Is OTC cortisone cream safe for my pregnant dog's skin allergies?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your dog. Unless this is a life-threatening reaction, I wouldn't advise using any drugs while she is pregnant. If she develops itching, trouble breathing, pale membranes, vomiting or other signs, I would advise contacting your veterinarian or a local emergency veterinarian for advice. Drug use during pregnancy should be avoided at all costs in my opinion. Maybe trying a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo and leaving the lather on her for 10 minutes may help ease the situation. Good luck with her.

I'm sorry that Mya has been having problems with continuing skin allergies! Unfortunately it is a life long problem, and there isn't an OTC cream that can help keep it under control. This kind of problem is best managed with a daily oral medication, and I'd recommend speaking to your vet about Apoquel. It's an excellent medication for dogs with allergies that has had great success in giving them relief. This may be a viable option for Mya, but speak with your vet to get their opinion. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Cortisone can help if for example this is due to allergies and it is causing him to be itchy. This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are medications such as Apoquel or prednisone which may help with the itch. 

 There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. 

Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). 

If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests.

 Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!


Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Steroid use, dosing and the taper needs to be decided upon by a Vet that has examined the pet. We can not prescribe drugs or tell you how to use a drug because we legally are not allowed to. I am sorry. I recommend calling your Vet and asking them since they have a legal relationship with you. Have a great day!

Yes, there is an OTC in the form of antihistamines, but legally I cannot recommend it for you to use on her, nor can I give you the dose. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, I cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for your dog. I would give your vet a call to get the name of the OTC option as well as the dosage.

Unfortunately, by law it is illegal for the experts at Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to recommend using any drug, including OTC drugs, without seeing the animal in person first. That's because doing so requires a veterinary client patient relationship which cannot be achieved via an internet forum. In addition, the experts cannot say for certain if a specific drug is safe for Dakota. I would give your vet a call to discuss if using an anti-histamine in addition to his prednisone is safe for him. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I think she is still being exposed to something (outside or indoors) that is causing an allergic reaction or the original allergic reaction wasn't completed treated. I would assume just like pregnant women can become more sensitive, so can pregnant dogs. I would contact your Vet and ask if you can restart the Claritin and if you can do it longer. We can not prescribe medications legally on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach because we do not have a legal Veterinary Client Patient Relationship. I hope this helps and I wish Inca a speedy recovery!