How much Benadryl can I give a 45 lb dog?

Question

My 8 month old puppy gets car sick. One of my friends told me that they give their dog Benadryl so they sleep during the trip. They said their vet told them to give 1/2 tablet for every 25 lbs. As a test I gave Bauer 1 tablet tonight, and there was no effect at all. He still ran around like a wild man all night.

Is it ok to give him more? I am thinking about trying 1.5 tablets tomorrow night. I need to knock him out for my 4 hour drive on Wednesday.

Thanks in advance for your help

Answer 1

You can give Benadryl safely because it doesn't have as strong of an effect on dogs as it does on humans. You can probably give 1 tablet three times daily or two at one time. Benadryl is always 25mg and he should be fine taking that much, but should ask a vet to be safe.

Answer 2

It would be best if you could ask your vet for a specific med geared to knock your puppy out. It's not good to continue to increase the dosage just because he still ran around. Does your dog have a regular vet he visits? if so, it shouldnt be any problem to contact that vet, tell them what you need, and ask for something to give Bauer on the way there and back.

My mom has a german shep cross who totally freaks out during Fourth of July and New years with all the fireworks, and my lab cross gets wigged out during wind storms. Although benadryl works well in a pinch for emergencies, it's not ideal for car rides. There's a special med for travelling that will work much better.

Don't just give him more. It's the same as when you over dose people. Especially because dogs livers metabolize medication differently than humans!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Answer 3

I don't see how Benadryl will help with car sickness. I used to give my pup children's Gravol (which is the same as Dramamine in the U.S.) when he used to get car sick and it really helped him. He's 18 lbs and I would give him I tablet (15 mg). He gets Benedryl sometimes too, but not for car sickness he gets it for his allergies.

Here's a chart that shows how much meds you can give your dog based on his weight, but I'd still check with a vet first before just to make sure.

http://animalsunlimited.net/meds.htm

Answer 4

Your friends are stupid as I don't know what, but you don't ever ever give a dog medication that's meant for humans because dog and human bodies react differently to medications. If your dog is having issues with carsickness it's time to pay the vet a visit and discuss this. Let a licensed and board certified vet prescribe any kind of drugs for the dog and instruct you on how to properly medicate the dog. Do not listen to your friends because they don't know what they're talking about. Don't let simple advice warrant what is in the best interest of the dog because had you given that dog those pills it could have either made the dog violently ill or killed it. I have had too much experience with puppies to know you don't give them anything let the vet handle that.