Why is Benadryl not helping my itching
Why Antihistamines Fail to Control Itch in Dogs
An itchy dog is a stress for the whole family. When our dogs are uncomfortable, we naturally feel for them and want to relieve their signs as quickly as possible. Antihistamines, like Benadryl, have historically been an easy over-the-counter option to provide people (and pets) some relief. Yet, studies have demonstrated that while antihistamines may relieve respiratory allergies in humans, they had little or no effect on skin allergies in dogs[1,2].
Can Dog Itch Be Difficult to Treat?
Itchy dogs can be frustrating to treat for the dog, the owner, and sometimes even the veterinarian. There are a variety of treatments that may be recommended for your itchy dog, including:
Allergy medications to control itch and skin inflammation
Anti-parasite treatments like oral or topical flea/tick preventatives
Antibiotics or antifungals to treat the underlying skin infection(s)
Topical therapy like shampoos, conditioners, and sprays for targeted treatment and to help keep the skin healthy
For uncomplicated itchy dog causes like fleas, treatment is easy to administer and can be up to 100% effective. For more complicated cases like dogs with seasonal or chronic allergies and secondary skin infections, it can be more challenging to completely eliminate the signs. However, there are treatment options available that can be used for the short-term and long-term management of skin allergies.
What About DIY and Over-the-Counter Options?
While it may be tempting to reach for the antiitch shampoos and sprays at your pet supply store or to pick up an antihistamine at the drugstore, these may only provide temporary relief at best. Topical therapies may provide minor temporary relief in some mildly itchy dogs, but are not effective alone in controlling itch in most allergic dogs. Let your veterinarian know all of the current medications you are giving, as well as other medical conditions that your dog has, so they can make sure the prescribed medication is safe to use in your dog. They will work with you to identify the underlying cause of the allergic itch and make an individualized treatment for your dog and your lifestyle.
What are Antihistamines and Why Dont They Work for Most Itchy Dogs?
Allergies in dogs are different than allergies in people. Histamines cause upper respiratory allergies in people, whereas cytokines (not histamines) cause skin allergies in dogs.
For dogs with underlying skin allergies, antihistamines don't control the cytokines (signaling proteins) that cause inflammation and itch[1]. In fact, the International Committee on Allergic Diseases of Animals lists antihistamines under "Interventions likely to be of little or no benefit to treat acute flares of canine atopic dermatitis[3]." Antihistamines can also cause some unwanted side effects, including sedation, trembling, and panting[4]. In addition, antihistamines can put your dog at risk for worsening allergic itch and secondary infections since they are not treating the underlying cause of the skin allergies.
Alternatives to Treating Itchy Dogs with Antihistamines
Work with your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of your dog's itch and discuss the best approach for relief, treatment, and prevention. For pet owners of allergic dogs, you'll work together with your veterinarian to find an anchor treatment (one single treatment that will control itch most of the time) and then supplement with other treatments depending on how your dog responds. If you are concerned about antihistamines not working in your allergic dog or side effects of antihistamines, ask your veterinarian about other targeted therapies proven to reduce allergic itch in dogs.
Managing your dog's itch quickly and effectively will save time and money, help minimize frustration, and best of all, give your pet the relief they deserve.
7 Ways to Relieve Itchy Skin When You Just Cant Stop Scratching
You should also moisturize within five minutes of getting out of the shower, and no more than 10 minutes topsany longer and you risk drying out your skin even more. Also, use lukewarm and not hot water, as high temps can strip your skin of moisture. Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing with a towel, as the latter approach can irritate your skin. (As an added bonus, patting will leave your skin a little damp, which is ideal, because then your moisturizer can help seal in that hydration.)
3. Take a colloidal oatmeal bath.
If you havent jumped on the colloidal oatmeal train for your skin, nows the time, Joshua Zeichner, MD, associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells SELF. Oats contain anti-inflammatory compounds, known as avenanthramides, that have antioxidant and soothing effects on the skin, he notes. Oatmeal compresses and baths have long been used to soothe dry, itchy skin.1
You can find colloidal oatmeal in many over-the-counter (OTC) moisturizers. You can also whip up your own skin-calming DIY bath using colloidal oats from your local pharmacy or drugstore, Dr. Shao says. Heres how to do it, per the AAD: Add the oats to a warm bath and soak for 15 minutes. Pat yourself dry after, and add a layer of moisturizer on top.
If cleaning sticky oatmeal out of your tub sounds like a potential nightmare, know that colloidal oatmeal is a finely ground version of the type youd typically eat, so it should dissolve in water and go down the drain easily too.
4. Chill out with a cold compress or wet wrap.
When you hurt yourself and feel an immediate, throbbing painfor example, after slamming your finger in a doorapplying something cold to the affected area can provide temporary relief.2 That same logic applies to an insatiable itch, which is caused by an overfiring of nerves in the skin, Dr. Zeichner sayswhich is why placing a cool compress on irritated skin can help combat the urge to scratch.
Place an ice pack or cold compress on your skin for up to 10 minutes to help ease that feeling, according to the AAD. The cold sensation can have a numbing effect and also help decrease swelling that may be associated, Dr. Shao says.
If you have a chronic itchy skin condition like eczema, talk to your dermatologist about wet wrap therapy, which involves draping damp cotton clothing or gauze around a particularly itchy spot, putting a dry layer of clothing over it, and leaving the wraps in place for several hours or even overnight, per the National Eczema Association (NEA). (But you should only do this with your derms green light, so you dont accidentally irritate your skin even more.)
5. Use caution with OTC remedies.
Over-the-counter creams that contain corticosteroids help suppress inflammationand can potentially stop your skin from freaking out. One common example youve probably encountered before is Cortizone-10, which is often marketed for insect bite relief. Topical steroids are like fire extinguishers that put out inflammation in the skin, which is how they improve symptoms of itch, Dr. Zeichner says. Docs often recommend them to people with eczema and psoriasis because they are so effective, according to the AAD.
Really bad itching and benadryl doesn't help
#1 (Edited)Hello,I am posting this to a few forums because I am new and I do not really know my way around the dog-internet world.Anyway, my girlfriend and I just adopted a small 3.5 year old Boston Terrier (12 lbs). From about the second day we had her, she had developed a really bad itch on her stomach and other parts. She scratches it non-stop!We took her to our new vet and they suggested half a tablet of benadryl twice a day (about 12.5 mg for a 12 lbs dog 2x a day).The benadryl has not been helping. She has been on it for almost three days a zero sign of improvement.It certainly seems to be a contact allergy but we cannot figure to what. Also, the shelter where we adopted her also used to be her groomer before her owner died and she said there has never been any reactions before.We do not use any harsh cleaners or anything. We just vacuums the carpets. And in the bathroom where she spends the day, we had used a swifter a long while ago but it was at least a month before we got her (don't judge us for not mopping enough).The only thing we thought it could be was the new harness we got her. When we suspected that, we took it off. This was before we even started the benadryl and still no improvement.We are going to make another vet appointment but any ideas from the greater dog community will be more than welcome to both the itchy pooch and her worried owners.Addendum: I forgot to add that they did a skin scrape and cytology at the vet and it was negative
See less See more #2What does the skin look like? Is it scabby? Red? Any blood? Any fur coming out?
#4It is red. There is not really any scabs. The redness goes down her chest.As for food, we have not changed her food. We are using what they have been using at the shelter and same for the treats. We have started using a different treats as well but well after the rash started. I think it is not the food.Any other thoughs
#5How long was she at the shelter before you adopted her do you know? It could be something she is eating or touching. Maybe grass. the carpeting. If you got her a bed, or crate, etc.
#6I'm brand new to the dog world, so I really don't have any helpful answers for you
I'm so sorry! But I would get him back into the vet if I were you.
It's a long shot, but dogs do sometimes develop obsessive compulsive behaviors, such as itching, when they are having anxiety. And since you said it started just after you got him, the new environment may have made him very anxious. I highly doubt that's the reason, but it's just a bit of info I thought I'd toss out there.
And for what it's worth, my pup had a sever skin condition when we first got her, and she got a skin scrape that also came back negative. But my vet told me that sarcoptic mange comes up negative 80% of the time, but he was almost certain that it's what she had, so he treated it, and he was right! The ivermectin cleared it right up. It's another long shot, but I'm just trying to give you any tiny bits of my experiences that may be helpful.
Has the pup been around other dogs?
#7My thought is mange. And like lola mentioned. It can scrape negative
Do you have a pic of the sore?
Posted via Mobile Device #8Yeah, I'd third the guess that mange is a possibility. We had a pup once that was very itchy and it took several scrapings (and several vets) to find the bugs. We actually finally got him diagnosed when we were in SC, where mange is more common and the vets more experienced in finding it.(with our pup is was demodectic mange...)Benedryl probably won't stop the itch with mange.
#9Mange certainly does seem a possibility, best discuss it with your vet. Check again that you havent introduced another source of food or treat alongside what they fed at the kennels. If a dog has an intolerance to something it will flare the skin up like you describe and it only needs a tiny amount of colourings in a chew or toy to trigger something like this.
#10Are you using a flea treatment. One flea bite can cause that reaction to a flea allergic dog. If you suspect mange I would try healing clay packs first to see if it helps. parasites are not supposed to be able to live in the clay environment.
Red Desert Clay The Most Efficient Premium Calcium Montmorillonite Clay7) Clay Packs - You can also make clay packs to remove bacteria on the skin, and to reduce pain and inflammation.
#11I think you need to make another trip to the Vet for more testing. Poor girl
Until you can figure out what is causing it, I'd look into/try a different medication for the relief. Maybe even a topical cream as well.
I would ask your vet about possibly prescribing a corticosteroid, such as prednisone because Benedryl is an antihistamine and it's not as effective as corticosteroids in treating dog allergies.
Please keep us posted.
#14Thanks everyone for the replies.If it still doesn't clear up very soon, we will make another vet appointment and bring up the skin scrape.They shelter is not primarily a shelter. They are a grooming and doggie day car place. More so, she was more fostered with them so she had a lot of freedom and was not just in a crate.Food wise, as I said, the only new food we introduced was long after the rash started And we took the harness away as a while ago with no change.Other ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for all the help
#15I personally would not wait longer....its been long enough IMO.How long was she at the "shelter"? Can you take a photo like Crio mentioned?Just an FYI none of us are vets so the best thing to do is your dog back into your vet asap....
#16I personally would not wait longer....its been long enough IMO.Just an FYI none of us are vets so the best thing to do is your dog back into your vet asap....
I agree.
#17Ditto pawz.
I wouldn't wait any longer to get the poor little thing into the vet. I think that if it were going to heal up on its own, it would've done so by now. When Lola had her mange, she still scratched and bit herself bloody (literally) for a few days after treatment started. So you have to figure that your dog may be itchy and uncomfortably for a few days even after treatment has started, whether it's mange or not. I just think that the pup needs to get treatment sooner rather than later.
#19 Yes dawnben, sometimes simple things work and sometimes they are overlooked by inferior vets and I'm sure you have experience with certain issues and dogs under your care but as we all know, all dogs are not the same, just like all Vets are not created equal. If the OP is not satisfied with her current Vet, then he/she should certainly seek out the assistance of another.
I'm glad we are all on the same page, re: getting a diagnosis but I am also for finding a "something" to allieviate the pain, itching, discomfort, in the meantime. I'm guessing you are too.
We all have our own experience with how certain things were handled in the past and therefor bring our own opinions to the table, we all must keep in mind though, that the experience we have, pales in comparison to the clinical knowledge and the highly medically trained experts in this field.
Maybe statistically, many of the dermatitis issues can be resolved with a simple food change, I don't think anyone is disputing that. But the fact remains that we shouldn't feel obligated or entitled to pass on "medical" suggestions to someone over an internet forum but should make every effort to get them to seek professional advice, (possibly armed with a list of questions/inquiries) regardless of our prior individual findings and previous job experience...
#20 Hi! My dog has very sensitive skin and often breaks out in rashes during the summer. He has been this way his whole life, so I'm guessing your doggie's problem isn't sensitive skin since her problem is just now developing. However, if you are looking for instant relief until you can determine the problem then my experiences with many different non-prescription creams, sprays, etc. might be useful.Although there are a lot of anti-itch products especially for pets, I found regular hydrocortisone cream (same stuff I'd use on myself for a bug bite) works best for my dog. You do have to be careful not to put it anyplace the dog can lick it off, and it can be messy if the rash is under her hair. If the rash is severe then this probably won't make it go away, but it might provide her a little relief. Also - I have no experience with mange. I do not know if this might negatively affect that kind of problem.
#21sorry to hijack this thread but I was about to post about a similar problem. We have a basset that we picked up from the rescue centre 3 1/2 weeks ago. She has sores on one of her back legs and on all heels that the centre say are ammonia burns from lying in a crate in her own urine (she is ex puppy farm). They say she was checked by a vet at the centre and he was not overly concerned by these sores. They are calloused over and she licks them but they do seem to be getting smaller and stubbling over.After a few days she started scratching her chest and she now has a large sore patch there. She scratches or licks all the time and sometimes makes it bleed. We put a cone on her and savlon cream but she still scratches with her back legs frequently. I took her to the vet on friday and she gave her a steroid injection and some advocate. The vet thought it was not mange or other parasites but to try this anyway. She said if its no better in 2 weeks then we need to start thinking about if its an allergy. Maybe to food or grass? There has been no change yet, if anything she's scratching even more.So I thought I might put her on a hypoallergenic diet but there are so many brands out there I don't know where to start. Any suggestions for brands available in the UK or maybe a food I could prepare myself for her?
#22Do you have a picture that you can post? It sounds an awful lot like mange, but the vet said it wasn't...hmm..Because the most prominent place Lola had scabs and bald spots were on the backs of her legs and her heels. And she also did scratch herself bloody. It seems pretty severe to be an allergy, but I'm really not very knowledgeable about this type of thing.Did the vet do a skin scrape?
#23this is some of her sores. The vet didn't do a skin scrape, she said she would start with the easiest treatment and then work our way up if necessary
#24oh and also I just remembered something important! the reason why the vet was sure it wasn't mange was because our dogs sleep together and Bess is completely unaffected
#25Oh my gosh!!! *cringe* the poor thing! That looks like it must be very painful.Unfortunately, I'm not very experienced at all, and I've never seen something like this. But I know that a lot of the other members know their stuff, and hopefully they can give you an idea about what's going on.But I wouldn't take this very lightly...I personally wouldn't wait two full weeks to say "ok it's not getting any better at all, something must be done." It's just hard to see your furry friend so uncomfortable, you know? What kind of food are you feeding her?
#26she has a complete dry food, that contains chicken, vegetables and cereal, at the moment but I need to change to hypoallergenic
#27Do you know the name of the brand? Just curious, of course. I'm not going to fuss at you or anything haha and yes, I think you are wise to switch to hypoallergenic so that you can possibly rule that out as a possible cause.
#30See, I knew the experienced members would come to the rescue
#32 thanks Tess, no this is Carly, our other Basset is Bess. Advocate is a parasite treatment, a little tube of liqud that you put on the neck. Vet didn't go into too much at this stage. She said the thing with skin disorders is if you could just keep going, throwing money at it and might never get to the root of the problem. So she suggested we just take it a stage at a time, starting with the most obvious, easiest to treat and cheapest options. The sore on her leg is actually much better than in the photo, that was taken the day after we got her. It's not so red and angry and she doesn't bother with it that much. Her main area of discomfort is the armpits. That area is very red and sore and weeps a little when she's been scratching and sometimes it smells a bit...woundy is the only way to describe it.Sometimes when she gets really bad I put a t-shirt on her so at least she's not scratching claws against skin. Also she has no fur there so that doesn't help.
#33 (Edited)OK, thanks for the clarification on the Advocate... perhaps it is much like "frontline" that we use here in the USA.
The smell you are detecting from her skin is likely a sign of some level of infection, bacterial and/or yeast. So the thing I would be doing, if I had this problem (I am not a vet... so keep that in mind!) is to simply bath the area with some VERY mild soap, (rinse soap off completely!) or even warm water. Then DRY thoroughly (pat dry with a clean towell.) and try to set things up so the skin is getting air. I like the T-shirt idea to keep her claws off it.
I think you could do the bathing without taking her to the tub and making a big deal out of it. Just let her rest comfy on her bed and used warm, wet towells. Afterwards you'll probably need to put something new, clean and dry on her bed. But let's make this a pleasant, loving experience for her. Treats throughout the procedure may help convince her it is nice. And take your time.
You can experiment with how often you need to bath and dry the areas, but I would start with once a day, and increase or decrease from there as you perceive it is needed.
The idea is to keep it very clean and very dry so there is not a moist place for bacteria and yeast to grow, which will cause a great deal of itching. If keeping it very dry and very clean does not settle the skin down, (reduce redness and itching) in a few days, then I'd really ask the vet about some systemic antibiotics to give you a jump start on healing.
I hope "Holly" stops by this thread. She may have a lot to offer in this discussion. You could look for her by PM if you wanted to!
I would expect it to take weeks to months to completely heal and re-grow hair, but what you want to see is some steady improvement, and if you are not seeing that, then its time to ask for more help from the vet.
Has the dog been tested for thyroid function? It is common in older dogs to have low thyroid levels and this greatly compounds skin issues and healing problems. Its a quick but important blood test. I'd specifically ask my vet for this to be done, and might as well do so now.
#34When Lola had her mange, I put little baby socks on her. She always took them off, but it's something you may try if you think she'd allow you to do that. It would help with the scratching.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
