Oclacitinib

What is this medication for?

• Pruritus from allergic dermatitis; control of atopic dermatitis
• Allergic dermatitis, possibly feline asthma (very limited data)

How is it given?

Give exactly as your veterinarian prescribed — never change the dose or stop on your own unless your veterinarian has told you to.

What if I miss a dose?

• Give it as soon as you remember — unless it is almost time for the next dose (then skip the missed one; never double up).
• Call your clinic if you miss more than one dose in a row.

Side effects — what should I watch for?

Effects listed as common in this handout

• Vomiting (~9%), diarrhea (~6%) (Most common, similar to placebo rates in field trials)
• ↓ Leukocytes, ↓ serum globulin (Documented on treatment vs. placebo)
• Mild dose-dependent ↓ hemoglobin/hematocrit/reticulocytes (twice-daily >14 days) (With prolonged BID dosing)

Worth a phone call to your veterinarian

• Demodicosis, pyoderma, pneumonia, neoplasia (isolated cases) (Causality not established but flagged in field trials)

⚠️ Contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic IMMEDIATELY if you notice

• Trouble breathing, collapse, seizures, severe vomiting or diarrhea, facial swelling, or pale gums

Before starting (or refilling), tell your veterinarian if your pet:

• has or has had: Dogs <12 months of age; serious/active infections
• has or has had: May increase susceptibility to infection (incl. demodicosis) and could exacerbate neoplastic conditions — avoid high/prolonged twice-daily dosing

• is pregnant, nursing, or used for breeding
• is taking any other medications, supplements, or flea/tick products, including:
  • Minimal CYP450 inhibition at therapeutic concentrations

Storage and handling

Room temperature (20–25°C). Do not use compounded formulations — stability/potency not evaluated.

Good to know

• Reduce from twice-daily to once-daily after the 14-day induction period — this step-down is a core part of the label, not optional; prolonged BID dosing has a documented immunosuppressive signal (bone marrow, leukocyte effects).
• Notably fast onset (within hours) compared to cyclosporine's multi-week lag — useful as a bridge or fast-acting option, including alongside cyclosporine during its induction period.
• Feline dosing is not established — treat any use in cats as investigational/extra-label with correspondingly cautious counseling.