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Originally Posted by tsippi  Claritin works great on Goldie's respiratory allergies. I find that the best treatment for her skin allergies is to bathe her everyday. Additionally, if her paws become inflamed, I wipe them with Douxho pads a couple times a day, being careful to get between her toes and into her pads.
I tried Zyrtec, but it made Goldie act crazy. Benadryl controls respiratory allergies, but makes her super sleepy. Claritin does not have noticeable side effects. I asked my pharmacist for a liquid medicine measurer (the kind with the stopper) and give Goldie about .75mg worth of children's Claritin once a day. I give it to her with dinner since her big daily walk is before breakfast and the med wears off after about 20 hours or so.
I've done all this with my vet's okay, btw. The one mystery to me is what I'll do if Goldie gets stung by a bee on a day she's taken Claritin. She has a dangerous reaction to bee stings, so I carry Benadryl to give to her right away. I don't think I should do that if she already took Claritin, though. Has anyone had any experience with this? |
Be careful w/ bathing her every single day like this - most Vet Dermatologists would not recommend this, as it can actually irritate more than help. And def stay away from any oatmeal-based shampoos - it's an absolute myth that they help w/ irritated skin; in fact, they irritate.
If there is a bee sting, you can absolutely give Benadryl - even if Claritin is already on board. Give it immediately! The dose is 1-2mg/lb - but for stings, I *always* use the 2mg/lb dosage.
While both are antihistamines that work on the H1 Receptors - Benadryl is faster acting, but doesn't last as long (shorter half-life as compared to Claritin). You can confirm all of this w/ your vet, of course
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