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Is 25mg Benadryl too much or safe for my 12lb dog's puffy eyes?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 10.5 lbs

My dog is having an eye problem. It started with his left eye first with the smallest hair loss and it grew like a ring around his eye and recently the other eye started losing hair too. There seems to be some inflammation in the left eye, its puffy. Sometimes crusty but no unusual discharge other than some more watery eyes. Vet said he might be allergic and said to try 25 mg benadryl every 12 hours. Is this too much? He is only 12 pounds (5.2kg). Do you think it might be something else?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 6th, 2019

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Misha. I typically recommend giving Benadryl at 1mg/pound. So I would give around 12mg orally every 8 hours. The dose you were told is a little high, but probably still reasonable. Antihistamines are a somewhat hit and miss in dogs. They will help some dogs, but not others. If you do not see an improvement in the skin around his eyes, then he will need to see his veterinarian. He could have a food allergy, for example, as this commonly affects skin around the eyes. In these case, the dog may be experiencing vomiting, diarrhea or an increased number of bowel movements per day. These dogs can also have skin issues elsewhere and are prone to ear infections. I hope this information helps!

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    Answered By Catherine Stecyk

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Misha is experiencing this hair loss around his eyes. Benadryl may help - typically the dose is approximately 1 mg per 1 pound of body weight, so for his size I would give half of a 25 mg tablet. He can receive the Benadryl once every 6-8 hours as needed. Side effects of Benadryl may include drowsiness. Typically dogs will have allergies to their food, so I recommend consulting with your veterinarian about either a novel protein diet that he can eat (meaning it contains a protein source he has never eaten), or a hydrolyzed protein diet (meaning the protein molecules are so tiny the body's immune system cannot mount a response). I hope this is helpful!

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