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Using Benadryl to treat allergies in dogs, effectiveness?
My 6 yr old lab has inhalent allergies which were a seasonal nuisance when we lived in New England and now have become a year round problem down in Texas. Mostly she gets ear (yeast) and eye infections, but also a lot of chewing on her paws. The ear problems have become chronic, and we’ve tried most common treatments with success, but the infection always comes back.
My new vet down here suggested giving her 25mg of Benadryl a day for the allergies. We’ve been doing this for the past 3 days and I haven’t noticed any major improvements. Just wondering what other’s people’s experiences with Benadryl for allergies has been. Have you noticed major improvements?
She weighs about 70 pounds and I give her the pill right before bed in case it makes her drowsy. Can this be a long term solution,if susessful? The vet said that she could take it long term, but wondering about side effects of daily usage over long periods. How has this treatment worked for your dogs vs allegy shots?
Yes, benadryl can be a useful, long-term solution… if it works. I’ve heard figures something like about 15% of allergic dogs will respond to benadryl. That number goes up to 30% when you combine the benadryl with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. For some reason, the omegas interact with the benadryl and make it more effective.
I was lucky enough to have this work for my dog (she takes both generic benadryl and omega-3s every night). She has really bad year-round allergies, and the pills have been a life-saver. I would suggest two things: one, ask your vet about uping the dosage: 25 mg for a 70-pound dog might not be enough. And two, be patient before you completely give up on the benedryl: it took my dog about three weeks to begin responding to it. I have also heard that different kinds of antihistamines (there’s several on the market) can work for a dog while another kind won’t. So you might have to try several. Oh yeah, and try adding an omega supplement, it helps for my dog.
Kudos to your vet for suggesting you try benadryl before resorting to harsher solutions. Prednisone and other steriods are damaging to dogs when taken for the long-term, while Benadryl (according to my new vet) has no long-term side effects.
As far as how the benedryl works for my dog compared to the allergy shots and prednisone pills: they work ALMOST as good, with a little bit of scratching here and there, but there is still major improvement compared to no medicine at all, and no more obsessive licking of the feet. Plus, unlike the shots and prednisone, benedryl does not cause excessive thirstyness and hunger, loss of bladder control, restlessness, and long-term liver damage. Sleepiness is the only side-effect.
I wish my first vet had suggested the benadryl before deciding that my dog should just automatically be put on steroids for the rest of her life. If the benadryl doesn’t work, then you may have to go with the prednisone (make sure your vet works out a program where she is weaned down to the absolute smallest dose that will work), but only as a last resort. Good luck!
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