Allergic Reaction/ Dog

[Sherree]

Can dogs have allergic reactions? My puppy dog has welts all over him, and you can tell he feels bad. No problems breathing. He got into some yellow table mustard from Cary's hotdog (only a small lick). That's the only thing we can think of that he's had today for the first time. It's been raining hard all day, so I don't think he could have got into something outside.

Was wondering if I could give him a Benadryl tablet?

[Summerthyme]

Yes, and yes.
Dosage is 1 MG per pound of body weight 2-3 times daily. You can empty capsules and dissolve the powder in water to get the correct dosage. For example, if he weighs 10#, dissolve 1, 25 MG capsule contents in 10 cc water (2 teaspoons). Then give 4cc (or 3/4 tsp)...it's easiest to use a syringe and squirt it into the pouch at the side of his mouth. Or, for a larger dog, just figure 1 capsule for every 25#, and put them down his throat.

Summerthyme

[Sherree]

Thank you! I didn't even realize my comments posted yesterday. I couldn't get a good satellite signal, because of all the rain. It never showed that my thread had come up.

Anyway, the only thing we could think of that could have caused the reaction was the mustard. He was covered with welts. Being Sunday, we couldn't get in touch with our vet.

He's better this morning, but still has a few welts. He threw up twice during the night, and had a pee accident. He weighs 47 lbs. So, I should give him 2-25mg tablets?

Edited to add....He is still trying to throw up this morning, and won't take the peanut butter ball with his meds in it. He loves PB, but won't even smell of it.

Summerthyme, can this be something other than an allergic reaction? I can't believe such a little amount of mustard would have caused such a reaction.

[Summerthyme]

Stuff 2, 25 MG tablets down his throat. He doesn't get a vote!

It's a bit unusual that he's allergic to mustard, but as I repeat ad nauseum when I talk about herbs, anyone can be allergic or sensitive to anything.

Try the benadryl a couple of times. However, if the hives come back (or aren't relieved by two doses, 4-5 hours apart), then it's time to call the vet. It's rare, but there are tumors which can cause the release of histamine. Also, it could be something he came in contact with aside from ingesting... believe it or not, but I had a friend who's dog would break out in hives every time he went outside....he was allergic to grass!

Summerthyme

[Sherree]

Cary did manage to get both tablets down, so I'm watching carefully to see if it's gonna work. He hasn't spit them back up. I was planning to give him another dose around noon, since he got the first dose around 7:30 am. If not showing improvement by this afternoon, I'll call our vet. This is my first time seeing a dog with hives! Also, Cary is outside walking the yard to see if he can find anything out of the ordinary that he could have got into. At first, we thought he had got into a fire ant bed which are so prevalent down here. That doesn't seem to be the case, though.

Thanks!

[Sherree]

The Benadryl is working! He's outside making every step Cary does. He loves being outside helping Cary no matter what the chore is. Very playful, and the hives are almost gone. I think another dose, and we'll be all better. I will keep a watch out for anything that could have caused this reaction. If it wasn't the mustard, I have no clue as to what it could be.

Thanks again, Summerthyme!