How much Benadryl can I give my dog for allergies and itchy skin?

Question

We believe my dog is allergic to pollen and cotton. She was running in a Field over the weekend. And has been itching sense. We gave her a bath. But she has still been itching. We checked her for fleas and ticks. Which she has none. She’s been itching her belly so bad it’s cutting/scabbing. I would like to give her Benadryl but not sure how much to give. She also has an enlarged heart and heart arrhythmia, her skin just looks dry. And itchy. What should I give her? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 8 months old | 73 lbs

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While Benadryl may help temporarily it would just be for a very short amount of time and she will likely need further therapy. I agree that this is likely allergies but all of the possibilities in terms of allergies should be explored. Sometimes even if fleas are not seen, it can still be flea allergy as it only take one flea to cause allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

How much Benadryl can I give my dog for allergies and itchy skin?

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