Anyone have to give their dog benadryl for itchy skin??.does it work?

I have and it does work but ONLY if the itchiness is due to allergies. It can take up to a week before you really start seeing results if the allergies are bad. You should visit your vet first to see if something else is making your dog itchy such as mange mites (you can't see these without doing a skin scraping). If your vet confirms allergies, s/he can give you the correct dosage for your dog. IF it is allergies, I recommend a diet change to a food with no grains and a single source of protient. Fromm's Duck and Potato is a good choice for allergies. If you want something less pricey, Canidae might also work as long as your dog isn't allergic to rice. If it is environmental allergies, a cool (MUST be cool) bath in a hypoallergenic dog shampoo will easy the irritation a bit. After that, wipe the dog down with a damp cloth, paying close attention to the insides of the toes and ears, everytime it comes in. That will help a little by removing allergens that collected on the coat.





FYI You can get a 100 count bottle of the Target brand benedryl for less than $4.00.

Anyone have to give their dog benadryl for itchy skin??.does it work?
I personally don't, but I have heard of people doing it. If I have an itchy puppy from dry skin or a reaction to the outside, then I spray them down with a doggie hydrocortisone spray. It works quite well.
Reply:Yes, my vet recommended it and it does help!
Reply:Yes, it does help. My allergy dog did get some temporary relief from it. Call your vet to find the correct dose for your dog - it varies by the weight of the dog.
Reply:I have used this product before and it does work.
Reply:I have tried it once, but wasn't happy with how my dog reacted to the medication. I ended up changing his food, his problems went away.





You might want to find out what your dog is allergic to, and change that, instead of medicating the dog.
Reply:It depends what the itchy skin is from. If it's from an insect bite or allergic reaction to something, then yes - it works fine. My 47 lb boxer would get 1 tablet of benadryl every 12 hours until symptoms subsided. I'd also bath the dog with an oatmeal based shampoo to help relieve the itch.





A side note here : my other boxer was allergic to Benadryl. She got bit by an insect and broke out in hives. Having gone through the same thing with another boxer, we had both steroids and benadryl on hand. Anyhow - she got hives, got 1 benadryl - hives didn't go away, so she got 1 steriod pill. No hives. 12 hours later she got 1 benadryl, got hives, gave another steroid pill, hives went away. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but it took me 3 days to figure out that it was the Benadryl causing the hives. *sigh
Reply:the dose all depends on the size and weight of the dog. I would contact the vet, itchy skin can be caused by food allergies or other skin disorders. the vet can tell you exactly why the dog is itching and usually give you medication to use it baths or to mix in food that really helps
Reply:I just spent $122 on an allergy test for my pup, only to have the vet tell me to give her 50 milligrams of Benadryl a day after the results came in. Go figure.





I just started giving it to her two days ago, and I think I'm seeing some improvement. It'll take some time. If your dog is very young, it may be food allergies, which is another angle we're tackling with Bella (my pup). I've got her on this Nature's Recipe, which is a hypo-allergenic dog food sold at Pet Smart. It's got no corn, wheat, beef, soy - nothing that causes allergic reactions in some dogs. I've got her on the vegetarian formula, but the vet says it takes 6 weeks to notice any changes in her itching.





But everyone I've talked to said Benadryl is helpful, so I'm banking on that. I'm sure your dog will respond to it too. Good luck!
Reply:I know a dog owner who told me her mastiff has to take benadryl but I assumed at the time that this was a perscribed dose for his size and in a canine form maybe? In any case, I know she didnt give him her benadryl if that is what you are asking...I would talk to a vet before I ever did something like that. Whatever kind of benadryl the mastiff was on was for itchy skin that was flaking off with fur and it keeps that in check apparently. He has to be on it at all times and when a petsitter forgot, he got blad patches by the time she came home on business. It is possible that the drug for dogs is the same as for us but I think you should be very careful about this type of thing. I know vets sometimes will compare an animal drug to a name we recognize so that we understand its function. But it isnt that drug at all - it is just a way to get us to rlate and understand what we are treating the animal with.
Reply:It does work a little but if a dog is really tearing itself up get your vet to give it a shot of vanalog (sp?) and that will really do the trick.
Reply:yes


my dogs vet recommends it as a premedication for her vaccines too. (my pup is allergic to lyme vaccine so we take precautions with all vaccines now)
Reply:I have given my poodle benadryl when it got a shot one time, but I do not know if it would work for that, but it it used for itching in babies. Make sure to call your vet first to find out the right doses!
Reply:i had to give it to my dog before. she got a hold of a frog and it (frog) made her face swell up. use the children's kind and cut the dose according to the dog's size. it can make him/her sleepy. good luck trying to get the med in the dog though. good luck.
Reply:It treats the symptoms, but not the problem. If your dog has allergies, you might want to find out what they are. It's not a good idea to give any dog OTC medicines without advice and dosage from your vet.