My dog is itchy from allergies. Benadryl makes him sleepy. What helps?

The next thing to do is go to the veterinarian. If the antihistamines are not working, he may need something stronger. These lesions could also now be infected. Make sure to protect the area from rubbing or scratching and he should wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Have him examined soon.

Poor Max. It sounds like he may have an allergy to the shampoo or an environmental allergy. If you have already tried Benadryl and a sensitive skin shampoo the next step is to get stronger medicaitons through your vet. I would recommend asking your vet about trying a short trial of Apoquel (allergy medication) on Max. You may also want to consider switching flea preventions, especially if the one he is currently on isn't veterinary approved. I highly recommend Bravecto, Nexgard, Simparica or Firstshield (Vectra) for flea prevention. I hope this helps and you can continue the Benadryl (as long as he doesn't have any contraindications to its use- i.e. Heart disease) in the meantime so that he at least has something on board for the itch. Best of luck at the vet and take care.

There are a number of antihistamines like Benadryl that can be safely used in puppies, but we always want to try to get to the bottom of what is causing the itching first. While we can see allergies in young puppies, it is less common than in adults. Before giving any medication, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Houston to see if there is anything in his ears or on his skin that is causing the problem that can be treated. We can certainly see a number of skin problems in puppies that require treatment to resolve the itching. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Benadryl is used to treat allergic reactions and allergies so if it seems to be helping then he probably has allergies. If the signs persist then he should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. He may need an antibiotic and a corticosteroid to help treat the problem. You could also bathe him with a medicated dog shampoo and see if that helps. Hope he he feels better soon!

This is so frustrating! Luckily, there are some wonderful options for allergies. I would ask your veterinarian about the apoquel pill. Unlike anti-histamines, it does not cause drowsiness and is very effective for many dogs with moderate to severe allergies. Another option that is pretty new, but one of my personal favorites is the cytopoint injection. This is an injection given under the skin every 4-8 weeks as needed. It is not a steroid (in fact it is just a protein) so it has no effects that we know of on the internal organs. It also does not cause any sort of drowsiness. It is also very effective for environmental allergies (but does not seem very effective for food allergies). Since this one is newer, you may have to call around to find a vet who carries it. Best of luck to you and your fur-baby!

You can give him a cool bath in a hypoallergenic shampoo. That will soothe the skin. You can also give some Benadryl for the itching. There is a section on this website that has information and dosages for common over the counter medications. I’m glad you are taking him in since that’s unusual for a puppy to be that itchy. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Milo.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could certainly be allergies. In reality, Benadryl probably would not help much in this case. Medications to decrease the itch that could help him include prednisone or a medication called Apoquel. The possible secondary infection would have to be treated as well. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. 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!