How do you get rid of hives on a dog fast
How to treat hives
Home remedies and medications can help treat hives quickly and effectively. Examples include cold compresses, aloe vera, antihistamines, and more.
Hives are intensely itchy, discolored, raised areas of skin. They may occur anywhere on the body. Hives usually have a trigger, both allergic and non-allergic.
While the symptoms of hives can be very irritating, there are many ways to treat, soothe, and get rid of them.
In this article, we detail how to treat hives at home, medical options, and possible complications.
What does hives look like? Pictures and more
People often use home remedies to treat hives and do not seek further medical attention or intervention. In fact, many cases of hives disappear naturally within minutes or hours of appearing. Most often, symptoms of hives will disappear within 24 hours, but in some cases, it may take a few days.
Effective home remedies to treat hives include:
- Applying a cold compress: A person can apply a cool, damp cloth to the affected area. This can provide relief from itchiness and help reduce inflammation. A person can use a cold compress as often as necessary.
- Bathing in an anti-itch solution: Oatmeal and baking soda baths can soothe skin and reduce irritation. Adding witch hazel to a bath is another effective home remedy.
- Applying aloe vera: The healing properties of aloe vera may soothe and reduce hives. However, it is best to do a patch test before applying aloe vera to a wider area.
- Avoiding irritants: This includes perfumes, fragranced soaps or moisturizers, and staying out of the sun. A person should also aim to maintain a comfortable temperature and wear loose, cotton clothing.
Some people with chronic hives
In more severe cases of hives, medical treatment may be preferable. Some over-the-counter options include:
People with more severe and persistent hives may need to see a dermatologist. These doctors specialize in conditions of the skin, hair, and nails.
Hives are a skin condition that usually results in a raised, itchy rash. There are several different types of hives, although the effects are mostly the same.
Hives may be the same color as the surrounding skin or may have a reddish hue. This discoloration may be less evident on darker skin tones.
Learn more about hives on black skin here.
Acute urticaria and acute angioedema
Acute urticaria is a short-lived type of hives. In this condition, rashes last less than 6 weeks and usually occur due to an adverse or allergic reaction to certain foods or medications. Urticaria only affects the upper layer of the skin, called the dermis.
Infections and insect bites can also cause this type of rash.
Angioedema is the rapid swelling of the area beneath the skin, known as the mucosa. A person with hives will not always experience this type of swelling. Angioedema can occur with many different disorders.
Acute angioedema can occur with acute urticaria and is essentially anaphylaxis of the subcutaneous tissues. It is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. It can lead to anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal.
Learn more about anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock here.
Chronic urticaria and chronic angioedema
Chronic urticaria and chronic angioedema last for more than 6 weeks.
In these conditions, a person will typically experience daily, or almost daily, symptoms without an allergic, infectious, or drug-related cause.
Chronic urticaria and chronic angioedema more commonly result from underlying medical causes, such as thyroid disease, cancer, or hepatitis.
Hives affect around 20% of people at some point during their lifetime. They are more common in children and female adults than in male adults.
A hives outbreak happens when high levels of histamine and other chemical messengers release into the skin, causing a rash and other symptoms to surface.
The high levels of histamine cause blood vessels in the affected area to open up and start to leak. The resulting fluid in the tissues causes swelling and itchiness.
Different triggers may cause a person to have an outbreak of hives. Some common causes include:
- an allergic reaction to food, an insect bite, or an animal
- a reaction to a plant irritant, such as nettles
- an infection, such as the flu or a cold
- certain medications
- preservatives and food additives
If hives develop, it is useful to identify the trigger. Factors that can worsen hives include:
Physical urticaria
The effects of heat exposure and overheating can cause a type of hives called physical urticaria.
Common triggers for physical urticaria include:
- extreme heat or cold
- overexposure to the sun
- excessive sweating
- clothes rubbing the skin
This rash rarely spreads beyond its original location.
Some people experience dermatographism, a type of physical urticaria. This condition occurs
Some people refer to dermatographism as skin writing. The condition is
What is the difference between hives and a rash? Pictures and more
The severity of a hives can vary between individuals. Most symptoms are manageable at home, but medical attention may be necessary in some cases.
A person should see a doctor if:
- symptoms last more than a few days
- symptoms worsen over time
- the rash is painful or leaves a bruise
- symptoms interfere with daily life
- they experience dizziness
A person will need immediate medication attention if they experience:
- any swelling of the tongue, mouth, or throatSimilarly
- difficulty breathing
- tightness in their chest
A doctor will examine the rash and ask questions to determine the cause. Doctors may also use blood and allergy tests to rule out specific causes.
Hives are usually treatable and do not cause complications on their own. However, in more severe cases, angioedema may occur.
Angioedema is a buildup of fluid in layers of the skin that causes swelling and can affect the eyes, lips, hands, feet, and genitals. Doctors can prescribe medication to manage and reduce swelling.
Recurrent hives can negatively impact the quality of a persons life, causing them to feel stressed or anxious and can even lead to depression. A person should always speak to a doctor if hives are affecting their quality of life.
Here are some questions people often ask about hives.
How do you treat hives naturally?
Ways of treating hives naturally include:
- avoiding scratching
- applying a cool compress
- bathing in lukewarm water with colloidal oatmeal
- wearing loose, cotton clothing
- avoiding soaps with fragrances or strong chemicals
- applying aloe vera
What is the fastest remedy for hives?
A cool compress may offer immediate relief from discomfort, but topical medicines may be more effective. Ask a pharmacist about over-the-counter options.
Hives are a skin condition that results in itchy, raised, patches of skin. There may also be discoloration.
Hive can result from allergic or non-allergic causes. Home remedies and medications can often reduce symptoms.
People with severe hives may have a risk of further complications. A person should seek medical advice if symptoms are severe, ongoing, or affect their quality of life.
Dog Hives (Urticaria | welts): Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment
What Are Dog Hives (Urticaria)?
Hives, otherwise known as urticaria by medical professionals, are one abnormality you may see. They occur when your dog is allergic to something, such as an insect, medication, or food. Recognizing hives in dogs and understanding the cause is essential to relieving your dogs discomfort and preventing dog hives in the future.
What do dog hives look like?
- Dog hives look like raised bumps on the skin, usually about the size of a nickel.
- Hives are usually red in color; however, you may not notice redness if they are on a very furry part of your dog. In this case, your pets hives may only look like fur-covered bumps. Sometimes, its difficult to see the raised bumps, and you may only feel them when petting your dog.
- Dog hives can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, tongue, neck, legs, chest, abdomen, or back. They can affect just one area of the body or the entire body.
- Dog hives are very itchy. This may be the first thing you notice before seeing or feeling hives on your dogs skin. Your dog will likely be trying to scratch, lick, or bite the areas affected as it will be itchy.
- Hives usually happen very fast within minutes after exposure to whatever caused them.
- You may notice excessive drooling and a swollen/puffy face if the hives affect your dogs throat or mouth.
What causes hives on a dog?
Dog hives are almost always related to exposure to an allergen. Once exposed to an allergen, mast cells in your dogs body release a substance called histamine. Histamine causes blood vessels to dilate, which leads to raised welts on your dogs skin.
The most common allergens causing dog hives include:
- Insect bite or sting, or ingesting an insect (photo recommendation: dog playing with bee)
- Vaccinations
- Acute allergic reactions to medications (chemotherapy, vitamin K, antibiotics)
- Food allergies
- Environmental allergies (grasses, trees, mold, dust mites, etc.)
- Contact allergens such as shampoos, insecticides, cleaning products
- Ingesting or skin exposure to toxic plants
Much less common causes of hives in dogs include prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures (hot or cold), strenuous exercise, parasites, or significant psychological stress.
Insect bites/stings, food, and medications are the most common causes of hives in dogs.
How are dog hives diagnosed?
As a pet parent, it can be worrisome to see these skin rashes, but luckily, for your vet to diagnose your dogs hives. Your vet will use a combination of your history and their physical examination findings.
Its essential to think about anything new your dog may have been exposed to. Did you see them playing with a bee? Were they recently vaccinated? Did they start a new medication or a new food? During the physical exam, your veterinarian will look at your dogs skin to evaluate hives and where the hives are located.
If your veterinarian is having trouble diagnosing your dogs hives or the reason for their hives, they may perform additional diagnostics, such as blood work, skin cytology, skin scrapings, or fecal analysis.
How to treat & get rid of dog hives?
Treatment for hives in dogs can be simple or more extensive, depending on the cause, severity, and duration of the allergic reaction.
To get your dog quick relief from the swelling and itchiness related to hives, your veterinarian will usually administer an injection of diphenhydramine (an antihistamine) and a corticosteroid. Once your dog is feeling better and discharged from the hospital, your veterinarian may also recommend that you continue giving your dog Benadryl two to three times a day at home for a couple of days.
To prevent hives from reoccurring, you need to understand what caused them in the first place so that you can avoid the allergen in the future. If there is no apparent cause for your dogs hives (such as insect bite, medication, or vaccinations), it may be more challenging to understand how to prevent hives in the future. Environmental and dietary allergies are two possible causes of hives that may require further diagnostics and treatment.
Environmental allergies
If your dog has recurrent hives or has other signs of allergies, your veterinarian may recommend testing for environmental allergies with serum allergy testing or intradermal allergy testing. With these results, your veterinarian can create a plan to desensitize your dog to these allergies with allergen-specific immunotherapy.
If you determine that you cannot eliminate the allergens in your dogs environment or pursue allergen-specific immunotherapy treatment, your veterinarian may recommend:
- Giving your dog daily antihistamines (such as Benadryl, zyrtec, or hydroxyzine)
- Giving your dog other prescription-strength allergy medications such as apoquel or cytopoint
- Starting daily skin health supplements, such as omega-three fatty acids.
- Frequently bathing your dog with medicated high-quality shampoo
Food allergies
Allergies that stem from food can also cause recurrent episodes of hives in dogs. The most common cause of allergies in dogs include chicken, beef, dairy, and egg 2. Recurrent episodes of hives can also be related to dietary allergies. To diagnose a food allergy, your veterinarian may recommend a diet trial for 6-8 weeks with a prescription food or an over-the-counter diet with a different protein source, like fish or venison. If your dog responds positively to a food trial, you can continue the special diet long term.
Are dog hives dangerous?
Dog hives are rarely life-threatening. However, there are a few less common situations where hives can affect your dogs breathing and become dangerous.
- Hives in the face, neck, or throat can cause severe swelling that impacts breathing, which can become life-threatening.
- The presence of hives anywhere may indicate your dog is having or about to have an anaphylactic reaction, which causes constriction of airways and difficulty breathing. 3 Besides hives, other signs of anaphylaxis include vomiting, diarrhea, facial swelling, drooling, blue gum color, and collapse.
If you notice that your dog has hives, pay particular attention to how they are breathing and for any other concerning changes in their behavior. If you are concerned your dog may be having severe allergic reactions, take them to the emergency room immediately to rule out a medical emergency.
At-home remedies for dog hives
If possible, take your dog to the veterinarian if you notice they have hives, especially if this is a first-time problem. If your dog chronically or intermittently has hives and the issue has previously been discussed with a veterinarian, some at-home remedies may help relieve the allergic reaction.
- If the hives are not affecting your dogs face, neck, throat, or ability to swallow, you can administer Benadryl by mouth. Always discuss if this is appropriate for your dog with your veterinarian first and receive instructions about dosage and frequency.
- If the hives were caused by a contact allergen (such as grasses/trees or chemicals) or insect bites you can help relieve itchiness by bathing with a gentle oatmeal-based dog shampoo can help your dog feel more comfortable.
- Apply a cold compress to the hives or the most severely affected areas of your dogs skin. Be careful never to apply a cold compress for more than 10 minutes at one time, and always wrap the ice or cold object in a towel before applying it to your dogs skin.
