If you gave too much, and if you're not in the habit of giving antihistimines regularly, you'll have a very drowsy, dopey-acting dog. You'd know if you gave too much.

 Quote: Sarah Morris

If you gave too much, and if you're not in the habit of giving antihistimines regularly, you'll have a very drowsy, dopey-acting dog. You'd know if you gave too much.

Actually, due to other non-dog reasons, I've been off my feet yesterday afternoon and all day today. With that lack of exercise he couldn't be any more of an idiot. Complete opposite of what you described.

Thanks!

I take Kasey, our golden retriever to a dermo vet. He takes Chlorpheniramine every day. He weighs 80 lbs and the dose for him is 3 tablets 2-3 times a day - yes, that's 3 tablets! Dogs need a lot higher dose than humans - their bodies don't use antihistamines the same way ours do.

So the dosage for dogs is one 4mg tablet for every 25lbs 2-3 times a day.

Lori

 Quote: Lori Hall

So the dosage for dogs is one 4mg tablet for every 25lbs 2-3 times a day.

Lori

So according to your derm vet, that chart looks accurate for that med, at least?

I had been at the vet today and forgot to ask.

I've used, under the supervision of the vet, Benedryl, Chlorpheniramine and hydroxyzine. The chart looks accurate for the benedryl and Chlorpheniramine, but the hydroxyzine looks a little high to me. That antihistamine is, in my opinion, the 'strongest' one of the bunch - it needs an Rx from the vet. It is a lot more sedating for a lot of dogs than the other 2 - it is actually used sometimes for anxiety, sedating purposes. So my dermo vet (and the regular vet) dose that one as 75mg (1 1/2 50mg tablets) for Kasey who's 80 lbs. The chart has 2-3 50mg tablets - that would knock Kasey out for sure! But since that's an RX, your vet would dose that one anyway.

Argh! My regular vet gave me the 1 tablet dosage a year or so ago and the subject just never came up with the Derm Vet since True wasn't taking it at the time. I never would have believed that my dog could handle 3 at a time. I mistakenly took 2 once and it knocked me on my @$$.

Thank you Michael and Lori for the chart and the info.

Thanks Lori for your experience.:smile:

I think one of my questions got missed. How long should I continue giving these?

I figured a couple more days and then see how he does without.

These have been a dream for him and I. He still itches some, but absolutely nowhere near before. Now it is just a scratch here and there, not that psychotic, madman stuff he was doing before.

Sorry to have come back to un-promptly -- lots o' dog stuff this weekend!


Yes, that chart looks OK to me too, at least for the three or four I know and use, except I use less Hydrozyzine.

Just wanted to point out that the sedating effect is far more individual in dogs than in humans. We almost all get the sedating effect (at least for a while, if using daily), but I have had as many dogs who did not as who did.

QUOTE:
I think one of my questions got missed. How long should I continue giving these? ... I figured a couple more days and then see how he does without.END

That's what I'd do, Michael.

They do work fast (on dogs who do benefit, and your dog is fortunately one of those), so trials are fairly simple (both starting and ending). I do trial the starting for ten days just to make sure, because at least once I saw more effect after a week than after a day. I don't know if it took the dog a while for the other things to kick in and help (fish oil and E, better food, rinsing off pollen), though, so who knows.

An antihistamine can be given as needed because they work quickly (if they work) and don't have to be weaned off.

My allergic dog now will wake up in the bad season with itchy paws and be non-itchy within an hour or so of the Hydroxyzine. (He is a small-ish dog -- 29 pounds -- who gets 25 mg 1x in the medium allergy season and 2x in the couple of bad weeks in fall.)

Edited by Connie Sutherland (10/13/2008 09:40 AM)
Edit reason: typos

Thanks Connie.

Hope you had a good "dog stuff" weekend, too.:smile:

Boy I wish antihistamines worked that well for Kasey! You are lucky Mike! I honestly don't see much more than maybe 25% difference with any of them - but the vet said many dogs don't respond too much with antihistamines. Kasey is having such a hard time right now - we just keep praying the allergy shots are going to work!