

[mom2lb]

I luv my cats,

No, you misunderstand.  I am looking to give some away that my cat was unable to tolerate!  I am willing to ship what I have to anyone who has a cat that can tolerate Atopica.  

Mom2LB

 

[mom2lb]

To Anyone who uses Atopica:

I have some leftover capsules from a failed attempt to treat my cat with Atopica:

I have 16 sealed capsules (10 mg 4-9 lbs) It actually states on the back that this is for use only in dogs, but it was prescribed for my cat, as these are usually easier than the liquid he said.  The expiration date is 02/2017.

I also have a vial of 5mL, 100mg/mL  with expiration date of 12/2016.  This was prescribed by another vet, but little was used because of intolerance.

I will be happy to pay the postage to send these to anyone who can use them.  Just PM me your address if interested.

Mom2LB

 

[jztherapist]

So sorry for your troubles.  If you read my recent post, my rescue, Semi, came to me with stomatitis and had a Full Mouth Extraction (FME), which cured the problem.  It is expensive, but Semi came through it fine and was able to eat both wet and dry food.  Having been diagnosed last year with Feline Eosinophilic Granuloma, she is now on Atopica, 25 mg. capsules, which I purchase as a generic (Cyclosporine) from KVet Supply for 1/2 the of the veterinarian price. My veterinarian recommended that I keep the blister packs in the freezer so that the pills go down easily and don't have the vile taste people have reported in the liquid solution. She's had no GI issues when taking the pills, although she's not thrilled about being "pilled."

It's taken about a month, but the lesions have begun to resolve.  I also put her on Sentry Hot Spot topical, which is sold for dogs, but which helped to alleviate the itching quite well.  I wouldn't recommend this for ca'ts whose lesions are in places they can lick.  Semi's lesions were around her head and neck, so licking the Sentry was not an issue.  She is also on Royal Canin HP, which she likes a lot.  I've had to begin to feed all four cats in separate dishes so that she cannot get into their food  and vice-versa.  Even if she has to be on this medication and prescription diet for the rest of her life (she's only 3), it's well worth it to see the progress she's made.  Having pet insurance has made a huge difference and I would encourage anyone with newly adopted or currently healthy pets to purchase a policy.  Semi's EGC will be covered for the rest of her life.

 

[mom2lb]

November 1, 2016

I just wanted to update my last post about the Atopica.  I had someone who stepped forward & said they could use this medication.  So, it has found a home!  I am glad that it will benefit another furbaby!

Mom2LB

 

[ayda calyan]

Hello there! What are gel caps? My cat hates the taste of the liquid Atopica. It's a huge struggle to administer it to him. I have ordered 25 mg capsules and will try those tomorrow. But I am interested in knowing about gel caps. Thanks!

 

[jztherapist]

They're one and the same.  I order the generic Cyclosporine, 25 mgs. from K-Vet Supply and am paying $34.00 for a 30-day supply, significantly less than my vet charges for a 15-day supply of Atopica.  If

you have pet insurance, the medication is covered.  My Siamese, Semi,  is also on Royal Canin HP dry food, which is expensive and not covered by insurance, but it appears to be a hypoallergenic food. She cannot have any other food or treats.

Her facial lesions have cleared up significantly and there is minimal scratching.  (To limit scratching, I dab Sentry Hot Spot gel on the lesions.  It also has anti-bacterial properties and Semi's lesions have dried to the point that she no longer needs this topical.  Good luck with your kitty.

photo (2).JPG

• jztherapist
• Oct 29, 2015

 

[beansmom]

Hi. I have just started Atopica for my Persian, Bean. She has a large granuloma (rodent ulcer) on her upper lip but has CKD so the vet thought this would be much safer for her to take short-term than the steroids. She just had her 4th dose so I can't tell yet if it's working or not, but fingers and toes crossed that it helps shrink this darn thing. She is on the liquid which smells horrific and I can't imagine how it tastes. I found a trick to getting her to take it (discovered purely on accident): she gets nutri-cal daily because she is on the thin side. The nutri-cal is a thick gel which seems to coat her mouth like peanut butter. I wipe a blob of nuti-cal directly on her tongue, let her chew on it for a quick second to coat the mouth, then squire the med into the back of her mouth. So far, no drooling or spitting the med out. I guess with the Nutrical in there she can't taste the med as much if at all. Hope this helps those that have been having trouble with the liquid due to the taste!

 

[jztherapist]

Please consider using cyclosporine, which is the generic gel cap form of Atopica.  It's easy to administer and lacks the violent smell and taste of the liquid.  Your vet can calibrate the dosage based on your cat's weight.  My Semi weighs about 10 pounds and the 25 mg. pill is perfect for her.  It's taken more than a month for me to see a significant difference, but she's greatly improved.  For any of the lesions, you can order Sentry Hot Spot gel online.  It relieves the itching and has anti-bacterial properties.

 

[sarah super]

You can also buy gel capsules and fill these with the required dose yourself. My cat is pretty tolerant of Atopica, but we used gel caps when we were away on vacation, as it's easier for our cat sitter to dose her with those instead.

 

[jztherapist]

Would like to update Semi and her treatment with Atopica.  I've been using the Cyclosporin 25mg. capsules (used for dogs, titrated for cats by weight) since September.  It's taken nearly two months, but she is lesion- free, her hair has grown back and she is a happy camper.  To get her lesions to be less irritating to her, I treated them with Sentry Hot Spot gel.  It is both anti-itch and anti-bacterial and kept her from aggravating the lesions by scratching them.  She is on Royal Canin HP dry food. 

I would urge anyone contemplating the use of Atopica and who can pill their cat, to have your vet prescribe the appropriate capsule dosage, rather than stress both yourself and your cat with the vile liquid alternative.  I would also order the generic, Cyclosporin, which can be ordered from a site like K-V catalogue.  It's about  1/2 the price your vet charges.  

photo (2).JPG

• jztherapist
• Oct 29, 2015

 

[jacks6413]

My cat Dharma suffers from EGC too. He used to get ulcers on his paws and throughout his body.  I changed the litter to a disposable one as well as the litter. Now I am using Dr. Elsey's litter, the blue bag and for the box, I am using the carton disposable one, the big size. I have two cats and it works pretty well. Dr. Elsey's litter is scoopable and pretty good with the smell. For the food and water bowls, no plastic, nor stainless steel, only glass. I was giving the Instinct LID Rabbit formula and it worked for  awhile but lately, his lips started to get  ulcered almost every month, so I change the food, the one from the mouth went away but he is getting then in his neck and torso.  I just got him today the Venison Natural Balance LID, so far he liked it. I have the Atopica to give him some but waiting for the right time. He is a very nervous cat and I don't know how is going to play out me giving him the medicine. I will do sometime tonight. I was looking for the post when someone explains how they bought baby food (sweet potatoes) and mixed it with it in the syringe. I already bought the baby food, LOL! Btw, he also eats dry shrimps and does not get affected by it. Anyway wanted to share my experience, hope it helps.   

 

[jacks6413]

Thanks for the info.  I am starting the liquid form today and I know he won't like it a bit. I read someone using sweet potatoes baby food with it but not sure how to do it. 

 

[jztherapist]

If you can pill him, please consider getting the generic Atopica capsules (cyclosporine) from a veterinary supply house.  It's not as foul tasting as the liquid and your veterinarian can convert the pill dosage to his weight.  The Royal Canin HP dry food has been the best food for my cat.  It's expensive, but wwell worth it if it stops those horrific ulcers.  My Siamese, Semi, has done very well on both and is currently lesion free.  Hope this helps.

 

[coatfetish]

Well, it's been a few years since I originally posted this question...I see there have been many helpful comments, and I hope folks have had a better time of it than I did. I never could get Taz to accept the medicine. I also never new what triggered her ulcers, but since making my original post, I moved. Oddly enough, since the move (some years ago) she's never had an ulcer since. I can only assume she was having an allergic response to something in the old location...Both of my cats are now 16 years old and as lively as cats half their age! I have made a few dietary changes over the years, going to grain free food and adding wet food to their diet - my vets, who I don't use anymore, said to avoid wet food. They now get wet and dry daily. Fortunately their teeth are in awesome shape, but I still think they were staring to have trouble eating only dry food. I immediately noticed an improvement in their activity, coat quality, and they have maintained a healthy weight (they both had previously been too heavy, I think going grain free helped tremendously with that). So many thanks to all that have chimed in over the years, and here's a pic taken yesterday of my 16 yr old gal!

1-IMG_4009.JPG

• coatfetish
• Dec 12, 2016

 

[jacks6413]

So glad to hear an update and to know the kitty is doing well. Many Blessings 

 

[jacks6413]

 
If you can pill him, please consider getting the generic Atopica capsules (cyclosporine) from a veterinary supply house.  It's not as foul tasting as the liquid and your veterinarian can convert the pill dosage to his weight.  The Royal Canin HP dry food has been the best food for my cat.  It's expensive, but wwell worth it if it stops those horrific ulcers.  My Siamese, Semi, has done very well on both and is currently lesion free.  Hope this helps.

Hi there. I gave him the medicine this morning and it was a mission. My cat Dharma is extremely nervous and gets scared for almost everything, and when he feels anxious, he hides. I will definitely talk to my vet to see if I can get the prescription for the pills and get the pills adjusted to his weight. I don't think the liquid is going to work for us, he didn't swallow most of it.  
As for the food, I  just switch to Natural Balance green peas and Venison LID formula. He seems to like it but now I have to see if is going to make him flare up. The Royal Canin diet is my next alternative. I have been trying to find another brand for him because of how expensive it is and I have two cats, so one will be eaten it because he needs to and the other one (my little fatty) because she loves to eat, LOL!  Thanks  

 

[jztherapist]

If you're going with a prescription diet, don't let your vet try to sell you the Hills.  Mine orders the Royal Canin HP for me and I have a deal that after buying three bags (7.7lb) at $55.00, I get the fourth one for free.  If your vet doesn't offer that kind of a promotion, you can go to the Chewy's web site and the price there is more affordable than the vet's price.  I had the same problem with my cats eating the food and I now feed each one in a separate dish( and I have four cats).  It's a nuisance, but I, too had a fatty who weighed nearly 19 pounds and she's now down to 12 pounds.  I can monitor each cat's food intake and, in the long run, it's worked well for both the cats and me.

 My Siamese is a sweetie, but I sometimes have to trick her, as she's learned to bolt when she thinks she's getting pilled.  I got the Greenies Chicken Pill Pockets and the capsule doesn't quite fit in it, but I give her a little piece of the pocket after she's swallowed  the pill and she now sees it as a treat time. Also, if you find that you're able to pill your cat, you can order the generic (Cyclosporine) from a site like K-Vet for half of the vet price.  Hope this helps.