Benedryl use for calming allergies my old lab is suffering from?

My 12 yr old yellow lab has severe allergies, where his skin should be pink it is black, he itches like crazy, although I bathe him every 2 to 3 weeks it only helps a little. Anyone got experience with this.?

Benedryl use for calming allergies my old lab is suffering from?
My dog also has horrible allergies - food, flea, and something else we never could narrow down. I do give him Benadryl, but talk to your vet about how much is appropriate for your dog.





Because it is an elderly dog, you need to get him a thorough check up, in addition to being seen for the allergies. My dog is 11, and we spent a lot of time at the vet in the last year trying to treat his allergies. In the meantime, we also discovered a way to treat his arthritis, and that he had a heart murmur and thyroid problem. Once I started him on the arthritis meds, his itching slowed down a lot. Stress from another medical condition, especially one that is painful, can cause the itching to be worse. All the allergy treatments in the world did him no good until we started giving him a daily painkiller for the arthritis as well.





Talk to your vet also about how often to bathe him. The vet will tell you what is best and can also recommend or prescribe a good shampoo.





Good luck making your old man feel better!
Reply:DO NOT USE HUMAN MEDICATION ON DOGS. take ur dog to the vet! he could have a flea infestation!
Reply:Unless your Vet. has said to give your dog so many baths this is bad for him. Baths dry the skin out. I would not give Benadryl unless your Vet. says you can. There is medication out there that can help with the allergies and the itching the Vet. can give you.
Reply:If your dog has allergies, he needs to be treated for the specific allergy he has, not Benadryl. Also, being bathed that often is contributing to his problem, too. Over-bathing a dog dries out their skin (and coat) badly. To help this dog, give him 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on his food daily, or much better than that, a salmon oil capsule every day.
Reply:you need to carry the dog to the vet .
Reply:We have give our Great Dane benedryl for skin allergies, we have also given it to our smaller dog (childrens). I would try it by weight of course.
Reply:OK get childern benedryl brake it in 4 give him a pice of it its ok my vets tell me to do the with my boston
Reply:I would definitely take the dog to the vet for a check before administering medications, as there is always the chance that it is something more serious than allergies.





If it is an allergic reaction, there's also the possibility it could be a flea-related or food-related allergy, which you may want to discuss with the vet.





My border collie suffers from pollen allergies (go figure, another seasonal allergy sufferer in my house!). After examining him, my vet did suggest using Benedryl. He gets one 25 mg tablet in the morning and one before bed, with the dosage equating to approximately 0.5 mg per pound (he's 47lbs.) It's also been suggested to me in slightly higher dosages for treatment of bee and wasp stings. So, yes.. Benedryl is safe to use on dogs.





However, depending on your dog's weight and health, the vet may suggest a different solution, so it's always best to consult with them first (even if it's just a phone call to ask 'is this okay?') It's always best just to be sure! =)
Reply:yes benedryl will help for the time being. My vet has told me to use benedryl on my lab for when he get's stung by bees. So i know it will not hurt him but it will not solve the longterm problem either. Is it only durring a certian time of the year? or is it year round? if it is year long problem i would try switching his food to something else. Most allergies in animals are caused by the type of food he eats. When you switch try going to a brand that your vet offers, it may be more expensive but it will most likley end the suffering he is going through. They say when you switch the food give it a good 3 weeks and if you still don't see any change you might have to get a medication for your dog. I also have a grayhound that has to take meds for his allergies which he only get's about 6 months out of the year. Also know that bathing your dog a lot can actually do harm to the situation, as it breaks down the natural oils in his skin and causes dry itchy skin at the same time. Hope this helps! First change the food and if the situation does not get better then try a consiltation with your vet. Oh and know that benedryl will cause him to be a bit sleepy too.
Reply:YES...you can...I was told by a vet to give my beagle 1 benedryl tablet a day for this very same problem...my parents were also told to give their mini schnauzer the same...I believe the dose of 1 tablet is 30 mg. and that's what we were told to give....you may be bathing to often and drying his skin or not getting all the soap off him....may want to try a different shampoo..that may be the allergy.....Good luck!
Reply:After you rule out fleas or another medical condition, you can give your dog children's Benedryl. I can't remember for sure, but I think the dose for my 8.5 pound poodle is a teaspoon. This is assuming your dog is otherwise healthy. Good Luck!
Reply:I would say no, to giving any human medication, to a dog, unless a vet say's it's ok for your dog. If the vet says it's ok, then he can tell you the proper dose, that's safe to give to your dog according to his weight, and how much to give him, safely. I would also ask your vet, how often he recommends to bathe your dog, so his skin does'nt become too dry, irritated and sore. The vet may also, be able to prescribe something that will help with the allergies he has. Just give your vet's office a call, and they can probably tell you over the phone. I don't know what kind of shampoo you are using, but you might want to try using some "Natural Oatmeal Shampoo", that's specially made to soothe dry, irritated skin, instead! You can get it, at your local pet supply, like Petsmart, if you have one in your area. I wouldn't use, the one's they sell in retail stores, and stay away from any Hartz Brand Shampoo. Good Luck!
Reply:Yes, benedryl will help some dogs with some allergies but not all. Some dogs may need steroids or may need stronger medicine like atopica. You may want to begin recording when the allergies are the strongest so that you can determine what the dog is allergic to. This time of year, pollens are a big culprit especially for trees and shrubs. Food allergies are rare but might combine with an environmental allergy to produce the severe problems you're seeing so you might want to rule out food allergies by feeding a restricted diet (either a bag diet from your vet or a raw diet with limited ingredients) for a few weeks. You can also have your dog tested to determine what they're allergic to although this may or may not benefit you.


I would recommend talking with your vet about the best choices and try to start with benedryl and go to something more serious if the benedryl does not work.
Reply:sounds like mange, there 4 types. one type is aggrivated by water. makes it worse.





take him to vet to get a dip treatment and skin scraping.