Apoquel Chewable for dogs

Reduces your dog's itch within 4 hours & improves their comfort

Your dog’s itching, scratching and rubbing may be excessive or inappropriate. This could be caused by skin irritation due to allergic skin disease, atopic dermatitis. Apoquel Chewable is a treat-like tablet that works by reducing the itch signals your dog's immune system sends, calming the sensation of itch and the urge to scratch. The easy-to-give formulation makes administration simple, improving both your and your dog's quality of life.

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Easy-to-chew tablet turns treatment into a treat

Begins to relieve itch within 4 hours¹

Effectively controls itch within 24 hours²

Reduces redness and irritation of your dog’s skin³

Easy to give, with or without food⁴

Can be used alongside other common therapies

10+

Years proven safety record

24 hrs

Effectively controls itch within 24 hours

16m

Apoquel^® has been prescribed to over 16 million dogs¹

FAQ

Apoquel tablets are a ‘film-coated tablet’, whereas Apoquel Chewable has been developed as a chew to mimic the treats dogs love, in both texture and pork liver flavour.

Apoquel Chewable is an easy-to-give chewable⁵ that avoids the routine of giving your dog a traditional pill (film-coated tablet), which some pet owners find challenging. Instead, Apoquel Chewable turns treatment into a treat.

Apoquel Chewable contains the same active ingredients as Apoquel oral tablets, with a proven safety record over more than 10 years⁷ – and 95 million courses administered worldwide.⁶

By combining a chewable texture with a pork liver recipe, we found that Apoquel Chewable became highly appealing to more dogs. To prove this, we tested Apoquel Chewable in a field study of 121 dogs who were given Apoquel Chewable tablets twice daily for 7 days.⁵

Successfully, the dogs ate 99.6% of the Apoquel Chewable tablets given to them – leaving just 0.4% not fully consumed.⁵

Chewable is appropriate in all cases of allergic/atopic dermatitis in dogs over one year of age apart from those undergoing a food trial or previously diagnosed with a pork allergy.

Tested by experts, both Apoquel oral tablets and Apoquel Chewable formulations were found to significantly decrease dogs’ itchy skin (pruritus) within 3 hours.⁴ This means there is no significant difference in absorption between each of these effective treatments for skin itch and inflammation in dogs.⁹

Containing the same active ingredient, both Apoquel oral tablets and Apoquel Chewable tablets are equally effective.⁸ Apoquel begins to relieve itch within 3 hours, and effectively controls itch within 24 hours⁴ – so you should soon see a reduction in redness and irritation of your dog’s skin.

Oral pills and chewable tablets are equally effective¹⁰, whichever way your pet consumes them.

To administer an oral pill (film-coated tablet), first make sure your pet is calm and relaxed, with soothing words and a good stroke. Gently encourage them to open their mouth and pop the pill towards the back of the tongue, while softly stroking underneath the mouth as they swallow.

Or try hiding the pill simply by adding it to their usual food, or occasional treat such as peanut butter.

Chewable tablets are designed as tasty treats, so pets find them very enjoyable, but you can also add these to your pet’s meals.

General administration guidance is twice daily for up to 14 days, then once daily for maintenance.⁵ We recommend asking your vet for specific instructions regarding your pet. If you administer half tablets, replace the remaining half in the blister pack until next use.

Although crushing pills helps to hide them when mixed into your pet’s food, this doesn’t ensure your pet ingests the prescribed dose – especially if your pet declines to eat the entire meal. For this reason, your vet may not recommend crushing pills.

It’s fine to split chewables if your vet recommends it. Always replace the unused portion in the blister pack to keep it clean until next use.

If your dog finds taking a pill challenging, try adding the pill to their favourite meal. Or introduce a high-value treat to turn administration into an enjoyable experience. Studies show that 63% of owners combine tablets with food to ensure their dog accepts it.⁷ You can also talk to your vet about the suitability of Apoquel Chewable if your dog is reluctant to accept film-coated tablets.

Apoquel Chewable is designed as a tasty treat your dog will enjoy. Equally, you can add it to your dog’s meals to help make treatment more of a treat, always refer to your vet’s advice for specific dosing.

Apoquel Chewable tablets are enhanced with a tasty pork liver recipe to make them highly appealing to most dogs. However, this makes them unsuitable to the small number of dogs with a pork allergy. It is thought approximately 2% of dogs with food allergies have one specifically to pork.¹⁰

While you can switch between film-coated tablets and chewables, your dog may prefer to keep on one of the products regularly. We recommend talking to your vet regarding swapping the format to understand suitability and best way to do so and ensure that your prescription is for your preferred format.

Apoquel Chewable tablets have a highly enjoyable pork liver flavour that makes them a tasty treat to most dogs. Yet this makes them unsuitable to a tiny number of dogs with a food allergy specific to pork. It is thought only 2% of dogs with food allergies have an allergy to pork.¹⁰

Just like humans, pets have taste preferences. Pills may have an unfamiliar taste and texture that they might reject. This is why chewable products often come in flavours that appeal to pets, such as pork liver flavour in Apoquel Chewable making them more acceptable.

Texture also plays a crucial role. Chewables are designed to be more enjoyable and can mimic the texture of treats, which pets are more likely to enjoy. This makes the process of giving medication less stressful for both you and your pet.

Chewables can be easier to administer because they can be given as a treat, whereas pills may need to be hidden in food or placed in your pet's mouth, which can be challenging if your pet is a picky eater or has a strong aversion to pills.

As chewables are more appealing in terms of taste and texture, pets may be more likely to take them, leading to improved compliance. Speak to your vet for advice on the best approach for your dog.

Yes, we always advise talking to your vet when considering a change to your pet’s medication.

While you can swap from one product to another, your dog may prefer to stay on one product routinely.

Remember to check with your vet that your prescription is for your preferred format.

Although Apoquel Chewable comes in a tasty pork liver flavour that’s highly appealing to most dogs – it is not suitable for dogs suffering from a pork allergy.

Only about 2% of dogs with food allergies have one specifically to pork.⁹ Side effects can be sickness and diarrhoea – but these are very rare and stop on their own. If you suspect your dog has an allergy, ask your vet for advice.

Apoquel tablets (film-coated tablets) are best suited for dogs who don't mind taking pills, so administration is not an issue. But for dogs that find pills more challenging, the chewable version can make the process simpler and stress-free.

Apoquel Chewable tablets may be more convenient for the majority of pet owners to administer as they are a more enjoyable, treat-like experience for your dog.

Apoquel Chewable is demonstrated to be as effective and safe as Apoquel tablets after the first dose.⁹ However, Apoquel Chewable could lead to better compliance, particularly among dogs that find pills challenging to accept.

In a study:

65% of dog owners indicated that they had difficulty giving conventional tablets to their dog.⁷

70% of dog owners preferred Apoquel Chewable over Apoquel oral tablets.⁷

Zoetis do not recommend the crumbling of the tablet. Whilst there is no contraindication on the product labelling specifically prohibiting crumbling of the tablet into or on top of a small amount of food, this would not be the preferred nor the recommended method for administering the tablet since it may be difficult to ensure the dog has successfully ingested the full contents of the crumbled dose or to tell how much of the dose the dog did ingest, should the entire amount of food the tablet is crumbled onto not be consumed.

Apoquel Chewable is easier to administer, as its taste and texture turns treatment into a treat. If you are unsure about which product is most appropriate for your dog, ask your vet for advice.

Apoquel Chewable tablets aren’t just for picky eaters, but they were created with picky eaters in mind. That’s because 65% of dog owners reported challenges in tablet-based treatments, and 32% worry that their dog is not properly experiencing the benefits of conventional tablets.⁷

For these reasons, Apoquel Chewable is designed as a tasty, chewable treat for more dogs to enjoy – without the challenges sometimes associated with film-coated tablets.

References

1. Gadeyne C et al. Efficacy of oclacitinib (APOQUEL^®) compared with prednisolone for the control of pruritus and clinical signs associated with allergic dermatitis in client-owned dogs in Australia. Vet Dermatol. 2014; 25: 512–e86.

2. Gadeyne C et al. Efficacy of oclacitinib (APOQUEL^®) compared with prednisolone for the control of pruritus and clinical signs associated with allergic dermatitis in client-owned dogs in Australia. Vet Dermatol. 2014; 25: 512–e86.

3. Cosgrove SB et al. A blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of the Janus kinase inhibitor oclacitinib (APOQUEL^®) in client-owned dogs with atopic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol 2013; 24: 587−e142.

4. APOQUEL^® SPC.

5. Visser M. et al. Acceptance of oclacitinib maleate (Apoquel®) chewable tablets in client-owned dogs with allergic and atopic dermatitis. BMC Vet. Res. 2022;18:103

6. Global Apoquel-Cytopoint brand health tracker W6 2024. Zoetis global sell in data Apoquel and Cytopoint: 2013-2024.

7 Outcomes Research Report No. 22INTLORDERM-01-01

8. Cosgrove, SBet al. Long-term compassionate use of oclacitinib in dogs with atopic and allergic skin disease: safety, efficacy and quality of life. Vet Dermatol. 2015;26(3):171- e35.

9. Fleck, T et al. Speed of onset of a new chewable formulation of olacitinib maleate in a canine model of IL-31-induced pruritus. J Vet Pharmacol Ther.2022;45(4):380-384

10. Mueller, R. Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats. BMC Vet Res. 2016:12:9.