Has your dog reacted badly to 'Cytopoint' injection (new anti-itch shot)

[Barry N]

we lost our sweet maltipoo after his 4th shot of cytopoint. given last thursday and then fever, lethargy and then vomiting / diarrhea almost 5 days lost injection. then anorexia. we syringe fed him bone broth, water and baby food. he vomited early this am and began seizing. i held him as he died. we are crushed. i effectively killed him with this medicine. my heart is shattered and my head is aching with the reality of his death. i’m sick.

Hello. I hope you receive this message! Did your vet inform you of the potential side effects of Cytopoint? Did you contact Zoetis, manufacturer of Cytopoint? FDA? I would like to hear from you and the history of your experience using this harmful antibody. Thank you.

 

[Barry N]

Alright well here I am, get ready for the longest post on this thread! Sorry in advance. Practically in tears because I don't know what to do. A little back story first....For 4 years my dog has been struggling with environmental allergies. My dearest Jada, she is a 10 year old beagle mix was given the Cytopoint shot 2 weeks ago. She was on Apoquel for over a year but I noticed as time went on it started to not work and after doing research I felt it was not good for her long term so I took her off of it. I tried several natural remedies which obviously didn't work. During the time she was off of the Apoquel her scratching got so bad to the point she had to practically live in a cone of shame. What a terrible way to live as a dog! So I went to social media and so many people recommended this Cytopoint shot. I contacted my vet and they thought it would be a good idea. I wish now that I saw this thread, I also wish I asked those people that had good reviews about it how long they have been giving it to their dog. In any event, I may ramble here as I am not sure any of this information is linked to one another.

2 years ago my vet noticed that my dogs liver levels were elevated significantly. She suspected Cushings, tested negative for it. (Now I wonder if it was apoquel related). She has continued to have elevated liver levels over the course of two years and the doctor thought it was just due to her age. We monitored it and she never had any bad side effects and all her other levels were fine. Fast forward....

Yesterday I get home from work (remember exactly 2 weeks from the first Cytopoint shot) my dog seems fine....she goes out to the bathroom comes inside and I can just tell she isn't comfortable. Her tail is tucked and she barely wanted to go up the stairs or get on the bed. All night long she was restless and uncomfortable. She would lay down and get up 30 seconds later to switch spots. She was panting a little bit. The next morning she did not want to eat, she did go to the bathroom normally but you could still tell she was uncomfortable. Her abdomen was tight and she just did not feel good. I normally take my dogs to Banfield, never again! I called another vet today who got her in this afternoon. She took some X-Rays and did a full blood work up. The vet suspects Pancreatitis but is unsure until we get an ultrasound done (coming soon). The full blood work up showed her liver levels went down about 300 which is good. It is interesting she has been off the Apoquel for 4 weeks now...coincidence?

I am at a crossroads here. I do not know what is causing my dog to have this reaction randomly yesterday. She had no reactions after the Cytopoint shot but as I see several people here mention it works wonders at first and then the second shot is when the nightmare happens. I am PETRIFIED. She is supposed to go in 2 weeks for her second shot. Without it, she is literally miserable, cannot be a dog and lives in a cone of shame. I do not know if Cytopoint has caused her to act the way she is or if maybe she has another issue going on (elevated liver levels for 2 years). Does anyone here have any other options for severe allergies? I am not at all opposed to taking her off Cytopoint if there is something else better that works. I just really need some advice. I feel like im honestly screwed either way at this point.\

FYI, she is home now. They have her on gabapentin and a low fat diet while I monitor her for the night. If she gets worse I need to take her to the emergency vet for monitoring. I have had her for 10 years and she is my baby. Both myself and her brother would not know what we would do without her.

Thanks in advance!

-Lindsey

Hello Lindsey. How is your dog doing? Did you cease allowing your dog to have Cytopoint shots. I hope so!

 

[Barry N]

Hi all. Just joined here as I was looking for information on Cytopoint experiences since my dog is in the middle of his seasonal outbreak and I'm trying desperately to stay away from drugs. Adding my experience here for anyone else in the same predicament. Apologies in advance for the length:

My dog’s name is Daryl. According to wisdom panel, he’s 87% American Staffy and 13% American bulldog. He is a neutered male who is almost 5 years old. I’ve had him for almost four years. I live on the north side of Chicago. When I first got him in February 2017, he had no allergies, but as our first summer together progressed, he started having small welts and would lick his paws and scratch at his face. He was put on Apoquel for the first summer, but it began losing its effectiveness towards the end. I then transitioned him to a partially raw diet (raw at night, kibble in the morning) and that seemed to reduce his outbreak so that it only lasted a couple months versus the almost 6 months he had it initially. I kept him on Apoquel for a month or two during the summers, but it stopped working entirely and I didn’t want to keep it up anyway given the warnings about long-term use.

Last year on August 28th when the licking and scratching returned full force, we tried the cytopoint shot. Nine days later, September 6, he had an upset stomach and was vomiting and unable to keep food down. I fasted him for a day then fed him a bland diet for a few days, with varying degrees of success. He didn’t improve until he went on Cerenia and continued the bland diet for a week or more. I can’t say if it was related to the shot or not since it happened so far from the date of the shot, but I couldn’t pinpoint anything else that would have caused it and he’s not had these issues before. For the most part, aside from that, the shot seemed to help with his itching, though he seemed to have more ear funk after the shot. He only had the one shot and it got him through the 2019 season.

All that said, before the shot, he was hovering in weight around 78 lbs. Since the shot, nothing has changed as far as his diet, but he hovers around 83 lbs (he was 85 lbs the last time I weighed him). I have been cutting down his food and increasing his exercise, but the only way he lost 2.5 lbs was when we were walking more than 14 miles every weekend (plus 4-5 mile walks every weekday). When that was not sustainable due to the hot summer we’ve been having, he quickly gained it back. He honestly doesn’t eat that much (12-14 ounces of raw at night and ¾ cup of kibble with pumpkin in the morning). Of course, there are treats here and there, but fewer than he used to get, and I still can’t get his weight down. His blood work was fine when I last had it checked in November 2019. His allergies are getting bad again and I’m trying to treat it holistically with baths and wipes and such because even though everyone says weight gain is not a side effect, I feel like it messed up his system somehow. I saw a couple other people mention weight gain online so maybe I’m not completely off base… something to consider before going down the Cytopoint road and the main reason I'm staying away from it.

How is your dog doing now? Did you stop giving your dog Cytopoint hopefully? I am reaching out to as many pet owners as possible to learn of their experience with Cytopoint. Please do let me know. Did your vet ever warn you about the potential side effects of Cytopoint? Did you ever contact Zoetis. FDA? Thank you for your help.

 

[Barry N]

Hello everyone,
I’m so very sorry for all those who have lost babies to this awful drug. My Anna is a 2.5 year old Golden Retriever. She has no health issues except occasional yeast infections in her ears. Our vet said allergies were probably to blame because her paws were red and she was chewing on them. So he recommended Prednisone.
I took Prednisone for allergies in May 2020 and it made me feel awful. A google search told me it made dogs feel awful too so I opted for the Cytopoint injection because my vet said it had “almost No side effects and was great”
Now I’m terrified. Anna has been a little lethargic but is still getting up to play and eating and drinking. I noticed her being clingy with my husband after the first day, which she isn’t usually. That’s what prompted me to search reviews on this drug.
it’s been 3 days since the injection. I’m watching her closely and I’ll update after a while, hopefully with good news. I really wish I hadn’t gotten the shot for her.

Hello Monica. I am trying to contact as many pet owners as possible who pet might have been injected with Cytopoint. Can you please tell me how this experience has gone. Many pet owners have stated that they lost their pet to this antibody. I appreciate your input. Thank you.

 

[Barry N]

My dog has a dermatitis on his eyelid. The vet put him on an antibiotic ointment for his eyelid first then a week later gave him a Cytopoint shot. He is having some problems hearing now. He also seems to be more lethargic (maybe because he can't hear as well). It seems to have occurred after the Cytopoint shot. Has anyone had a problem with Cytopoint causing hearing loss? Thanks.

Hello! I have been trying to contact as many pet owners as I can find who have had their pet injected with Cytopoint. CAn you please give me an update on your pet? Did your vet warn you about potential side effects of injecting your dog with Cytopoint? Did you file a complaint with Zoetis, manuacturer of Cytopoint, as any time? FDA? How is your dog doing? Thank you for your help.

 

[Barry N]

My dog MAX was itching a lot . I took him into the local vet. they gave him a cytopoint injection he became very lethargic and Short of breath . I rushed him to the Vet hospital he was diagnosed with AIHA Autoimmune hemolytic anemia. He received 4 blood transfusions with out response.
We were about to euthanize him but we decided to give him one more blood transfusion. His blood count slowly returned to normal after several weeks. This was in April of this year. He is almost back to normal but he has to have medicine daily. Cytopoint needs a warning label.

Hello Mark. Did you vet ever tell you about the potential side effects of Cytopoint? THX

 

[Barry N]

Sorry for your loss. My dog has had this shot recently (twice), and, within a week both times, her face swelled up, she was lethargic, didnt eat, didnt want to play, and threw up a lot. We had a bunch of tests, to no avail, so I finally put it together. Shame on this company and the FDA.

Hello! I am trying to contact as many dog owners who have had their pet injected with Cytopoint. I just lost my dog to this antibody and I have done a great deal of research. Did your vet inform you ahead of time of the potential side-effects of injecting you dog with Cytopoint? Did you file a claim or compliant with Zoetis, the manufacturer? How about the FDA? Thank you for your help.

 

[Barry N]

I am so very sorry. We had a very similar situation with our shih tzu LOUIE. We took him to the vet (in Port Hueneme, CA) for constant itching. He was given the very expensive shot CYTOPOINT. The first shot seemed to help. It was recommended to return once a month to get another shot. I DID NOT come back for 3 months (COST) and he seemed ok.

Then he went back to the vet, my husband took him and he was given another shot. Still ok, but went back with my husband a month later to update his rabies shot and for an ear infection. GIVEN A 3rd shot of CYTOPOINT and that’s where we almost lost our dog. I stopped any further Cytopoint at this point.

He was completely lethargic after that. He didn’t bounce when he walked and he went downhill from there. Had blood work up done and his red blood count was at 11. He was put in prednisone. The vet would NOT acknowledge that the CYTOPOINT had anything to do with it. Vet said he had an auto-immune issue.

BUT Cytopoint DOES something with the immune response targeting what ever makes a dog itch and lowering that response! In MY OPINION it messed up his ability to produce Red Blood cells. Our vet said when he can’t walk to go to the bathroom it is time to put him down. I CHANGED VETS!!!!! went to a Holistic vet who placed him on another immune suppressant.

Ultimately he had to get TWO BLOOD TRAN$FU$ION$ and still would not produce RED BLOOD CELLS. They kept dying off. He was on two immune suppressants at that time. The ONLY SOLUTION was that he was so miserable on all the medication the vets had given that I TOOK HIM OFF ALL MEDS! Guess what......HE IMPROVED!!! Saw improvement within days and had blood checked about a month later.

No longer anemic! Holding his own with pink tongue. Bouncing as normal, scratches some but I don’t care. That medication is horrific And my dog should never have been given it every month. Vets make money by giving shots and medication and I have been told animal meds are not researched as much human medications are.

So it’s trial and error with OUR PETS. DON’T BUY INTO CYTOPOINT AND RESEARCH ANY MED THAT VETS ARE PUSHING. I really lost faith in them. Good luck! and the Vets don’t want to acknowledge or even consider that this drug is bad. Why is that I wonder? Again, I feel for you. It is really sad.

Great write up and you are completely accurate in your assessment. I just lost my dog to Cytopoint. I assume your vet never warned you about the Cytopoint side-effects. Vets get REWARD POINTS from Zoetis, manufacturer of Cytopoint. Did you ever file a compliant with Zoetis? FDA?
Thanks for your input.

 

[Barry N]

PLEASE report this 'Vet prescribed medication' if you have used it and had ANY negative results IN WRITING to the VET who gave it and to the animal medications board of your country as without people REPORTING NOTHING WILL CHANGE and more pets and owners will continue to pay for it, get their pet vaccinated with it and have more issues

US https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/veterinary-medication-errors
UK https://www.gov.uk/report-veterinary-medicine-problem

If another country then google "animal medication problems/issues" to find your countries reporting website, it take minutes and YOU are the experts who know the affects

Excellent! I wish that more people would follow your direction. They don't.

 

[Barry N]

My dog Daisy (age 10) passed away this week from Kidney Failure. I suspect her kidney disease was linked to Cytopoint. She suffered from severe seasonal allergies and would lick and scratch herself till raw and infected. She has seen an allergist for about 4 years and received regular allergy vaccines year round that didn't do much good. She was on Apoquel for the first 2 years, but I had concerns about the effects of Apoquel. Last year in 2020 the allergist suggested Cytopoint. Switched to that in early summer 2020. No routine blood work required. Late summer 2020, her kidney values were elevated. Started her on prescription KD diet. She went back on Cytopoint this year early May. At that point, her kidney values were even higher and she had lost 2/3 of her kidney function. She received 3 shots of Cytopoint this year and ended up with Kidney Failure. Only major change is Cytopoint since 2020. No indication of Kidney side effects from Cytopoint. I asked the allergist to report this suspected link. I think more research needs to be done on Cytopoint and at least regular blood work be required similar to Apoquel requirements.

Lorraine, I know its been a couple of years but I am curious, did your vet ever warn you about the possible side-effects of injecting your dog with Cytopoint? Did your allergist ever file a complaint with Zoetis, the manufacturer of Cytopoint? Did you file any complaints with them or the FDA?

 

[Barry N]

My dachshund almost three years old. Developed allergies last May. Vet gave him Cytopoint shot, which helped. Three weeks later he had a seizure. Vet assured me it was not related to Cytopoint. In October he, again started in with itchy scratching. Vet gave him another Cytopoint shot. Yesterday he had another seizure, again about three weeks since shot. Coincidence? I have my doubts now about Cytopoint. I have call into vet. In the two plus years that I had him before the shot, he never had a seizure

Hello. How is your dog doing? Did the vet you went to inform you of the possible side-effects of Cytopoint?

 

[Barry N]

My 10 year old, golden retriever/shepherd mix was just diagnosed with IMHA (immune mediated hemolytic anemia). She suddenly began declining in health, with her symptoms including: decreased appetite, lethargy, rapid heath rate (even at rest), pale mucus membranes, rapid weightloss, extreme weakness and collapsing. She had no underlying diseases or other health issues going on.

We took her to our primary vet, who did blood work and found she had mild anemia. At this point she had been receiving cytopoint injections for about a year and a half. Bloodwork was never required as a form of monitoring with the cytopoint injections. Following this bloodwork, she became increasingly worse over the next 5 days or so. We took her for further testing and x-rays, but we were told "she is just getting old, pain is going to be normal."

We knew it was more than old age and she was taken to MedVet ER. Once there they retested her bloodwork and her red blood cells were down to 11% and she was severely anemic. She was in critical condition. She was admitted and received multiple blood transfusions and IV fluids. Additional x-rays and an ultrasound were done to rule out cancer (no masses or concerns were found). The internal medicine specialists were able to diagnose the IMHA.

She remained in the ICU for 3 additional days receiving treatment to get her red blood cells back up and to stabilize her vitals. Thankfully, she has stabilized and is being discharged today. The vet did say she will need repeat bloodwork to monitor her levels and will be on immunosuppressants, likely for the rest of her life. Her team thinks now that she has made it through the initial crisis of this disease, we should be able to manage the condition fairly well, with a few adjustments to her life.

Her team was not able to definitively determine what triggered this, but the only thing in her history that has been reported to cause this, is cytopoint. They have instructed us to stop these injections, because while we do not know if this triggered it, it seems to be a possibility.

The vet who started her on these injections never mentioned any serious side effects and there were no guidelines in place recommending her bloodwork to be monitored. I've been researching others who have had similar experiences with this and its so upsetting to see that severe side effects seems to be reported by many pet owners, yet Zoetis does not provide much information at all about possible side effects.

There needs to a change made to the safety and availability of this drug until better research and testing can be done to ensure our pets are not at risk. If we had not taken our girl to the ER, she most likely would not have survived much longer. While cytopoint did have amazing results for her allergies and itching, it is by no means worth the risk of life-threatening diseases.

I urge you to reconsider if you are considering cytopoint for your pet, and if they are/have received it please keep an eye out for symptoms and consider having bloodwork done to be on the safe side.

Hello Caitlin. I lost my 6 year dog to Cytopoint. I read that your vet never informed you of the potential side-effects of Cytopoint. Sad. Vets get "Reward Points" from Zoetis who manufactures Cytopoint. Did you ever file a complaint with Zoetis? FDA? I am reaching out to as many pet owners as I can who had their dog injected with Cytopoint. I have done a great deal of research on this product. I appreciate your input.

 

[linda2147]

I started this post a long time ago warning people to investigate before using any new medication I have not used it so have no direct info on it but like I said everyone should be very wary about anything new.]

another one to be suspicious of is the seristo collar

 

[Abigail]

My dog got skin cancer after the first cytopoint injection the tumors appeared around the shot area in the neck and then in the head. The result of the biopsy from some samples of haired skin was malignant round cell tumor. The vet never informed me about those spooky and deadly side effects. I had to find for another vet because the vet who gave the injection not offered a treatment and never admited the tumors were a side effect of cytopoint or a possible contaminated batch, although the previous cytologies, blood test and ultrasonography never showed signs of cancer. I'm deeply disappointed about vets who call themselves expert and give drugs that can harm or kill a dog for ignorance or a pharmaceutical company reward $

 

[Barry N]

My dog got skin cancer after the first cytopoint injection the tumors appeared around the shot area in the neck and then in the head. The result of the biopsy from some samples of haired skin was malignant round cell tumor. The vet never informed me about those spooky and deadly side effects. I had to find for another vet because the vet who gave the injection not offered a treatment and never admited the tumors were a side effect of cytopoint or a possible contaminated batch, although the previous cytologies, blood test and ultrasonography never showed signs of cancer. I'm deeply disappointed about vets who call themselves expert and give drugs that can harm or kill a dog for ignorance or a pharmaceutical company reward $

Hello Abigail. Great to hear from you. Do you have anything in writing from your vet in regards to Cytopoint? How is your pet doing?

 

[Barry N]

I started this post a long time ago warning people to investigate before using any new medication I have not used it so have no direct info on it but like I said everyone should be very wary about anything new.]

another one to be suspicious of is the seristo collar

How do we get the word out to the public at large? Facebook? TikTok? Suggestions?

 

[linda2147]

you can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped an so all you can do is warn them but if they don't want to listen nothing you can do

 

[Barry N]

you can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped an so all you can do is warn them but if they don't want to listen nothing you can do

We want to get the word out to a larger audience. I am looking for activist!! CAn I email you?

 

[linda2147]

you can private message me if you' like

 

[Barry N]

you can private message me if you' like

How do I do that?!
I think I found our advocacy group. Ever hear of MSPCA organization out of Massachusetts!

 

[linda2147]

go to the top and click on to the envelope, put in my name and write your post

never heard of that groupe

 

[Abigail]

Hello Abigail. Great to hear from you. Do you have anything in writing from your vet in regards to Cytopoint? How is your pet doing?

Sadly, my dog passed away. I haven't anything in writing from the vet in regards to Cytopoint, I just have the test result, the recipe and the batch number of shots were 503768 40mg and 599273 20mg.

 

[mechi2]

So sorry about learning your dog passed away