My pregnant dog has recurring hives. What could be causing this?

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.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most likely secondary to an allergic reaction. This was probably caused by an allergy to something in the environment. If this does not resolve shortly, he should be evaluated by a veterinarian for treatment of an allergic reaction. This is usually treated with an anti-histamine medication and steroids. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the pictures it looks like Aspen has hives. This is usually an allergic reaction and I would suspect some kind of bug bit her causing the reaction. You can give her Benadryl every 8 hours for the reaction. If it’s not helping, you should take her to the vet for stronger medications. She should no longer be nursing but it is safe for the babies. Also, the reaction isn’t contagious so I wouldn’t worry about them. Good luck and kisses to Aspen and her babies!

Pregnancy can affect the normal immunity levels and also the natural balance of the skin and demodex mange can be more common during pregnancy and nursing. I would recommend assessment by a dermatologist in order to investigate if this is present and to advise on the most appropriate management options both the relieve her discomfort and reduce the risk of the pups being severely affected at a young age. There are many medications which can be used with appropriate caution in pregnant and nursing mothers although many others must be avoided

Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your question. It sounds like Bambi is allergic to something outside. I would read the following article and see if this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions! ( https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ )