Question re: Benedryl & dogs

Time release or regular diphenhydramine

Bottle says to take every 4-6 hours so I'm assuming that's not time release.

We've given our dogs Benadryl for allergies and itching. Usually twice a day, morning and right before we went to bed.

My vet said that grain-free dog food helps dogs with allergies.

split the dose, 25 in am and 25 in pm, will cover for 24 hours instead of just 6. If it doesn't start to help in 2 to 3 days take the dog to the vet. There are other things they can give you to help reduce the reaction. Good Luck

He'd get the fifty two or three times a day.

Benadryl takes some getting used to with dogs, because it just does not affect them the way it does humans. If there's a sedative effect at all, it is VERY subtle.

DavisK wrote:
My vet said that grain-free dog food helps dogs with allergies.

Only true with grain allergies not pollen. Actually, very few dogs, just like humans, have food allergies. For those few it helps...for the rest, dog food producers are just trying to sell their food.

Code2High wrote:
He'd get the fifty two or three times a day.

Benadryl takes some getting used to with dogs, because it just does not affect them the way it does humans. If there's a sedative effect at all, it is VERY subtle.

Agreed. And 50 mg. is on the low end of the dosage range, which is generally 0.5 to 2 mg. per pound of body weight given every 8 to 12 hours. So I wouldn't hesitate to give him 75 mg. three times a day, and I wouldn't waste time fooling with such a small dosage (25 mg.) that it likely won't have any impact at all.

I don't know what timed-release Benadryl is. You want plain old diphenydramine with nothing else in it.

Be aware that Benadryl won't help all dogs. It's usually the first antihistamine recommended because it's inexpensive and safe and many people already have it on hand. There are lots of other antihistamines that can given to dogs, many of which probably work better for more dogs than Benadryl does. So treat it as a starting point and be prepared to try something else.

I have seen Benadryl have a strong sedative effect on some dogs, and even large doses have no sedative effect at all on other dogs.

I would also recommend bathing him as often as possible. Right now I'm giving my allergy dog Zyrtec twice a day and a bath once a week and it's keeping things tolerable. I wouldn't hesitate to bathe an allergy dog every other day if necessary.

Here's a vet site that has some really good allergy information you might want to read through -- Link

Earl E wrote:

DavisK wrote:
My vet said that grain-free dog food helps dogs with allergies.

Only true with grain allergies not pollen. Actually, very few dogs, just like humans, have food allergies. For those few it helps...for the rest, dog food producers are just trying to sell their food.

Agreed.

Code2High wrote:
He'd get the fifty two or three times a day.

Benadryl takes some getting used to with dogs, because it just does not affect them the way it does humans. If there's a sedative effect at all, it is VERY subtle.

This. Some dogs have an idiosyncratic reaction - they get hyper on the high end dose.

Also benadryl is probably not the best antihistamine choice for dogs, though it is usually used first because of it's cost and availability. Hydroxyzine and doxepin seem to have more universal results.

There is a new medication, Apoquel that works on allergy (also food allergy) in a different way and precludes the need for cortisone in many cases.

Earl is spot on in reference to grain free diets.

Doug, DVM

Another thought: since it's pollen allergies - be sure and wash Jesse's bedding often, because they can bring so much pollen in on their coats (one of the reasons they say people with allergies should NOT let their pets sleep in bed with them). Also: pollen counts tend to be denser when the temps are cool, so limiting Jesse's outdoor time in the evening or early morning might help?

(The tree pollen around here is awful, right now)