Atopica, Is this safe to use on Shepherds? - Page 1

I'm thinking of trying this product on my male Shepherd, The itching is getting worse everyday. Steroid shots help for about 3 weeks, then it's the same old thing. I have changed his food at least 6 times with no result, I have even tried raw with no positive result. I found Atopica on PetMeds.com and the review states that it works well for dogs with skin allergies, has anyone else used this product? did it work for you?
Dave

Dave:

I have a dog who suffers from allergies as well.  Sorry to hear that you're having trouble.  It's frustrating to say the least.

I have never tried the Atopica.  You may want to search the message board for other posts on Atopica.  I'm pretty sure it's referenced out there.  I was thinking this med was fairly expensive or I could be confusing it with another med that starts with a "C".  Sorry I can't remember the name - it's written in my daytimer which is at the office.  I keep a list of questions to ask the dermatologist when we see her so I don't forget.

I'm not a big proponent of steroid injections.  We went down that road as well for 2 yrs until even they didn't provide relief.  Steroids simply mask an underlying condition and certainly don't cure anything.  Personally, I think inhalent allergies are far more prevalent than food allergies.

Have you taken your male to a veterinarian dermatologist?  There was only so much our vet could do and referred us onto a specialist.  Have you tried any antihistimines? 

You need to use it under veterinary supervision, some dogs get severe side affects from it; 1 of mine developed siezures (didnt have them before nor since Atopica was stopped 12mth ago), he also had muscle weakness, pain in joints and a few others.

Get the allergy testing first it maybe things that can be avoided, therefore no need for meds.
My dog as now been on steroids for 12mth, he is much better than he was on Atopica, he sees the vet 3mthly for check ups, I know another dog who as been maintained on a low dose of oral steroids since he was 2yrs he is now 11yrs. What works for one dog wont nescesarily work for another. Not sure how exspensive it is in the US but at the start of his treatment it cost me £176 per week, after several months dropping to £120 per week.
Pam

I would only use it as a last resort and again under veterinary supervision. It suppresses the immune system, so cannot be used with steroids or other immunosuppressant drugs. Some unpleasant side effects can occur and the risk of cancer is increased.
Katrina

Tried it on my previous Shepherd with severe allergies and the improvement was very very minimal--certainly not enough difference to justify the high cost of the drug. It also caused bad diarrhea for a month or so. After that, the diarrhea improved some, but was still a problem. I used it for around 6 months before I gave up because my dog's skin and one remaining ear (after ear ablation surgery) was still severly atopic. I've heard of others who have had more success with the drug so it may be worth a try, but unfortunately my experience was a disappointing and costly endeavor. Good luck.

Well we took Wolf to the vet again today and he set up a appointment with a dermatologist for next week. My vet does not want me to use the Atopica because of some bad side effects. This is a real pain for the dog and my family, I came home from work last night and Wolfgang had chewed his eyelids so hard they were bleeding. Funny thing about this condition, it didn't effect Wolf till he was at least 4 years old (he is 5 now). I thank all of you for your response and we will visit the dermatologist  next week and hopefully get some help.
Dave

Chewed his own eyelids?? Maybe you mean scratched?  Itchy eyes sounds like an allergy to me. Hopefully the veterinary dermatologist will be able to help. If you decide to try an antihistamine in the meantime just to see if it helps, try Benadryl.  Do not use chlorpheneramine - a few dogs get a life threatening reaction of hemolytic anemia from chlorpheneramine (also sold as "Chlor-tabs").  Benadryl is safe to use on dogs.

Sam, It's been a long day LOL. I didn't even realize that I wrote about chewing the eyelids. Actually it was around his eyes that he was scratching and made bleed. I did give him some Benadryl last night hoping it would ease his itching. One other thing I have noticed this week is Wolf has a slight oder to his skin that he didn't have before. I talked to the dermatologist today and she wants me to put him on some Salmon oil as she thinks this will help the itching and scratching till she sees him next week, she also said to use Benadryl.

Could the odor be bacterial related?  I thought my female had dirt on her inner flanks (sorry if that's not the correct word) only for the dermatologist to tell me she had a pretty bad bacterial infection.  Guess that would explain tht no matter how much I scrubbed - I could never get the area clean.   I knew something wasn't right because of the funky peculiar smell that would be present...even 2 or 3 days after giving her a medicated bath.  Ewwww.

I hope your guy's visit goes well next week.  Keep us posted.