is it ok to give your dog benadryl?

Question

he has hotstops and is itching, biting and licking non-stop.

Answer 1

be sure to mix it with red bull or some kind of energy drink so she doesnt fall asleep

Answer 2

They are called hotspots. And giving your dog benadryl won't do anything for a hotspot. But yes, you can give your dog a small dose of benadryl (one tablet). To stop a dog from getting at a hotspot, you either have to put something over it, or put the dogs head in a cone. A hotspot is actually formed from too much moisture and irritation of the skin. You have to keep the spot dry (which obviously licking isn't going to help). You should call the vet and see if they can recommend a cream or something to put on it to promote healing.

Don't listen to the people freaking out about benadryl. Giving your dog one tablet isn't going to do anything to it.

Answer 3

never give your dog tylenol or ibuprophen or anyother pain reliever for a human unless directed by a vet, it can kill them!

as for the benadryl. it depends on the size of the dog. very small dogs usually do not benefit from it. you need to take your dog to the vet and get a dose from your vet and not someone on here. your dog could have other conditions that could make taking benadryl dangerous for them that only your vet will know to look for.

honestly since your dog is so miserable, benadryl might not help at this point anyway. your vet can give a steroid injection that can help better. but if the dog is older your vet may want to check for possible diabetes or other conditions that steroid use can make worse. i would look into allergy testing your dog. it can be expensive at first. but if you add up the misery the dog is in, the cost of vet visits, the cost of benadryl and the side effects of it. plus the health side effects of long term steriod use. it's cheaper and better for your dog in the long run. most allery tests will test your dog for allergies to common ingredients in foods, and your local environement. they can help pinpoint where the allergy is coming from. if it's a food allergy you will know what food to buy to help your dog. if it's environement and it's something you cannot remove, you can give your dog a allergy injection much like the human form of them, that will help your dog safely build a resistance to the allergen. dogs do very well after the exact allergy trigger has been found and taken care of. don't go switching foods unless you know it's for sure a food allergy. this can cause unneccessary intestinal upset. and your dog can end up itching and vomiting. start at the vet and follow their directions and ask about allergy testing. good luck, your poor little one sounds so miserable!



as for everyone giving an actual dosage, where did you get your dvm degree? do you know it's illegal to prescribe any drug dosage for a dog without a doctorate in veterinary medicine. what will be your answer when the dog has a life threatening reaction to your dosages?

Answer 4

Yes,it's fine.You give regular Benadryl ( not the kind with acetaminophen or decongestants) Give 1 mg.per pound of body weight every 6 - 8 hours.Also,if your dog has fleas,you need to get some Advantage or Frontline.Washing the dog with an oatmeal shampoo will help,too.If there's no improvement in a week,you really should take him to a vet to rule out a fungal or bacterial infection,or thyroid problems. Good luck.

And as for my knowing the actual dosage,my vet told me,and I read the Merck Veterinary Mnaual regularly.I wouldn't dare try to guess the dosage for an animal!

Answer 5

It is never okay to give your dog human medication, unless instructed to do so by your vet. There are plenty of pet meds for itching, biting and licking and there should be a common medication that can be prescribed for all of those symptoms (since they are fairly common). Either way, I would call your vet and ask about the benadryl or see if they can prescribe you something over the phone. The call is free and the pet medication should be no more expensive than benadryl, plus it is specially formulated for the dogs size and specific symptoms. Good luck!

Answer 6

I have a cat that it is ok to give benadryl to....Although, After going to the vet I realized it was allergies and not some big sickness that they thought it was... They told me the dose.......My vet was very kind and at first wanted to do some BIG operation going into the nose and checking the eye's...I suggested that it seemed like allergies..She told me the dose and Wallah..The cat is fine..It NO DOUBT had allergies!!!!!

If your dog has been to a vet you can probably call and find out the dosage... Don't forget though that some dog's do get mange and allergy medication will only make it easier to deal with and not cure it!!!!!!

Dahrma

Answer 7

Never give anything without the advice of your vet. Drugs and dosages can be waaay different from people to dogs, and you could make your dog very ill or worse.

Your dog really needs to see a vet to determine the cause of the hotspots so they can be treated, not just given a benadryl "bandaid".

Answer 8

Are you diagnosing this yourself or the vet has told you the dog has hot spots?? You should call your vet, get him to go over the dog, find out why he has hot spots ( CRAPPY FOOD ?? ) and ask him about Benedryl... Benedryl isn't a drug that should just be given to cover everything.. You need to know how much your dog weighs, and if you haven't had him to the vet, you likely don't know.. See the vet, get a proper diagnosis and then go from there.. Don't treat the Symptoms, treat the problem!

Answer 9

You need to take your dog to the vet to get his hot spots under control. Hot spots are very uncomfortable, And painful. He needs to get the right medications from your veterinarian to take care of them. Benadryl rarely helps with skin allergies in dogs.

I also agree with Bonzie, It could be something other than allergies. But only your vet will be able to tell you what is really going on, and they are the only ones who will be able to treat it.

Answer 10

Yes it's fine. Dosing is 1 mg. for every pound of body weight. So a 25 pound dog would get 25 mg. once a day.
Also, use the tablets or caplets not the liquid. The liquid usually has other ingredients in it.

Answer 11

I have given my dogs benedryl. It helps them with the itching. It won't hurt your dog. My vet told me to give benedryl whenever my dog got stung by a bee or when she broke out in hives. I knew a miniature schnauzer that almost died from getting stung by a bee so every time the Schnauzer stayed for boarding we always had to have Benedryl close by. but i'd take your dog to the Vet. He may need to be put on antibiotics for a skin infection. The skin problem could be caused by the food your feeding your dog. Some dogs are allergic to Wheat and corn. You may need to put you dog on a higher quality food.