Guest sweetpea Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Poor Sebastian, he's got a case of the itchies. It happened around this time last summer too. We've tried benadryl which didn't do much. I've given him lukewarm rinses, but I don't want to over-bathe him and dry out his skin. Any suggestions? Other OTC allergy meds? Topical sprays? Diet change? I'm open to a food change, he's got a cast iron gut, but I don't think it's a food allergy if it only flares in the summer time. I don't know. I feel bad for him and his itchy itchy scratch scratch. Thanks for any advice. Buzzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kkaiser104 Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) I've been using this on Teddi and it seems to help him out some (lots of itching, sometimes hives and red skin, probably from nerves) http://www.amazon.co...ible skin spray It's all organic and I was able to get it from the local pet store. ETA: Also, it smells really yummy! Like cloves Edited August 14, 2012 by kkaiser104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BellaBean Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We use tee tree oil on our lab who has grass allergies. You can get it in an organic spray or loose to boil in water and rinse him off with. Our lab loves it! Quote **Shellie with GiGi aka: Good Girl (Abita Raginflame X Ace High Heart) and two honorary hounds Butter and Bella** https://www.etsy.com/shop/GiGisCloset2?ref=si_shop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time4ANap Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Rocket and many of the dogs in our neighborhood went through similar issues last summer. We think it was due to ragweed. He ended up on Rx antihistamines and prednisolone until the first frost. Bathing only helped a little, and very temprarily. Quote Camp Broodie. The current home of Mark Kay Mark Jack and Gracie Kiowa Safe Joan. Always missing my boy Rocket Hi Noon Rocket, Allie Phoenix Dynamite, Kate Miss Kate, Starz Under Da Starz, Petunia MW Neptunia, Diva Astar Dashindiva, and LaVida I've Got Life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 Where on his body is Sebastian itching? Season itching is usually due to environmental allergies or flea allergies. What flea control do you use? For milder cases, a combination of fish oil and an OTC antihistamine can keep it at a manageable level. But for more severe cases, you might need a short course of prednisone from your vet to give him some relief. What dose of Benedryl have you tried (and how much does Sebastian weigh)? If an appropriate dose of Benedryl doesn't help, some dogs do better with chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton, Chlor-Tabs). Fish oil is usually dosed at a 1000 mg capsule per 10-30 lbs. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sweetpea Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 He's scratching his ears, behind his front legs, a lot on his tummy, and he's chewing on his feet (mostly his front feet). We've never used flea control, Sebastian is mostly white with very short hair, and we've never found a flea on him or Sweetpea (knock on wood). (We had a Ridgeback with flea dermatitis, so we know what we're looking for.) I'll definitely check again to make sure it's not fleas. We started with a half benedryl pill and then increased it to a full pill (25 mg), once daily. Sebastian weighs 19 pounds. I'll definitely start him on fish oil ASAP, and if 25mg of benedryl is the max dosage for a dog his size, I'll go get some chlor-trimeton tomorrow. Thanks! Buzzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 (edited) IMO Benadryl does not help with environmental allergies (better for allergic reactions like bee stings) but, if you are going to continue to see if it helps you need to dose it properly--it's dosage is 1mg/lb every 8 hours. So you can actually use it more frequently. Yes, sounds like a lot--that would put me in a sleep coma for a week but, it is the dosage for dogs. I would apply frontline plus-one single flea bite can set them off. I also found that frequent bathing makes the world of difference with my allergy dog. I use Ketochlor and in the height of allergy season I need to bath my boy twice a week--does not dry out the skin. Cooler water also helps reduce the itching-warmer water seems to make it worse. I'm currently giving zyrtec with great success. Edited August 14, 2012 by tbhounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted August 14, 2012 Share Posted August 14, 2012 We use tee tree oil on our lab who has grass allergies. You can get it in an organic spray or loose to boil in water and rinse him off with. Our lab loves it! Better check on its toxicity first before using on greyhounds. I think I read some disturbing info about this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJNg Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 He's scratching his ears, behind his front legs, a lot on his tummy, and he's chewing on his feet (mostly his front feet). That distribution, along with the seasonal occurrence, sounds more like environmental allergies. I find that antihistamines only help with the milder cases. As tbhounds mentioned, Benedryl can be given up to 3 times daily. If you decide to switch to chlorpheniramine instead of Benedryl, it comes in a 4 mg tablet, and a small dog would get 1/2 to 1 tablet twice daily. My mixed breed Corey has mild allergies every spring/summer, and he does better with Chlor-Tabs than with Benedryl. For a 19 lb dog, I wouldn't give any more than 1 fish oil capsule daily. And keep in mind that it can affect clotting, so if he ever needs surgery, let your vet know that he's getting fish oil and stop it at least a few days before any scheduled surgery. And as tbhounds mentioned, Zyrtec is another OTC antihistamine option for dogs. But only try 1 at a time, and give it at least a week or two to see if it works before switching to a different one. With Zyrtec, make sure you get the regular one, and not Zyrtec-D. Regular Zyrtec comes in a 10 mg tablet, and a typical dose for a small dog is 1/2 a tablet once daily. Quote Jennifer & Willow (Wilma Waggle), Wiki (Wiki Hard Ten), Carter (Let's Get It On), Ollie (whippet), Gracie (whippet x), & Terra (whippet) + Just Saying + Just Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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