Week 1: I noticed the paw licking was... less intense? She'd still lick, but not as obsessively.
I didn't want to get my hopes up. Maybe I was imagining it.
Week 2: The 3AM scratching sessions stopped. I slept through the night for the first time in months.
Her paws looked less inflamed.
Week 4: The paw licking was almost completely gone.
Her ears - which had constant gunk buildup - were clear.
The yeasty smell she always had? Gone.
Week 8: I took her to the vet for a regular checkup.
The vet looked at her paws. Her ears. Her skin.
"Whatever you're doing," she said, "keep doing it. She looks amazing."
I asked if I could start weaning her off Apoquel.
She agreed to a gradual reduction.
12 weeks later: My dog is completely off Apoquel.
No paw licking. No scratching. No ear infections.
Her coat is shiny. Her eyes are bright. She's playing like a puppy again.
And I'm saving $1,500+ a year on medications that were only masking the problem.