Are Antihistamines Effective for Canine Allergies?
I have a white pit and he seems to have allergies.
he breaks out all over his stomach and neck and
then scratches till he nearly draws blood. My vet
says to give him Benadryl. I’ve only given it to
him twice. What is your opinion on this?
Bonnie
Hazen, Arkansas, AR
My opinion depends on your dog’s response to the Bendadryl. Some allergies in pets are well controlled by Benadryl and similar over-the-counter antihistamines. Others are not.
Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is the most commonly recommended over-the-counter allergy medicine because it has a high margin of safety (although new concerns are arising about a link between Benadryl and cognitive decline in humans), and overdoses are rare. But in my experience, few pets experience dramatically reduced symptoms as a result of the drug.
If Benadryl does a good job of controlling your dog’s symptoms, then it probably will be the best bet for dealing with the problem.
If Benadryl doesn’t have much of an effect, then you may have to look into other treatments. The blog’s search function will help you find more information about hypoallergenic diets, allergy testing, allergen avoidance, flea control, omega-3s, and more potent medicines for allergies such as Atopica, Genesis, and prednisone.
Remember above all that allergies are impossible to cure. However, if you manage your pet’s problems properly, he should be able to live comfortably.
You have questions. 
Our Australian Shepherd, Sully, has allergies (both airborne and skin itchiness). We find that Benadryl is very effective for his airborne (nasal) allergies and give it to him almost daily (give the dosage recommended for the weight of your dog). Sully weighs 60 lbs. so we give him two tablets at night…it really helps him sleep without congestion and we’ve seen no side effects.
Regarding skin allergies, we think the Benadryl helps also. We also use a topical spray made for dogs called “Hexa-caine” which you can purchase from your vet. It is very effective for relieving itchiness which he gets mostly on his belly and haunches.
Hope this information is helpful to you.
Myveternarian said that most dogs have allergies, seen by excessive scratching. She said that she had not given me
benadryl for the dog because as humans it makes them sleepy.
She said that she can do a whole allergy work up like humans but too me that is too expensive and hard on the animal.
She told me to use only certain washes and do not bathe too often and gave me a oral medication without benedry. I can look on the bottle if someone wants the name. It seems to work for my pups and they do not get sleepy.
My white and red pitbull has terrible rashes such as Bonnie’s dog and prednisone and Atopica a course of antibiotics and washing her once a week with Chlorhexidine Dermatological Shampoo has completely turned her situation around in 1 1/2 weeks. Today was her last prednisone and now i HAVE TO figure out what is the least amount of Atopica to keep her comfortable. Bonnie, don’t give up on your pit and it may take a lot more than benadryl which didn’t work on my one year old dog at all. Good luck.
Our pit gal Punky broke out with hives, bumps, and a swollen face from eating some MiracleGro that spilled out of the bag. She was miserable. Her mouth and tongue were also swollen and puffy (which can be fatal!) We called our vet and she said to give her some Benadryl. I think the dose was 1mg for every pound. Within 20 minutes her symptoms improved. We also gave her lots of water. She slept hard. But the next morning she was her good old spunky Punky self! Since that incident we’ve added Benadryl to our doggie first-aid kit.
hi CYDNY. Can you please tell me what antihistamine worked for your dogs?Im really desperate because I have transferred from one vet to the other and not one of them could help my dog.My dog is pregnant as of the moment and we cant give her antiobiotics because due to excessive scratching, her skin has ulcerated and still she keeps licking and biting her skin.I just want her to stop scratching for the moment so her wounds would’nt get infected.
pawie