# Giving my boy some benadryl.....



## MacyMart (Mar 12, 2010)

Hello everyone, i wanted to ask if any of you have given your dogs Benadryl?? Mavrik had an allergic reaction to his Royal canin food (wheat/corn allergy) so he got a little itchy but it also getting fleas :/ I am buying him front line today but since he is so restless because he is itching i gace him a benadryl last night. However, It didnt seen to help him much.... I read online today that it is 1mg per pound and the tablets are 25mg... Mav weighs 47 pounds so i think i am going to try 2 tabs tonight... any feedback?


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

it's safe to give dogs benadryl. the dosage you found is the same as what my vet told me. 

I've given it to my lab a few times.


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## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I just gave 4 tabs to my girl. She is heavier than your girl. We give it twice a day for her allergies.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

If your dog has fleas, how is an antihistamine going to help? 

Are you sure it's the food making him itch and not just the fleas. If your dog has fleas, that's probably what's making him itch and benadryl isn't going to help with that.


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

Lucy Dog said:


> If your dog has fleas, how is an antihistamine going to help?
> 
> Are you sure it's the food making him itch and not just the fleas. If your dog has fleas, that's probably what's making him itch and benadryl isn't going to help with that.


the itching from fleas is a result of an allergic reaction to the flea saliva. Allergic reactions can be helped by the antihistamine in Benadryl.


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## EJQ (May 13, 2003)

Lucy Dog said:


> Are you sure it's the food making him itch and not just the fleas. If your dog has fleas, that's probably what's making him itch and benadryl isn't going to help with that.


I'm kind of thinking in the same direction - before you assume that it is a food allergy you might check for parasites and a possible allergy to fleas.


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## MacyMart (Mar 12, 2010)

Well, i do know that it is an allergic reaction - i called the vet and also his trainer looked at him (he is VERRRYYY pampered if you cant tell ) Any how, i do know that he has fleas, i put frontline on him yesterday infact - i believe we caught them right at the onset - He is going in for his exam today so the vet will be looking at him. Thanks everyone!


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## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

We've given benadryl to one of our dogs who has seasonal allergies in the summertime. Our vet is the one who suggested we try this for her. The dosage is also the same as our vet suggested. 

It's also great to keep some extra benadryl on hand incase of bee/hornet stings.


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## LuckyGSD (Apr 9, 2015)

Greetings and a humble hello,
I don't know about you guys but I'm an almost 200lb man... When I take 25mg (1 tab or capsule) of Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) I am bound to crash out. When I take two, by the time I awake, I feel like a train wreck. I am also a Pharmacy Tech and although the dosing is fine, after picking my Pharmacists brain, I decided to go with one benadryl at a time. Because Benadryl is used in procedures at the vet's office, I tend to keep my boy off of it unless needed for histamines. I don't want him to develop immunity to it. The diphenhydramine makes him go to sleep and I only give that to him once at night only if needed for his seasonal allergies. 
If I were to go with other antihistamines, I'd stick to cetirizine (about 88 cents for a 14 pack at walmart). Although it's not uncommon to see people on cetirizine taking 3 twice daily for short term use. I'd honestly stick to no more than two a day for long term use. Each dog is different and I'd consult a vet before use.

Kind regards,
Jonathan Amante


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## zetti (May 11, 2014)

Samba said:


> I just gave 4 tabs to my girl. She is heavier than your girl. We give it twice a day for her allergies.


Did the vet advise you to give that much? Seventy five mg is the max.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

This thread is 5 years old. 

Rule of thumb, per my vet, is 1 mg per pound. I've never asked if there were a max for a dog over 75#. That's a good point.

Also remember that dogs process things differently than we do so you can't just give something based on human dosage. You should always consult with your vet before giving anything.


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## TerisSosa (Sep 24, 2020)

MacyMart said:


> Hello everyone, i wanted to ask if any of you have given your dogs Benadryl?? Mavrik had an allergic reaction to his Royal canin food (wheat/corn allergy) so he got a little itchy but it also getting fleas :/ I am buying him front line today but since he is so restless because he is itching i gace him a benadryl last night. However, It didnt seen to help him much.... I read online today that it is 1mg per pound and the tablets are 25mg... Mav weighs 47 pounds so i think i am going to try 2 tabs tonight... any feedback?


_I Give my Shepard 2 1/2 benedryl about twice a week or really when needed. He suffers from dermodectic mange. He's being treated by the vet and honestly most of the hardest work is done by me. My poor Sammy really has a hard time with it. It's cost me thousands but, he's worth it. It helps him enough to help him stop chewing on himself. It's a horrible skin disorder but, as long as it helps him enough to help him relax and not chew on himself I monitor him closely and so far no after effects. However, it's a everyday challenge. My poor baby Sammy. We'll get through this. I honestly think it's ok as long as you follow the guidelines._


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