Cat ear polyp: Can Benadryl provide immediate inflammation relief?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Molly. Poor girl, I'm sorry she's so miserable. I wish we could legally say it's safe to give her Benadryl, but we can't because we are unable to see her in person. It's also against the user terms of the site. Give her vet a call now, and they can let you know if it's safe and can give you a dose for her. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to prescribe any drugs, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because we can't say for sure it's safe for Moana to take a particular drug. You are correct that the swelling could be due to you two bumping heads, and Benadryl will not help that (it would be used for an allergic reaction). I would continue to ice the swelling for five minutes at a time a couple of times tonight, but if the swelling continues to get worse or she starts to have difficulty breathing, then I would take her into a vet immediately.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Excellent question. They are all about the same though their efficacy is a bit different. This is because while they have the same mechanism of action, their bioavailability meaning how much is used by the body when taken is different. Benadryl appears to be the most effective out of the three in my experience and that is the one I would recommend though in theory they all should work. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, sorry to hear about Cole. Stomatitis is an immune mediated diseased that requires suppression of the immune system as well as antibiotics for secondary oral infection, and finally pain medications as this condition is severely painful. Unfortunately, Benadryl does not provide any of these properties. It would be best if Cole is seen by his primary care veterinarian for this condition and gets the adequate medications. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Some anti-allergy drugs are safe for us in pets and some aren’t. As long as we know the type you are using then we can give you the appropriate recommendation moving forward. The bottle should have the active ingredient listed on there. Also if you are out of Benadryl I would suggest perhaps making a quick run to pick some more up at your local pharmacy. This is just the easiest antihistamine drug to give in pets which is why we recommend this one first. I hope this helps and if you need anything else from us please don’t hesitate to ask. Take care.

Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can be used to alleviate allergy symptoms, but you will need to contact your veterinarian for confirmation and a safe dose. Legally, we are prohibited from telling you to medicate Kalisi in the absence of a physical exam and a VPCR (veterinarian-patient-client relationship). Your vet can confirm allergies or diagnosis a different underlying cause for the symptoms.

Benadryl will not help, it's probably allergy related indeed, it's a common problem in cats (may be autoimmune related as well), as long as it does not bother him there is usually no reason to treat it, if it gets worse or affects his appetite you will need to take him to the vet for a steroid injection.