Has anyone ever given their dog Benadryl?

Question

My pekingese seems to have skin allergies and I don't have the money to take him to the vet again. I read online that you can give a dog Benadryl on two different sites. Has anyone tried it? I'm afraid of hurting him or worse!

Answer 1

You can, I have & vets do perscribe it to dogs. Here is a site that will give you the correct dosage http://animalsunlimited.net/meds.htm I would want to know what is causing the allergy. You would not want to keep your dog on this for life. I would use it temporarily until you can get him to the vet. Good luck.

Answer 2

Yes, you can give your dog Benadryl. I gave it to my Dachshund for over a year. She has allergies, and the vet told me to use that for her. The dosage for my dog, who weighs around 15 pounds, was 1 capsule every 8 hours. I'm not sure what the dosage of the liquid would be; the vet told me it wasn't strong enough for my dog's case. She's on an prescription now..we use Atarax, and it's only $20 for 60 pills which is a month's worth, because you only use it 2x a day.

I would also suggest to you that you buy some Hydrocortisone spray and some oatmeal shampoo for the dog. Bathing the dog with lukewarm water and the oatmeal shampoo will make him feel better for a while. The spray is good for immediate relief and in between medicine doses. Hartz makes a good version of both, and they cost about $3 -$5 for each product.

For more information about allergies, you might want to read the articles at www.drsfostersmith.com. Look under "Pet Education" and look up allergies. They have some good information there. The site is a store for pet supplies, but it is run by two veterinarians.

Answer 3

I just gave my own dog Benadryl today as a matter of fact for the same reason you're asking. I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and it helped with her constant itching problem. She weighs 19 lbs and i gave her a half of one. She did become sleepy though but she has stopped chewing herself bald today. :) I have also given Benadryl to my Boxer whenever she broke out in hives. The Vet advised me too. The hives would go away within a day without having to take her to the Vet. I also gave my Boxer Benadryl whenever she got stung by a bee. Her face would always swell up. The Benadryl took away the swelling about an hour after being stung. Also when I worked at doggy day care a Miniature Schnauzer was highly allergic to bee's and almost died under the owners care. So after that the Vet told the owner to ALWAYS have Benadryl on hand in case he got stung again and we at Doggy day care had it there just for him.

Answer 4

You can give benadryl but you have to be careful not to give too much. I gave my 18 lb dog a half of a 12.5mg capsule. But I would talk to your vet first.

If she has skin allergies it could be food related. I would try a different food with less allergen causing ingredients. I have a link below. It is all natural and guaranteed to improve her skin and coat.

Some food with dyes, ground yellow corn even chicken or wheat can be an allergen to some dogs. The food I listed below doesn't contain any of those ingredients. If he doesn't do well you can return to the store with your receipt for a refund. Give it at least a week or so to take effect.

It is a cost effective way to see if it is food allergy. Plus he will eat less because it will fill him up better. They have ingredients like you and I would eat. I have been using this brand for 11 1/2 years. My dogs still act like puppies!!!!

Good Luck!! Let me know what you think!

P.S. If it is as simple as a food allergy then you won't have to give her meds to prevent itchy skin and save money from visiting the vet if the food works, which I think it very well may.

Answer 5

I have given my thirty pound border collie Benadryl on a few occassions and it really works. Make sure that you give your dog a weight appropriate amount of children's Benadryl. An average child's dose will be for a 60 pound child so about 1/4 of a dose will be appropriate for a 15 pound dog. A little bit extra won't hurt.

Answer 6

I think it's safe to give a dog Benadryl, but you should be very careful about dosage. I was going to tell you that the vet could explain the correct dose, but you don't want to visit the vet, so...

Also, are you sure it's skin allergies, and not something like mange or perhaps simple dandruff? I would be sure this is what is wrong with him before pumping him full of medication that might be utterly unnecessary.

Answer 7

Yes you can give your dog benadryl. Read the posts form the Vet Techs above and don't give more than a quarter of a pill without talking to your Vet.

Answer 8

Yes,you give 1 mg.per pound of body weight twice a day.You can also try a medicated shampoo,or an oatmeal shampoo,and give him a fish oil capsule (1000 mg),once a day.I've given it to my dogs plenty of times.Just be sure to get the dosage right.You should probably buy children's Benadryl,and make sure you don't get the kind with Tylenol,or a decongestant in it,as these drugs can kill your dog.

Answer 9

yes. our dog had some kind of skin mites that were irritating him. the vet recommended that we give him one 25 mg tablet of benadryl a few times a day. He was puppy then and is fine now, your dog is smaller but I don't think benadryl comes in less than 25 mg tablets. your dog will be fine if you give it benadryl.

Answer 10

I also have a dog with skin allergies and I have asked my vet what to do for her the vet told me to give her Benadryl . She weighs 10 lbs and I give her one tablet every 8 hrs as needed for outbreaks .It does not hurt them it will keep them from eating their skin off. Just wrap it into some cheese or whatever they like. hope this help your problem .Feel free to e-mail me if this works for you I am a breeder of Pekingese and I am willing to help anyone who needs help. I am also a LVN