The label says, word for word:
ATOPICA is indicated for the control of atopic dermatitis in dogs weighing at least 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) body weight.
ATOPICA is contraindicated for use in dogs with a history of neoplasia. Do not use in dogs with a hypersensitivity to cyclosporine.
ATOPICA (cyclosporine) is a systemic immunosuppressant that may increase the susceptibility to infection and the development of neoplasia.
The safety and effectiveness of ATOPICA has not been established in dogs less than 6 months of age or less than 4 lbs body weight.
ATOPICA is not for use in breeding dogs, pregnant or lactating bitches.
ATOPICA may cause elevated levels of serum glucose, and should be used with caution in cases with diabetes mellitus.
Killed vaccines are recommended for dogs receiving ATOPICA because the impact of cyclosporine on the immune response to modified live vaccines is unknown.
Every approved medicine has a field study behind it, and the label prints what happened:
A total of 265 dogs were included in the field study safety analysis. Vomiting and diarrhea were the most common adverse reactions occurring during the study. Number of Dogs Displaying Each Clinical Observation in the Field Study (% of 265): Vomiting 30.9%; Diarrhea 20.0%; Persistent Otitis Externa 6.8%; Urinary Tract Infection 3.8%; Anorexia 3.0%; Lethargy 2.3%; Gingival Hyperplasia 2.3%; Lymphadenopathy 2.3%.
From the sheet the maker writes for owners:
Two separate products and labels. ATOPICA (dogs): NADA 141-218, FDA date of approval August 15, 2003 (sponsor at approval: Novartis Animal Health US, Inc.); label revised November 2025; the dog label has no Client Information Sheet. Dog label Human Warnings: "Not for human use. Keep this and all drugs out of reach of children. For use only in dogs. Capsules should not be broken or opened. Wear gloves during administration. Wash hands after administration."
The emergency page sorts the signs by how long you have, and the symptom checker asks what you are seeing. Reactions to a medicine can also be reported to the FDA yourself: how to report a problem.
These answers come from the approved label on DailyMed, read on 2 October 2026. Where the label does not say, the answer says so, and the vet or the pharmacist is the one to ask.
The approved use is quoted at the top of this page. It is a capsule given to dogs that weigh at least 4 pounds to control the skin disease atopic dermatitis. The label read for these answers is the one for the capsules, which are for dogs only. Atopica for Cats, a liquid, has a label of its own.
The label gives no starting time. In its field study the dogs were scored over the first 30 days. In that time 74% of the dogs on Atopica had less itching, against 24% of the dogs on a dummy capsule. Ask the vet what to expect and by when.
It is a capsule given by mouth. The label says to give it at least one hour before or two hours after a meal, and that the capsules should not be broken or opened. The label's course is once a day for 30 days. After that the vet may space the doses out, to every other day or twice a week, until the dog is on the fewest doses that still hold the effect. The label also says to wear gloves when you give it and to wash your hands afterwards.
The label says that if a dose is missed, the next one should be given as soon as possible, without doubling it. It adds that doses should be no more frequent than once a day.
The studies and the warnings are quoted above. The label has no line telling owners when to call the vet. It reports that vomiting and diarrhea were the most common reactions in its study, and that in most cases they passed while the dogs stayed on the capsules. Tell the vet if they do not pass.
The label says to keep the capsules in the original blister pack at room temperature, between 59° and 77°F, and out of reach of children.
The FDA says the best way to get rid of most unused or expired medicines is a take-back option: a drug take-back location, which can be at a pharmacy or a police station, or a prepaid mail-back envelope. If you cannot use one and the medicine is not on the FDA's flush list, the FDA says to mix it, uncrushed, with something unappealing such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds and to seal the mixture in a plastic bag before throwing it away. Flushing is only for medicines on that list, such as opioids. Do not give leftovers to another pet.
Write the dose, the times and the stop date here, then print this page for the fridge.
Dose and times: _____________________________________________
Stop date: _____________________________________________