What happens if my dogs hives won t go away

Why won't my hives go away?

Q.I've gotten hives from time to time when I've been overly stressed. But now I have a case that won't quit after six weeks. What's going on?

A. No one welcomes these red, itchy welts that crop up on our skin. Many things can lead to a temporary case of hives, including allergic reactions to food, medications, bug bites, pollen, latex, or animal dander. Like you, some people also develop them when they're stressed, or in response to ultraviolet light or excess skin pressure. Hives are more common in women than men, especially from our 30s to 50s.

Most cases of hives go away within several days to a couple of weeks. If they last six weeks or longer, you may have autoimmune hives. This happens when your immune system mistakenly targets healthy tissue in this case, triggering a skin reaction. Autoimmune hives are more common in people with other autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or celiac disease. Anyone whose hives last longer than a few weeks should see a doctor.

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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.

What if my dogs hives wont go away?

If they dont self-resolve, or worse, new lesions come up, or the size of lesions increases, it should be time to look for medical treatment for your pet. The underlying cause for these lesions needs to be found to make the pet better. Hives can be acute or chronic in nature.

How long should hives last in a dog?

Dog hives are itchy, round welts that appear on a dogs skin, causing the fur to stick up. They generally last up to one to two days and are usually caused by an allergic reaction to insect bites, although there are also several other possible causes.

Why does my dog keep getting hives?

Hives are relatively uncommon in dogs. The most frequent causes are insect bites or stings, shampoos, and medications. Other causes include contact with toxic plants or chemicals. Friction, sunlight, heat, exercise, stress, and genetic abnormalities may cause or intensify the rash.

What does it mean if hives wont go away?

Hives that last for longer than 6 weeks might be a sign of an autoimmune condition such as lupus, type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, or rheumatoid arthritis. These hives wont go away on their own.

What can I give my dog for hives?

Treatment and prevention of hives Your veterinarian may recommend giving your dog an antihistamine such as Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or Zyrtec (cetirizine).

Are dog hives an emergency?

If your dog breaks out in hives after being bitten or stung, and especially if the hives spread to the face or neck, this should be treated as an emergency as it could indicate anaphylaxis.

How can I treat my dogs hives naturally?

Sugar-Free Plain Yogurt. Feeding your itchy dog plain, unsweetened yogurt may offer many health benefits. Some yeast infections and skin irritation can stem from your dogs digestive system. This remedy is good for dogs who have certain types of rashes, hives, or allergies.

Can I give my dog Benadryl for hives?

Benadryl is a great medication for use in dogs with mild-to-moderate allergies. Seasonal allergies, food allergies, environmental allergies, and allergic reactions to snake and insect bites all respond to Benadryl in most cases.

Why is my dog getting bumps all over his body?

Folliculitis means inflamed hair follicles and often occurs when your dog is experiencing another skin problems such as mange or skin allergies, as the hair follicles become infected by the underlying skin condition. It appears on the body in sores, bumps and scabs over the skin.

What bugs cause hives in dogs?

The most common causes of these reactions are insect bites. Fleas rate their own discussion, but bee, wasp, mosquito, and spider bites can all cause your dog some discomfort. Learn to recognize the signs of an allergic reaction in your dog so you can ease his pain and prevent any serious issues.

What happens if hives Dont go away with Benadryl?

Call Your Doctor If: Severe hives not better after 2 doses of Benadryl. Itch not better after 24 hours on Benadryl.

What happens if antihistamines dont work for hives?

If antihistamines dont help, your doctor might prescribe a corticosteroid. These drugs calm the immune system. That can make your hives less severe. You can get them in a shot or a pill.

What are autoimmune hives?

Autoimmune hives erupt when the bodys immune system is overactive and attacks the bodys normal cells and tissues. Autoimmune hives may be a stand-alone symptom with no obvious underlying cause. They may also occur in conjunction with diagnosable autoimmune conditions.

When should I take my dog to the vet for hives?

If you see that your dog has red patches of skin or if they seem to have a type of skin infection, take them to see a veterinarian or emergency vet so your pet can start getting treated and the infected areas of the skin can start healing.

What gets rid of hives fast?

Apply a cold compress, such as ice cubes wrapped in a washcloth, to the itchy skin several times a dayunless cold triggers your hives. Use anti-itch medication that you can buy without a prescription, such as an antihistamine or calamine lotion.

How long can a dogs allergic reaction last?

If your dog is suffering from a skin allergy, you can look for the redness and irritation to last somewhere between two and three weeks. If your pup has seasonal allergies, you can expect to see symptoms for as long as the allergen is in bloom.

What does a severe allergic reaction look like in dogs?

The most common clinical signs of anaphylaxis include itching, red skin swellings called wheals or hives, a swollen face or muzzle, excessive salivation or drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea. In systemic anaphylaxis, the dog will have difficulty breathing and may be cyanotic (have a bluish color to the tongue and gums).

What does food allergy look like in dogs?

What are the clinical signs of food allergies in dogs? In the dog, the signs of a food allergy are usually itchy skin, paws, or ears or digestive disturbances such as vomiting or diarrhea. Other more subtle changes can also occur, including hyperactivity, weight loss, lack of energy, and even aggression.

Which antihistamine is best for dogs?

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl): 1mg per pound (one 25mg tablet for a 25lb dog) twice.
• Cetirizine (Zyrtec): mg per pound (one 10mg tab per 30-40 lbs) twice daily.
• Loratadine (Claritin): mg per pound (half of a 10mg tablet per 20 lbs) once daily.

How long does it take for Benadryl to work in dogs?

It will usually take 30 minutes for Benadryl to take full effect, and you want your pup calm and anxious-free. In terms of what form of Benadryl, thats entirely up to your vet. It doesnt really matter if you use the brand name medication or not.

How much Benadryl can you give a dog chart?

Therefore, a simple and practical dose is 1 mg of Benadryl per pound of your dogs weight, given 2-3 times a day. For example, a 10-pound dog might receive a 10 mg dose in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Most diphenhydramine (Benadryl) tablets are 25 mg, which would be the appropriate size for a 25-pound dog.

How long can hives last?

How long can hives last? Hives can last a variable amount of time. Usually, eruptions may last for a few minutes, sometimes several hours, and even several weeks to months. Most individual hives last no more than 24 hours.

Does my dog have hives or bug bites?

The most common clinical signs associated with an insect bite reaction include: swelling and redness at the site of the bite. hives or multiple red, raised swellings over the body. a swollen face or muzzle.

What do mite bites look like on a dog?

Most of the flaky, reddened skin appears on the trunk, although mites might infest the face and even hide out in the dogs nose. Dogs who scratch a lot often develop crusty lesions, which can develop secondary bacterial infections. Other signs include small swollen areas within the flaky skin.

What does mites look like on a dog?

Mites look like small spider-like creatures, with are estimated to only be 1/4 to 1/3 millimeters long. To the naked eye, they may look like tiny black dots on the skin, so you can only really see them under a microscope. They have a world-wide distribution, often being transferred from one dog to another.