I usually give her a peanut-butter filled Kong.

I think it was you that mentioned when she first started having allergy issues, that correcting her might lead to her hiding it, so I've always tried to distract/redirect, rather than correct.

Out of curiosity, what dosing did you use for Benadryl and do you use for Zyrtec?

Thanks!

I'm generally hesitant to tell people, because I really think its something you should consult the Vet on, especially to rule out other conditions or health issues that might contraindict OTC meds.

Thus, I will simply link to available literature re: OTC meds and Canines:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC548625/

Which may or may not include dosing info.

 Quote: aaron myracle

I usually give her a peanut-butter filled Kong.

I think it was you that mentioned when she first started having allergy issues, that correcting her might lead to her hiding it, so I've always tried to distract/redirect, rather than correct.

Oh, good. I know I repeat myself a lot. It's not my advanced maturity (haha) -- it's my not remembering what I've said to who. Oh, wait, that IS advanced maturity issues.

About the sedating effect of antihistamines: It's very individual. Also, IME, it decreases with time. Benadryl has the least "good history" for dogs, but again, that too is individual, so I'd trial each of them. The big two for dogs are chlorpheniramine and hydroxyzine (both types of hydroxyzine, again individual), and, per Tufts 2006, even though only a third of dogs experience significant relief from atopy with antihistamines, the percentage goes up when it's used concurrently with fish oil.
Another thing are the topicals that can help break a cycle sometimes. At least I find them worth having around. The one I always have is called "Relief." Because so many use that word in the name, I'm linking to a picture of the spray:
http://www.entirelypets.com/relspraybydv.html

It says "on backorder," but I recently got a bottle at my vet's office, so I guess it's not out of stock everywhere.

It's not good to get folds or between-toes damp (yeast), so I use it on exposed areas.

It's no miracle med, but I do see enough benefit from it to keep it around. (That's why I was getting a bottle: summer use.)

My seasonal-allergy guy weighs 25 pounds and is on 25 mg Hydrox Pamoate every 12 hours during his bad season.

Thanks!