Benadryl what dosage?

[crazy4clutch]

Our now 7 month old male Clutch has been on antibiotics several times now. He keeps getting these bumps on his legs. The vet keeps telling us they're from fleas. She says he's biting because of fleas & then the bite areas become infected. I've taken in his shampoo, discussed his food, everything I can think of that would cause allergies & she's insisted that it's not an allergic reaction. I gave him the 1st bath he's had in awhile & suddenly the bumps are back!! I've been told we can give him Benadryl...he's 7 months & about 75lbs. Can anyone advise me on if Benadryl is okay & how much & how often to give it? I know if I call the vet she'll want to put him on Prednisone for the itching & we don't really want to give him steroids. Thank you!

[MarthaG]

My 20 month old rottie weighs 116 pounds and I give him one 50mg soft gel when he is really itchy. My boy is allergic to fleas and itches like crazy. I use Advantage topical flea treatment that you put between their shoulder blade and at the base of the tail. I thought fleas were gone but I had to use one more of the Advantage just recently even though I couldn't find any fleas or evidence of fleas. I bought an oatmeal shampoo at Walmart and that helps sooth the skin then I wait for a few days an apply the Advantage. Do you feed a decent quality food? I ask because my rottie can't handle corn and we feed him Wellness Core and Super5Mix. There are other foods that are good besides what I feed.

[Noelle]

Is it his front or back legs? Where at on his legs, high or low? How would you describe the bumps, like a pimple, bloody, size of a ______?

You mention that the bumps came back after a bath, how long where they gone, and how long had he had them?

Why don't you think it is fleas?

Yes, you can give the dog Benadryl, but it will only make him stop temporarily and not fix the problem. You don't want him on it for long either. If he is chewing to the point of infection, you are well beyond the need for Benadryl. You need to stop the trigger and break the cycle. Benadryl is great to help with that.

Food allergies, despite common claims, are the least common cause of itchy skin among dogs with fleas being number one by far. Inhalant allergies, irritating substances being left on the skin, shedding hair, or hair that is trying to shed, lice or mange and general dry skin are all causes that are possible as well. Some dogs don't do well on corn, wheat or other grain based diets and need a healthier food to thrive, but rarely are they actually allergic.

[targonrotts]

benadryl can be given at 1mg per pound, but we usually give 1/2 of that and works just as well and not as sleepy.
in many cases a simple 25 mg capsule is all you need.
but i agree, it just covers the symptoms but not the cause. look into it some more. can even be the shampoo you are using and even one flea bite can erupt an allergic dog.

[crazy4clutch]

I've replied to both of you twice now, but it's not showing up...after I click Post Quick Reply it prompts me to sign in which I've already done! We use Frontline for fleas & we treat him every 3 weeks because the vet recommended that due to how quickly he's growing. We feed him Eukanuba large breed puppy & that was vet recommended. The shampoo we've been using is Tropiclean Naturally Green. It's all natural, soap free, & it has oatmeal & tea tree in it. It's toward his back legs in the groin area. They do look similar to pimples, but they're not puss filled or anything...yet. He had the bumps last about 6 weeks ago. He hasn't had a bath since he had the bumps before. I was bathing him weekly/biweekly but stopped due to the colder weather here. He was on 750mg of Cephalexin twice a day for 10 days the last time he had them. They were gone after about 5 days of the antibiotics though & he'd had the bumps for about 4 days prior to starting the meds. The vet said it was due to fleas & he'd gotten a staff infection from biting himself. I've never questioned that until now. We treat him monthly with Frontline because we're surrounded by dogs whose properties meet up to ours. I'm sure the majority aren't treated. Do either of you think that the shampoo could be what's causing the itching? I'm not saying I don't think fleas could be possible, but it's strange to me that I've bathed him & suddenly they're back. Prior to the bath he's not been scratching or chewing himself.

[cambridge]

Thor has seasonal hay fever. At 110 the vet told me he can have two benadryl, I was giving him one, but vet said no give him two. This fall Percy had a hot spot on her cheek. She was given antibiotics and some creams. I gave her one benadryl to help break the cycle (itchie cycle). She is 75 lbs.

Did the vet suggest anything like frontline plus? Maybe not fleas, but maybe dog lice?

[Weily4Life]

Crazy4clutch,

Have you tried switching foods. Eukanuba doesn't sound like a very good brand of food although the website doesn't provide a complete list of ingredients for your food. It does list FOS (Fructooligosaccharides) which can be extracted from wheat as well as a number of other fruits, vegetables or grains. It also lists corn. Wheat has been the culprit in many food allergies with dogs, as well as corn. I suggest finding a different food that contains no corn or wheat and keep your dog on that for several weeks (following the gradual switch from old to new) to realize any changes in skin condition.

[targonrotts]

yes, i have seen dogs react to certain shampoos and get hives, sort of what you describe.

[MarthaG]

I wondered about the tea tree oil maybe causing problems. We use tea tree oil in our home for us but I don't know if it could be an irritant to a sensitive dog. I just use shampoo named HydroSurge with oatmeal and apple and my boy does well with it. I bought it at Walmart. If you type in HydroSurge in google you will find their website.

[TexasCLorenz]

I've stopped using Frontline- it just was not working!
I'm now trying Advantix, as we have a huge flea & tick problem. Vet says it is due to our weather. One of my Heelers has a flea allergy. The vet explained that even when he is protected by Frontline or Advantix- a flea can still bite him (the flea may die after, but that doesn't help Opie) When the flea bites, it leaves a substance under the skin and this is what causes the allergic reaction. I'm currently applying a flea product (Advantix for now) and vacuuming every day! I have too much property to spray it all (and then it will wash off whenever it rains anyway) so I'm keeping spraying chemicals to a minimum. My Heeler weighs only 50lbs, so I give him a half pill to 1 whole pill- depending on how bad his allergies are, but I have always given Rotties 2 antihistamines (I buy generic) I've also found that if a dog has allergies to one thing (like fleas) they often are allergic to others- especially corn in food.
I have my allergy dog on grain free food, so his allergies are under control (almost) Whenever we go to an area that I know we will be over-whelmed with fleas & ticks, I take a Capstar with me to give him. You have my sympathy- I constantly fight a battle with fleas & ticks! I also flea comb, every time the dogs come back in the house. Lots of work, but worth it to stop the itching!

[crazy4clutch]

Thank you everyone for your input & advice. I really appreciate it. This being our first rottie it's nice to know I can come here for advice from experienced rottie owners! I am truly thinking the shampoo could be the cause. I've rinsed him in cool water several times & it seems to help a lot. We haven't tried the benadryl yet. The shampoo is done though! Can anyone recommend a good shampoo? Thanks again everyone!

[MarthaG]

TexasCLorenz I think it was Frontline we used when we first got Moose and it didn't work. We took him to a Vet and we got Advantage and it worked.

[rencook]

Another thought-what type of detergent do you use? Does he lay on any particular bedding/towels?
I'm highly allergic to certain types of laundry detergent/cleaning products.
I would also switch him to a high quality/grain free food-Eukanuba has a lot of ingredients that dogs can be allergic too-corn, wheat, etc.

[tigerpaw709]

A reminder that Advantix is HIGHLY toxic to cats so I would be very careful about using this product if you have a cat that grooms your dog or rubs on the dog then grooms itself.

I use coconut oil and garlic to get rid of fleas. During flea season (only May-October in Nevada) I give the dogs a clove of garlic once a week and also give them about 1/2tbs of coconut oil three times a week. Yes, our dogs smell like garlic but I would rather that than having fleas. The garlic smells too strong for fleas to even get on the dog. If the fleas do get on the dog the coconut oil helps reduce any reaction to the flea bite. I used this in California where fleas are always a problem and it worked well. We never had fleas on our American Eskimos.

[targonrotts]

at our clinic, alot of our clients are on sentinel and comfortis and they are happy with the results on flea control.'regarding shampoo, try a hypoallergenic one. ask your vet if they carry a soap free brand.