Author Topic: Benadryl-Too drowsy?  (Read 5950 times)

Offline Amy (guffer)

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Benadryl-Too drowsy?
« on: February 06, 2008, 07:48:38 pm »
Apollo has been itching alot for the last few days.  Itching everywhere.  Legs, belly, the pads of his feet...  His skin looks fine, no redness or flaky areas.  So anyway, I took him to the vet and he thinks it's probably allergies, so he recommended 75mg of Benadryl twice a day.  I'm also now giving him 3V Caps (Omega3 fatty acids and Vitamins A, D & E) in case the problem is wintery dry skin.  He hasn't had a bath since November, so it's not a shampoo thing.

Anyway, I was a little nervous about giving 75mg, because in people we dose 1mg per kg, and in dogs apparently it's 1mg per lb. which is double.  So I started him out on 50mg because I didn't want to stone him.  He still itched like crazy but was acting normal, good energy level.  Maybe a little more calm, but OK otherwise.  So after listening to him scratch all night again, I woke up and gave him the 75mg.  Now he's laying around and looks wiped out.  But he's not scratching as much!  :) 

Do you guys think this is okay?  Is there anything else I should be doing?    As far as allergies go, I haven't changed anything like his food or bedding or anything.  He does have an ear infection in his left ear, but he was itching before I started the ear drops for that.  I'm just at a loss right now.  Thanks for any advise!

Offline Mojo1269

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Re: Benadryl-Too drowsy?
« Reply #1 on: February 06, 2008, 08:26:49 pm »
He should be fine.  Butler had a severe reacion to gnat bites this summer and I had to bring him to the emergency clinic as it was after hours. They shot him up with a huge does of benadryl to combat the reaction to the gnat bites.  Thankfully he was fine and I was able to enjoy watching a 95 lbs puppey stoned out of his mind. 
Duke 5 Year Old Menacing Hound
Butler 1 Year Old Burgeoning Monster

VooDoo the Greatest Dane. 09-14-1995 - 12-31-2007 RIP my sweet

Offline BigSoftandFluffyLover

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Re: Benadryl-Too drowsy?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2008, 10:42:12 pm »
I had a dog that was allergic to grass  :o  of all the crazy things in this world.  We doped him up on antihistamines all day everyday.  He built up a tolerance for the sleepyness  ;)

Offline Amy (guffer)

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Re: Benadryl-Too drowsy?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2008, 11:25:17 pm »
Thanks for the reassurance, everyone!  :)  Apollo is mostly back to his normal activity level this afternoon.  It just freaked me out a little seeing him laying around and out of it earlier.  His itching is still under control, for the most part, so I guess we'll stick to the 75mg dose!