Why is my dog coughing, scratching, and licking despite Benadryl?

Question

My dog has been caughing a lot. He was treated for an URI but the caugh later came back, now he is scratching a lot and constantly licking his feet. He doesn't have fleas and I have always used medicated shampoo so no dandruff. I gave him Benadryl and it did nothing. Please help. Pet's info: Dog | Dachshund | Male | neutered | 9 years and 11 months old | 20 lbs

Angel Alvarado, LVT · Accepted Answer

Have Linus rechecked by your veterinarian. Given his age, heart disease should be ruled out as a cause for the coughing. Chest xrays and an echocardiogram can assess cardiac size, architecture and function. If the heart checks out, consider advanced diagnostics such as a trans tracheal wash to collect a sample for pathology and culture. This may be able to diagnose infection or inflammatory process. The culture and sensitivity may identify the responsible organism as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment. He may also have allergies which can be difficult to diagnose given the multiple causes. Consider adding an essential fatty acid supplement (usually a fish oil) to his diet to promote healthy skin. EFAs may also decrease inflammation and itching. Search www.petco.com for fish oil supplements such as DermCaps or EicosaCaps. If allergies are confirmed, your task is to try to determine what he is allergic to and decrease or eliminate it. Discuss food elimination trials, hydrolyzed diets and allergy testing with your vet. Confirm the dose of Benadryl you are giving is appropriate based on body weight. There are other antihistamines you can try, prescription and OTC, if Benadryl is ineffective. Again, discuss options with your veterinarian.

Why is my dog coughing, scratching, and licking despite Benadryl?

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