How much Benadryl can I give my dog?

Question

I'm a dog trainer and during work this afternoon my dog was fed treats through out a 4 hour period. He started coughing about 20-30 mins after I started feeding him the treats and the cough has progressively worsened except for when he's asleep. Could this be an allergic reaction to his treats? Can I give him Benadryl? and how much is safe for a 35 pound adult dog?

He has developed a cough several times before with these treats just not his bad, I've always dismised it to thinking he was just eating them too quick. The treat I'm using with him is cubed Natrual Balance Roll. Beef flavor.

I cannot call my vet and ask, it's 11:30 pm here

Come to think of it he has had a funny rash on his belly which happened to clear up during winter break when he was not getting any treats because he was not working.(he's a demo dog)

He's alseep now and quiet, so I'll let him rest and see what happens, I'll also be changing his treats and see if that doesnt make a change with his rash and cough during classes. If he's still coughing Monday he'll be going straight to the vet. Thank you for the help. I'll choose a best answer when I find out whats wrong ;) thanks again.

Answer 1

This is the amount my vet recommends.

Between 1 mg per pound to 2mg per pound every 8 hours. The pills are usually 25mg and you have a 35 pound dog. I would give it one 25mg pill and see how it works for the first 3 - 4 hours. Then if really necessary give it one more, and you may have to give it 2 pills every 8 hours. You will still be below the max dosage my vet recommends.

I did a web search and found .5 - 2mg per pound. was recommended.

The coughing could be food "gone down the wrong pipe" I would first hold the dog with it's head lower than it's body and give it firm pats along it ribs. If that causes more coughing, keep it up for a while and see if it gets the crud up. The benedryl will let the dog sleep better most times but just like my son, some dogs will get more energized. In the morning, if your dog is still coughing you need to see a vet.

Interesting info, Most human meds are also used on Dogs. Dogs seem to have the same reaction to meds as people. Cats on the other hand can not take many people meds. Another thing. Even though dogs are usually much smaller, they have a much higher metabolism and you cant say they should have children doses of meds just because of size. In fact dogs often take a dose of meds that are often 10 times that of people. There are online drug dosages for dogs if you look hard enough.

Answer 2

Coughing is not usually a symptom of an allergic reaction. I never recommend giving dogs human medication but Benadryl is safe for dogs at the right dose. I've used it before at my vet's advice. You can give him 1/2 a Benadryl safely but I doubt it will help with coughing. Keep an eye on him and call the emergency vet if it gets worse, if not take him to the vet first thing Monday morning. Sounds more like Bordatella than an allergic reaction to me.

Answer 3

It is a big stretch to say that the treats are causing an allergic RXN (reaction) which causes him to cough. If he had GI upset or a skin rash, I would think allergies, but a cough....it just sounds like a stretch to me. The cough could be caused by a lot of different things, including eating the treats too fast, like you said. I would say that you need to contact a vet to hear their opinion on the allergy theory. It might also be good to have him evaluated for kennel cough and/or some type of obstruction. A friend of mine had a dog with a cough that got progressively worse...it turned out to be a growth inside the dog's throat.

benadryl is considered safe to use by vets, but I wouldn't give it to your dog if you don't know why he is coughing. As far as dosage, it varies....some sites say 0.5mg per lb of body weight. Some websites say to give a 40ish lb dog half of a tablet. I believe my vet recommended half a tablet for my 30lb dog. I hope that helps.

Answer 4

Im not sure I would be sure it would be an allergic reaction since he doesnt do it when he is asleep. That is the only reason I would even hesitate giving him the Benadryl for it. 25mg is a normal dose for the average person. Usually a child dose is about half of that, so 12.5mg....I would half that dose for a dog at 35lbs...so about 6.25mg and 5mg should be safe if not impossible to measure. Good luck and I hope he feels better!

Answer 5

I work in a Vet's office... be very careful here. This is a very tricky question. You can give OTC to your dog but you MUST have a vet calculate the dosage. You also don't want to mask an underlying problem like Kennel Cough with a medication. Take him to the vet. If it is an allergy he may require steroids such as pred... or a food trial. Quit giving any treats until you have him checked. If he gets worse take him to an emergency clinic in your area.

Good luck

an P.S. yes you can give OTC to your dogs... you just need a vet to do the mg. I give Bonine to my dogs for their car sickness and a allergy med for her allergies....

Answer 6

Not sure about Benadryl, but my dog (50lbs) gets 1/2 adult dose of Claratin per vets instructions. I would recommend checking with your vet before giving ANY human medicine to a dog, though. Certain ones can be fatal, even in small doses.

Answer 7

I have a 10 pound dog and my vet said to give him 1/2 of a baby dose. do the math. That was benadryl for kids though.

Answer 8

food allergies do not cause coughing. if it was a food allergy the ears and lips would of swollen up. there is probably something stuck in his throat. and for all the people posting about not to give animals people medicine, they are both the same there is no difference between people and animal medication. as for benadryl (diphenhydramine) 1-2mg per pound

Answer 9

You can give about 1 ml (or about 1/4 tsp) per 10 lbs. What you've described doesn't sound like an allergic reaction so much as the treats irritating his throat. It would be good not to give him any more of the treats until you've had this checked out by a veterinarian.

Answer 10

NEVER give a dog people medicine unless instructed by a vet!! take him to the vet he might have something stuck in his throat. Benadryl would not help that!! He needs to be checked out!