Can my pregnant dog safely take Excel allergy relief medicine?

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.

Benadryl is safe in pregnant dogs, a common dosage is 1mg per pound of body weight. Nova would need around 65mg. I would do this once, but if the hives do not respond, then I would have her checked out by a vet.

No - unfortunately, antihistamines are not safe to be used during pregnancy. You can try bathing her in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to see if this helps a bit, as this shouldn't harm her or the puppies. If this doesn't help, I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam - he/she can discuss prescription medication options that can be used to help with itching or other skin problems while she is pregnant.

Hi there. It's not recommended to give Benadryl or other antihistamines to nursing females, as the drug is passed through the milk and is not good for the babies to be exposed to. There unfortunately isn't much you can give right now without affecting the pups. You could try bathing her in an aloe and oatmeal dog shampoo to see if this helps to soothe her skin a bit, as this shouldn't be harmful.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Short answer is yes. However, it is important to note that without treating the underlying allergy component, this will continue to occur. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her 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!

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!

You can try to give her Benadryl tablets once a day although chances are it will not help a lot unless it is an acute allergic reaction. you should also treat her for fleas as this is the most common cause of itchiness in that area of the body