Archive · 10 Aug 2026
FDA Warns of Rising Pet Overdoses on Apoquel Chewable
There is a tasty medicine called Apoquel Chewable that helps dogs stop itching.
It smells like pork liver, so dogs and cats love the taste.
Sometimes they eat too much of it, even a whole bottle at once.
That is called an overdose, and it can make pets very sick.
The FDA has counted 259 sick dogs and 64 sick cats since the medicine was approved.
Cats get sicker from this medicine than dogs do.
Sick pets may throw up, feel very tired, or have red and swollen eyes.
The medicine is only for dogs, not for cats.
It is very important to keep this medicine where pets cannot reach it.
If a pet eats too much, it needs help from a veterinarian quickly.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports a rising number of pets accidentally overdosing on Apoquel Chewable, a flavoured medicine approved only for dogs.
As of April 2026, there have been 259 reported overdoses in dogs and 64 in cats since the medication was approved by the FDA in June 2023.
Apoquel Chewable contains the active ingredient oclacitinib and requires a veterinarian's prescription to control itching and treat atopic dermatitis in dogs older than one year.
The pork-liver flavouring makes the tablets so appetising that dogs and cats sometimes eat an entire bottle's contents.
Signs of overdose—vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, eye redness and swelling, and effects on the heart, brain, kidneys, and liver—usually appear within 24 hours and can be life-threatening.
Cats are more likely to experience serious side effects, and the FDA encourages consumers to report incidents to Zoetis, the manufacturer of Apoquel Chewable.
- Who
- Dogs and cats, their owners, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Zoetis, the manufacturer of Apoquel Chewable.
- What
- A rising number of accidental pet overdoses on Apoquel Chewable, a flavoured prescription medicine used to control itching in dogs.
- When
- Reports counted as of April 2026; the medication was approved by the FDA in June 2023.
- Where
- The United States.
- Why
- The pork-liver flavouring tempts dogs and cats to overfeed on the tablets, sometimes consuming an entire bottle's contents.
- Medication
- Apoquel Chewable
- Active ingredient
- Oclacitinib
- Approved for
- Dogs older than one year; not approved for cats
- Dog overdose reports
- 259 (as of April 2026)
- Cat overdose reports
- 64 (as of April 2026)
- FDA approval date
- June 2023
- Manufacturer
- Zoetis
- Overdose signs
- Vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, eye redness and swelling, effects on heart, brain, kidneys, and liver