Grooming Nightmare and Allergic Reaction

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

This is a bit of a long sgtory but essentially I would like to know what folks think is the best OTC allergy medication to have on hand for dogs.

We took the doodles to Amherst Island and they got to swim in Lake Ontario. Little did we know that just up the beach from us a lot of dead fish had washed up - bit fish. So Riley finds this wonderful treasure and immediately rolls in every fish he can find. Believe me even after several dunkings in the lake, he still stunk to high heaven. Molly stayed away from the fish. She is too much of a princess to roll in something like that. Suffice to say the drive home was not pleasant.

We called the groomer for an appointment only to be told we'd have to wait about a week. So we got out the kiddie pool and scrubbed him down as best we could with his normal shampoo - all natural hypoallergenic stuff.

So yesterday was grooming day and he came home looking terrific but had a strong flowery scent on him which I was not impressed with. I don't like dogs who have an unnatural odor. A few hours later, after having licked his feet extensively, Riley went haywire. He was panting, couldn't settle anywhere, breathing abnormally; pacing, pawing at this face, etc. I really thought we were dealing with bloat because this started about 1/2 hour after his dinner. When I started to check him out OMD his eyes had swollen almost shut and his "lips" were swollen. I nearly freaked out. Now those symptoms are not common to bloat. The only difference between one day and the next was the groooming. I put it down to the groomer using a different shampoos. So I quickly looked up the only allergy meds I had in the house and found a study that suggested it was a very good treatment for allergy symptoms in dogs, especially skin reactions. I checked the dosage for a dog of Riley's size and within 30 minutes he had totallly settled down although the swelling was still there We watched him on and off all night long. (Boy am I tired today.) He was much better this morning and I gave him another dose of the meds.

I called the groomer and left a message last night. She called this morning, very early, and said while the product she used was from the same supplier, it was different than the hypoallergenic stuff she usually uses on Riley. She asked us to bring him in early this morning for another wash and brush with no shampoo.  She was devastated that this had happened and wanted to make it right. Riley is one of her favourite customers.

So a very long story, sorry, but as neither me nor DH have allergies and it was only lucky I had some meds in the house from when DS was home, what should be in our medicine chest to deal with these issues. BTW Riley is completely fine this evening/

[Colleen, Jake & Baxter]

How scary but glad to know Riley is feeling better.  What a great groomer that showed such concern for Riley and wants to make this right as best as she is able.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

What a frightening experience....I'm so sorry that you all had to go through this but happy that it all ended well.  I use Claritin for Murphy's seasonal allergies, and I guess that's what I would use in a case like this as well.  Knowing myself though, I'm guessing with that swelling I probably would have been on my way to the emergency vet.....I'm a bit "over the top" when it comes to things like this with the Doods.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'd say you should use exactly what you did since it worked! People do use Benadryl, chlorpheniramine , Claritin and probably others for their dogs. I'm glad Riley is better. I hated when Calla came home smelling like cheap perfume.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I am relieved that he is fine!!!!

Is there a post anywhere in DK that has experience with allergies that has posted how much of the different OTC meds to use and the weight range for the dose? I would like to save that on my cell to have handy for emergencies.

[F, Calla & Luca]

In real emergencies I'd go to a vet. They could use steroids, even systemically if need be, which might be required. That said this is from a veterinary site:

Benadryl Dosage Twice daily
Dogs (1 mg per pound)		Cats
weight	amount
12 lbs	12 milligrams (pediatric dose)	NOT   EFFECTIVE
25 lbs	25 milligrams (1 adult capsule)
50 lbs	50 milligrams (2 adult capsules)

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

An easy reference as well - this is the chart I use for my older dog with allergies. 

http://benadrylfordogs.net/

 

Glad everything is back to normal and he is fine.  Alos, that groomer sounds like a keeper!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just looked at the emrgency instructions for anaphylactic shock on my old paperwork from JD's dermatologist; there is a slight chance that at some point during the induction portion of immunotherapy, a dog can have an anaphylactic reaction, so you have to watch them for 30 minutes after each shot. Some of the the symptoms described match Riley's including the swollen face and abnormal breathing. Anyway, there isn't a word about antihistamines or any other meds, just "get the dog to the vet  or the emergency clinic as soon as possible."

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's allergy vet recommends Claritin or Zyrtec; they are second generation histamine blockers and don't have the side-effects of drowsiness like Benadryl does. Claritin (generic is loratidine) works best for Jack, but some members of the Atopy group have had better luck with Zyrtec.

I'm glad Riley is fine and  feeling better.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

K - is the dosage the same as with Benedryl that F posted?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Hard to find the exact dosage but here is what one vet states:

The dose is 5-10mg per day OR 0.5mg/kg daily. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds.

This is definitely less on a mg. basis than Benadryl but medication strengths  differ in terms of dosage.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack's Claritin dosage during flares is three times the usual human dosage, or 30 mg once a day. But once, when the derm vet had us try Zyrtec, it was the same as the human dosage, just one pill once a day; I forget the strength. As F said, it's different for different medications.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, and with any of them, you don't want the ones with a decongestant in them, like Claritin-D. But those are behind the counter now, anyway, lol.