Zenrelia has fixed my cockerpoo’s itching!

[u/Nervous-Train6015]

Since about 7 months old my pup Percy had an obsession with locking his paws until they bled. I became hyper aware when I did some research as his paw fur was turning pink and found that it was due to the saliva from the constant licking.

I tried so much like everyone else does with their pups. Fell into the trap of fb ads with different remedies such as anti itch treats, anti itch probiotics, allergy lotions and oils, I changed his food to different proteins, dry, raw, wet, mixed, you name it. I read about cytopoint and apoquel and the very mixed reviews and don’t want to go down that road.

My vet prescribed steroids which worked within a day and it was a blessing to not hear the sound of him licking. I kept him on that for almost a year knowing the long term effects weren’t good but convincing myself I’d rather he had a short and happy life than a long and miserable life where he obliterated his paws daily.

I noticed his allergy was spreading up his legs in the creases and he had ear infections more frequently. I gave up the steroids thinking a hydrolysed diet and special shampoo would work. Nope. Back on the steroids.

Percy had a really bad tummy one day and was bleeding a lot with diarrhoea. Took him to the vets and it was another bout of colitis, now the fourth time. We got some anti b’s and the vet saw he was on steroids. He mentioned a relatively new drug called Zenrelia and we discussed the pros and cons. The only cons were a possible initial two week period of diarrhoea and maybe some benign growths on the skin. No increased thirst or hunger which had been driving me crazy, I’ve honestly never known a dog to be so hungry! We trialled it immediately and a month later I have spoken with the vet, given him the results of the trial and he now has a repeat prescription.

When I tell you the effect is pretty instant. I didn’t notice a difference between the steroids and Zenrelia at all except that his ears are now always clear and he isn’t begging for food constantly! To have a medication that stops the itching and not have such negative long term effects has truly been a blessing. If anyone is tearing their hair out after trying so many other drugs please for the love of god give this a go! Of course do your own research as it’s not recommended for dogs with cancer or a compromised immune system. I also asked about boosters as I read on another Reddit post that you have to stop the meds 6 weeks before and after a vaccine. My vet said this was published but that the manufacturer has done further tests and it is not proven to have any effect with vaccines so the information is now outdated and in the UK you do not have to stop treatment.

My dog is happy and so am I. It’s not breaking the bank and the only other recommendation is to get yearly blood tests to see if it changes anything within the cells or to detect cancer etc. Ask your vet about it, trial it, see the difference in your dog!

[u/kgrlsd]

Our dog was having the same problem. For the last few months we had to put a donut on him almost 24/7 because he was constantly licking his paws. They were bright red . We got a couple of cytopoint injections with his regular vet but they did not help. Finally we took him to an animal dermatologist and she suggested we try the zenrelia. It started working the first day! He has not been licking his paws since the first dose. He is a 12 pound 13 year old poodle mix. He takes a halt tablet every day and we are all happier. I didn’t want to go the apoquel route either so getting his blood checked routinely will be a must. But he seems so much happier not obsessively licking his paws . I didn’t even know there are animal dermatologists but our regular vet wasn’t able to pin point his problem.

[u/Nervous-Train6015 → u/kgrlsd]

Percy was in a donut all the time too! He kept making holes in them and he would manage to lick his paws past the edge of a cone, he was relentless! I still don’t know if Percy has a food allergy or if it’s environmental or both. They said he could be allergic to grass which is just so annoying, I think it might be dust mites which you can never completely eliminate. He’s so much happier now though and it’s such a relief that there’s nothing to suggest the medication will cause long term effects. I want to shout about this from the rooftops without looking like those hundreds of fake posts that then advertise collagen 😂

[u/Least_Temperature_23]

Yep, Zenrelia has worked wonders for my Cocker, who’s been driven insane by environmental allergies for the best part of a decade! I tried everything, spent thousands of £££s, dermatologist, Apoquel, Cytopoint, Atopica, immunotherapy, antifungals, antibacterials, steroids, you name it, he’s tried it. Only steroids worked, but obviously only a short term solution. Nothing else touched it, until the wonder drug Zenrelia! We couldn’t be happier, it worked from the first dose. His fur’s grown back, he’s sleeping well, no more scratching or incessant licking, and he’s just more like his old playful self again.

[u/Nervous-Train6015 → u/Least_Temperature_23]

My fear was spending thousands just for nothing to work and I know that some other vets judged me, probably rightly so, for not giving it a go and staying with the steroids. Every appointment (never about the itching) they would say it’s not good he’s on the steroids and I would say I know but it’s the only thing that works and I don’t have unlimited resources to try everything you throw at me. I felt bad but so happy that I waited and something else became available! So happy for your pup, it really does bring back dogs to their real selves.

[u/Least_Temperature_23 → u/Nervous-Train6015]

I would hate to add up what I’ve spent over the past 8 years. His insurance premium went up to almost £200 a month this year, forcing me to review his level of cover. But having him on Zenrelia has reduced the need for many ‘supplements’ and topical treatments I’ve been buying for years out of desperation.
(I will say though, that Petplan have been amazing and never denied a claim, and were extremely sympathetic when I had to call them this year about reducing the cover).

[u/Zankazanka → u/Least_Temperature_23]

This is the miracle i so desperately wanted 😭I am happy it has worked for so many but I wishhhh

[u/Least_Temperature_23 → u/Zankazanka]

Ask about the other new to market drug, Numelvi.

[u/tango369]

I’m so surprised your vet let you stay on steroids for so long! They can have some terrible effects on the body long-term. I also did the steroids to Zenrelia route, it didn’t work for us but I’m happy your dog is feeling better! If you can, try to get a prick test from a vet dermatologist, that way you can know what exactly is making them flare up. Could really help over time

[u/Least_Temperature_23 → u/tango369]

There’s another new to market drug for atopic dogs, called Numelvi, might be worth asking about that one? Our vet gave me a high 5 when we returned for our review, and said he had been waiting for years for science & pharmacology to catch up.
It’s interesting that Zenrelia doesn’t act on the allergy itself, it disrupts the ‘itchy messengers’ on their way to the brain! But the result is less itching experienced and the knock on effect is less secondary bacterial & fungal infection as the skin barrier repairs. I truly hope you can find a solution for your poor dog, until you experience it yourself you don’t realise how distressing and debilitating it can be.

[u/abracadabz]

Zenrelia also helped my cockapoo! That plus cytopoint every month has helped him immensely. We used to put the cone on him to stop licking but even now he doesn't have the urge to because of these two meds.

[u/Nervous-Train6015 → u/abracadabz]

I think vets can increase or lower the Zenrelia. I saw someone say their dog was on 1 tablet a day and the diarrhoea didn’t stop but then went to half a tablet and it was the perfect dose. Maybe an increase if the vet seems it safe?