When Benadryl just doesn't work, Claritin may.

nycbullymama

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My pup has terrible allergies. We think they're environmental and they seem to act up every few months.

Last December they came back full blast. Got so bad that he had terrible hives that required a shot and he was put on Prednisone twice. We tried Benadryl a few times but all it did was make him sleepy.

A few days ago, I noticed the hives again. Before they got bad I decided to try Claritin. The dosage is 5-15mg for dogs around 60lbs. The first day we gave him two 5mg of the Claritin Reditabs (I like them because they dissolve very quickly). They made him very sleepy at first but by the next day, the hives were gone and he wasn't scratching anymore (his face was all red and raw). Then yesterday we gave him one 5mg reditab in the morning, and one in the evening 12 hours later.

I'm beyond happy to say the itching is almost completely gone, no hives and as he's getting used to them so he's not as sleepy. I'm hoping this is my miracle allergy drug for him.

So for anyone that hasn't had luck with Benadryl, give Claritin a shot. Just remember,DO NOT USE Claritin-D. IT MUST BE REGULAR Claritin. ALSO, DO NOT USE THE FLAVORED (such as Grape) 5mg tabs as they may contain artificial sweeteners that can be deadly to our pups.

(Thanks Carol for the very serious reminded about these sweeteners).

If you only see the 10mg Claritin in the drug aisle, try the childrens section. That's where I found the 5mg ones. And man, did I stock up yesterday.

Here's a pic of the box:
 
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ddnene

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FYI Zyrtec works too… they put Winston on Zyrtec because of his constant eye issues. It really seemed to help more than the Benadryl, and his eye redness was completely gone. I have no idea which one is cheaper… LOL
 
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nycbullymama

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FYI Zyrtec works too… they put Winston on Zyrtec because of his constant eye issues. It really seemed to help more than the Benadryl, and his eye redness was completely gone. I have no idea which one is cheaper… LOL


I tried Zyrtec once and it didn't help him much. BUT, there's a good chance that was my own fault as I wasn't sure of the dosage, so probably didn't give him enough.

But yeah, Zyrtec is definitely an option too.
 

ddnene

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I tried Zyrtec once and it didn't help him much. BUT, there's a good chance that was my own fault as I wasn't sure of the dosage, so probably didn't give him enough.

But yeah, Zyrtec is definitely an option too.

The eye specialist told me that Zyrtec is the best for eye allergy issues… I know that when my eyes are really bothering me it helps a lot. I'm not sure on the dosing either, but I was giving him one pill a day so I would assume it was the 10mg.
 
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nycbullymama

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[MENTION=9157]ddnene[/MENTION] That's really good to know. That for eye issues, a specialist recommended Zyrtec.
 

Texas Carol

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My pup has terrible allergies. We think they're environmental and they seem to act up every few months.

Last December they came back full blast. Got so bad that he had terrible hives that required a shot and he was put on Prednisone twice. We tried Benadryl a few times but all it did was make him sleepy.

A few days ago, I noticed the hives again. Before they got bad I decided to try Claritin. The dosage is 5-15mg for dogs around 60lbs. The first day we gave him two 5mg of the Claritin Reditabs (I like them because they dissolve very quickly). They made him very sleepy at first but by the next day, the hives were gone and he wasn't scratching anymore (his face was all red and raw). Then yesterday we gave him one 5mg reditab in the morning, and one in the evening 12 hours later.

I'm beyond happy to say the itching is almost completely gone, no hives and as he's getting used to them so he's not as sleepy. I'm hoping this is my miracle allergy drug for him.

So for anyone that hasn't had luck with Benadryl, give Claritin a shot. Just remember,DO NOT USE Claritin-D. IT MUST BE REGULAR Claritin.

If you only see the 10mg Claritin in the drug aisle, try the childrens section. That's where I found the 5mg ones. And man, did I stock up yesterday.

ALERT...be sure when using children's meds for your pets, check to see if they contain
artificial sweetners, poisonous to them! Not this, of course, GREAT TIP, thank you <3
 
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nycbullymama

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@Texas Carol oooh, I didn't think of mentioning this but they did have the 5mg tabs in Grape Flavor- so do NOT BUY THIS ONE!!

Thank you so much Carol for mentioning this.

But yeah, the regular Claritin 5mg tabs aren't a childrens med. They're just lower dosage that can be used for Kids over 6 so that's why they keep them with the kids medications.

I'm gonna edit my first post now. :hug:Carol. Thank you so much for reminding me of this.
 
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Texas Carol

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@Texas Carol oooh, I didn't think of mentioning this but they did have the 5mg tabs in Grape Flavor- so do NOT BUY THIS ONE!!

Thank you so much Carol for mentioning this.

But yeah, the regular Claritin 5mg tabs aren't a childrens med. They're just lower dosage that can be used for Kids over 6 so that's why they keep them with the kids medications.

I'm gonna edit my first post now. :hug:Carol. Thank you so much for reminding me of this.


Sweet Thang...I learned that tip here and I didn't know they made Claritin in flavors!
 

2BullyMama

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Great info.... Was never sure not he dosage of these.... Thanks.
 

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