Cyclavance for Dogs & Cats: Complete Guide

Cyclavance is Virbac’s ciclosporin oral solution for dogs and cats with allergic skin disease. It is one of the most effective long-term treatments for canine atopic dermatitis and is recommended by the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals (ICADA). This guide covers everything owners need to know: how it works, the single most important administration rule (food timing), when to expect improvement, how to reduce the dose over time, how long the bottle lasts, and how it compares to Atopica.

What Is Cyclavance and How Does It Work?

Cyclavance contains ciclosporin 100mg/ml as an oral solution. Ciclosporin is a calcineurin inhibitor — a class of immunomodulator that specifically targets T-lymphocytes, the immune cells responsible for driving the allergic inflammatory cascade in atopic dermatitis.

The Calcineurin Pathway: Why It’s Different from Steroids

In atopic dermatitis, T-helper cells recognise harmless allergens (dust mites, pollens, moulds) as threats and activate an exaggerated immune response. This activation depends on a specific enzyme inside the T-cell called calcineurin. Calcineurin activates transcription factors that switch on the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and other pro-inflammatory cytokines — which then recruit more inflammatory cells, damage the skin barrier, and produce the itch-inflammation-scratch cycle that characterises atopic disease.

Ciclosporin binds to a protein called cyclophilin inside T-lymphocytes. The ciclosporin-cyclophilin complex then blocks calcineurin, preventing IL-2 production and downstream immune activation. The result: the allergic inflammatory response is damped at its source without broadly suppressing the entire immune system.

Why This Matters Compared to Steroids

Corticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone) suppress inflammation broadly — including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, glucose metabolism, bone density, skin integrity, and immune defences against infection. Long-term steroid use causes Cushing’s-like effects: pot belly, muscle wasting, thin fragile skin, polydipsia, recurrent infections, and adrenal suppression that prevents normal tapering.

Ciclosporin acts more selectively on T-cells. It does not suppress the adrenal axis, does not cause the metabolic effects of steroids, does not require gradual tapering when discontinued, and does not produce the characteristic Cushing’s signs. The concentration of ciclosporin in skin tissue after oral dosing is up to 10 times higher than in blood, ensuring high therapeutic concentrations exactly where atopic disease is active.

The Most Important Rule: Food Timing

This is the single most critical instruction for Cyclavance that is most frequently overlooked. Give Cyclavance on an empty stomach — at least 2 hours before or 2 hours after feeding.

Ciclosporin is a lipophilic molecule whose absorption from the gut is significantly affected by the presence of food and bile. Clinical pharmacokinetic data show that bioavailability in fasted dogs is not only higher but also significantly less variable between individual animals. When given with a full meal, absorption drops and becomes unpredictable — meaning the actual dose reaching the bloodstream may be substantially lower than intended, explaining treatment failures in dogs that appear to be receiving the correct dose.

The practical rule:

Ideal: Give Cyclavance 2 hours after the morning meal, or 2 hours before feeding — consistently every day at the same time
If the dog won’t take it alone: Give with a very small amount of food (a single piece of kibble, a small treat) to ensure the full dose is consumed — a tiny food carrier is acceptable
Never: Give inconsistently — sometimes fasted, sometimes with a full meal. Inconsistency produces variable blood levels and unpredictable clinical response

Many reported Cyclavance treatment failures in clinical practice are attributable to incorrect food timing, not to ciclosporin itself failing to work.

Complete Dosage Guide

Dogs — 5mg/kg once daily (= 0.05ml/kg at 100mg/ml)

Weight	Daily Dose	Weight	Daily Dose
5 kg	0.25 ml	20 kg	1.00 ml
8 kg	0.40 ml	25 kg	1.25 ml
10 kg	0.50 ml	30 kg	1.50 ml
12 kg	0.60 ml	35 kg	1.75 ml
15 kg	0.75 ml	40 kg	2.00 ml

Cats — 7mg/kg once daily

Weight	Daily Dose	Weight	Daily Dose
3 kg	0.20 ml	6 kg	0.42 ml
4 kg	0.28 ml	7 kg	0.49 ml
5 kg	0.35 ml	8 kg	0.56 ml

The Dose Reduction Pathway: From Daily to Maintenance

One of the most important and least-communicated aspects of Cyclavance use is that the daily dose used for induction does not have to be maintained forever. Once the atopic dermatitis is controlled, dosing frequency can be progressively reduced — significantly lowering cost and the total amount of ciclosporin your pet receives.

Phase 1: Daily dosing (typically first 30 days)

Give once daily at the full weight-appropriate dose. This phase builds therapeutic skin concentrations. Clinical improvement is expected within 4–8 weeks, though some dogs show earlier response. If severe itch is present at the start, your vet may prescribe a short 2–4 week course of prednisolone alongside Cyclavance to control itch while ciclosporin reaches therapeutic levels.

Phase 2: Every other day (alternate days)

Once clinical signs are satisfactorily controlled, reduce to every other day. The skin concentration of ciclosporin — 10 times higher than blood — and its relatively long tissue half-life support continued efficacy with alternate-day dosing for most dogs.

Phase 3: Twice weekly (minimum maintenance)

Some dogs maintain excellent disease control on as little as twice per week. This is the minimum maintenance frequency. If signs return on twice weekly, increase back to alternate day. Always step down gradually rather than stopping abruptly.

How Long Does the Bottle Last?

Dog Weight	Daily Dose	15ml Bottle (daily)	15ml Bottle (alt. day)
5 kg	0.25 ml	~60 days	~120 days
10 kg	0.50 ml	~30 days	~60 days
15 kg	0.75 ml	~20 days	~40 days
20 kg	1.00 ml	~15 days	~30 days
25 kg	1.25 ml	~12 days	~24 days
30 kg	1.50 ml	~10 days	~20 days

For dogs over 15kg on long-term maintenance, the 50ml bottle provides considerably better economy. For small dogs (under 10kg) the 15ml bottle covers the entire 30-day induction phase.

When to Expect Results for Dogs

Weeks 1–2: Itch may begin to reduce as ciclosporin accumulates in skin tissue
Weeks 4–8: Significant improvement in itch score and skin lesion severity in the majority of responding dogs (proven in clinical trials, p < 0.001)
Weeks 8–16: Maximum benefit with consistent correct administration

If no improvement after 8 weeks: confirm food timing compliance, rule out secondary pyoderma or Malassezia infection complicating the picture, and consider whether food allergy is contributing (atopic dogs have a higher prevalence of concurrent food hypersensitivity).

Storage: The Jelly Warning

Do not refrigerate Cyclavance. Store at 15°C – 25°C.

If the bottle is exposed to temperatures below 15°C (a cold room, boot of a car in winter, or accidentally placed in the fridge), the solution may become thick, jelly-like, or lumpy in appearance. This is a completely reversible physical change that does not affect efficacy. Simply allow the bottle to return to room temperature and the solution will re-liquify normally. Do not attempt to administer the gel-like form.

Broached shelf life: 6 months after first opening (EU formulation). Write the date of first opening on the label.

Cyclavance vs Atopica: Are They the Same?

Both Cyclavance (Virbac) and Atopica (Elanco) contain ciclosporin 100mg/ml and work by identical mechanisms. The clinical difference is the formulation.

Atopica was historically available as soft gel capsules in fixed sizes (10mg, 25mg, 50mg, 100mg). Capsules create dosing variance: a 17kg dog ideally needs 85mg but must take either 75mg (two 25mg + one 10mg) or 100mg, introducing under- or over-dosing of up to 29–33% from the ideal dose.
Cyclavance liquid allows dosing to the exact kg. A published comparison found 99.3% of Cyclavance liquid doses fell within the correct range.
For dogs that resist capsule administration, the liquid form also allows easier administration directly into the mouth or mixed with a small food portion.

At the same mg/kg dose, both products produce equivalent plasma ciclosporin concentrations and equivalent clinical efficacy. Cyclavance is simply easier to dose precisely and administer.

Key Drug Interactions

Ciclosporin is metabolised by CYP3A4 enzymes in the liver. Drugs that affect CYP3A4 significantly alter ciclosporin blood levels:

Ketoconazole and other azole antifungals: Strongly inhibit CYP3A4 — increase ciclosporin blood levels substantially. Ketoconazole is sometimes deliberately used as a dose-sparing agent (allowing the ciclosporin dose to be reduced) under strict veterinary supervision. Unintended co-prescription without dose adjustment risks ciclosporin toxicity.
Phenobarbital: CYP3A4 inducer — accelerates ciclosporin metabolism and reduces blood levels. Dogs on phenobarbital for epilepsy may require higher ciclosporin doses for equivalent effect.
Other immunosuppressants: Avoid concurrent long-term use; increases infection risk and potential for immune-related complications.

Where to Buy Cyclavance

You can order Cyclavance 100mg/ml Oral Solution 15ml from PetShopBoss.com with free worldwide shipping.

Cyclavance for Dogs & Cats: Complete Guide – How It Works, Dosage by Weight, the Food Timing Rule, When to Expect Results & Cyclavance vs Atopica