Pain after Oclacitinib (Apoquel) in dogs

The FDA has received 205 reports of pain in dogs after Oclacitinib. That is 0.7% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 0.7% across reports for all dog medicines.

205Reports

55%Marked serious

9.3%Recovered

20%Died or euthanised

42 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

15 11%

1–2 days

14 10%

3–7 days

12 8.7%

1–4 weeks

22 16%

Over a month

75 54%

How the animals did

Recovered

18 8.8%

Recovered with lasting effects

1 0.5%

Still unwell when reported

103 50%

Died

12 5.9%

Euthanised

29 14%

Not known

42 20%

Problems reported at the same time

Lethargy

78 38%

Loss of appetite

61 30%

Didn't work as expected

44 21%

41 20%

37 18%

37 18%

36 18%

34 17%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

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 pain in dogs?: 205 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 42 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).

Pain with similar medicines

Pain after Cyclosporine (Atopica) 151 reports · 1.0% of its reports
Pain after Ilunocitinib (Zenrelia) 36 reports · 1.6% of its reports

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