Death after Oclacitinib (Apoquel) in dogs

1,431 reports to the FDA describe death in dogs given Oclacitinib. That is 4.9% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 5.2% across reports for all dog medicines.

1,431Reports

99%Marked serious

0.1%Recovered

100%Died or euthanised

31 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

164 18%

1–2 days

72 7.7%

3–7 days

70 7.5%

1–4 weeks

162 17%

Over a month

468 50%

How the animals did

Recovered

1 0.1%

Still unwell when reported

4 0.3%

Died

632 44%

Euthanised

794 55%

Problems reported at the same time

369 26%

328 23%

321 22%

252 18%

213 15%

183 13%

171 12%

169 12%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

112

4–7 years

347

8–11 years

505

12+ years

272

About this medicine

Oclacitinib controls itching from allergies (tablet, a JAK inhibitor).

Products with this ingredient include Apoquel. The FDA hides brand names in its public data, so these reports cover every product with the same active ingredients.

Questions owners ask

Can Oclacitinib cause death in dogs?: 1,431 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 31 days of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Death with similar medicines

Death after Cyclosporine (Atopica) 755 reports · 4.9% of its reports
Death after Ilunocitinib (Zenrelia) 141 reports · 6.4% of its reports

All reported side effects of Oclacitinib in dogs · Medicines most reported with death