Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease that causes redness and swelling on the skin of a dog. It’s hard to treat this condition with antihistamines, home remedies, anti-allergy medication, or any kind of other natural treatment.

Some anti-allergy veterinary formulations provide temporary relief from the itchy, irritating, red, or swollen dermis. But the symptoms persist after the drug is eliminated from the body (through kidneys).

Although, a huge range of antihistamines fails when used to treat eczema. Because anti-histamine drugs just block the histamine from attaching with histamine receptors while the main cause of eczema is unknown.

Does Oclacitinib Work Against Eczema in Dogs?

It will not be wrong if I say Apoquel® (generic name: oclacitinib maleate) film-coated tablet is the first choice of veterinarians when consider treating chronic eczema disease. The root cause of eczema is unknown. Some researches suggested that specific genes play an important role in developing this severe condition.

Food, pollen, or other allergens could trigger it but they are not the main (root) cause of eczema in dogs. It’s an immune system disorder (autoimmune disease), as the defense system releases cytokines continuously whether the triggers are eliminated or not.

Apoquel (oclacitinib maleate) is found magically effective in treating this autoimmune disorder. Oclacitinib is an immuno-suppressant drug that blocks cytokines that causes skin allergies in dogs. It inhibits (Janus kinase) JAK-1 (cytokines) and has a great impact on other cytokines as well.

Oclaitinib gets Cmax (peak plasma concentration) levels within one (01) hour following oral administration and has a half-life (t1/2) in between 3.5 to 4.1 hours.

Its absolute bioavailability is 89% and has a low protein binding i.e. 66.3% to 69.7%.