My dog on Apoquel still smells, scratches, and has greasy fur. Why?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 5 years and 5 months old | 50 lbs
My dog is currently on apoquel for allergies. She has a strong odor that cannot be controlled, every other day she can have a bath and still smells. Her fur is greasy as well. She also seems to have dandruff and scratches a lot. How can I fix this?
4 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on April 7th, 2018
Apoquel usually works very well in dogs with atopic dermatitis. It does stop the pruritus (itch) in most cases. However, allergies don;t usually smell bad. Baxcterial infection or a mite infection can cause a bad, often sweetish smell, so unless your vet has checked your dog for sarcoptes mites or a bacterial infection on top of the allergy. Frequent bathing actually may cause higher skin grease production which gives bacteria a substrate to thrive on. So I suggest the following: 1) do not bathe your dog every other day 2) make an appointment with your vet for a skin swab ( to determine bacterial infection) and a skin scrape to be looked at under the microscope. 3) Your dog may need an antibacterial shampoo for bathing (frequency according to the instructions on the shampoo).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on July 31st, 2017
Your dog may have a skin infection, most likely caused by his allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in his food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust, etc. The allergies cause a breakdown in the skin barrier and make the dog very itchy. The excessive itching and licking cause the skin infection. I would recommend taking Leo in to see the vet so he can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up the skin. You may also ask about a medicated shampoo, these can help clear up the skin more quickly. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control the allergy symptoms year round like Atopica, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on January 14th, 2018
Scratching itchiness can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea Oreo with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take him to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities. If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on August 5th, 2017
I'm very sorry to hear this. I know allergies are very frustrating to deal with and it often takes a while to find the best medication and dose. It can also be difficult and expensive to find the cause of the allergy. One thing I would double-check, is if the itching is due to a mite infestation or fleas. If it is definitely allergies, then you have different options for treatment. Antihistamines and steroids are usually effective and relatively inexpensive treatments for allergies. However, there are often side-effects with these drugs that may make them less desirable. Apoquel is a newer drug that shows promise with less side effects, but is more expensive. These will all need a veterinary prescription. A dermatologist appointment is definitely the best way to go, but I understand that they can be prohibitively expensive. If you have visited the same vet multiple times and are not satisfied with the treatment, then I recommend you seek a second opinion. Often, a fresh set of eyes can be really beneficial in discovering the problem and recommending other treatment options. You should have all of Toby's records transferred to the second vet and let them know that you are seeking a second opinion. This will greatly assist the vet in helping find the problem and best treatment. Also, let them know what your budget is. We like to recommend the best treatment first, so this will let them know that they will need to find more economical forms of treatment. I hope this helps. If you want to discuss more, you can start a consult with me.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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