Using Human Antihistamines For 6 Month Staffy

[AmandaJ]

I use human antihistamines on my boy - BUT that is at the vets recommendation - I would not give a dog human medication unless the vet suggested it.

[Stitch]

The antihistamine recommended by my vet was Periactin - apparently safe for dogs, useful with skin rashes, sneezing, allergies, etc. - it is also quite cheap!

[sheena]

I have been using 1/2 tablet daily of Cetirizine on my BC when necessary to stop itching from grass ticks. Cetirizine is the generic brand of Zyrtec, only a lot cheaper. I find it a lot better than what the vet gave me, Iramine twice daily...they were hopeless.

[westiemum]

Yep one very happy calendula tea user here - using the intensive series Erny outline helped my itchy westie girl a lot.

Thanks Erny, i will keep the Calendula Tea in mind. I'm guessing you let the tea soak into the skin and dry naturally, rather than rinsing it off. Is a rinse once a day sufficient? How many days?

I'd prefer to get a result from the antihistamine one way or another before i try something new.

Hi Tyler23. Yes - leave the tea to air dry on the skin (no rinsing off). As to how often - I was never told so I just did it about 3 times on the first day of getting on to it (as my dog, who was covered by estimated 500+ hives and was threatening secondary skin infection). Next day was VERY noticeably improved, so did it twice and then backed it down to once a day for the next couple of days. After that I only applied it when I thought things were beginning again or getting worse instead of better. I tend to find there is a noticeable improvement inside 24 hours, so it generally (IME) is not a case of using it for an age before you know.

I used the Calendula before the antihistamine. It turned out I didn't need to administer antihistamine because the Calendula did the job. It is also good to drink as well .

[TYLER23]

Just an update: I stopped using Clarantyne after three days of little improvement and switched to Calendula Tea twice a day for two days. There has been a marked improvement and the redness has abated to a pale pink. It's a bit difficult to say for certain that the tea did the trick, but it certainly seems like it. I'll know for sure the next time as the tea will be the only treatment i'll use .

Thanks Erny!!

[Erny]

Fantastic that it worked, TYLER23.

It doesn't "cure" mind you ..... if the reason for the skin reaction remains, the problem may likely return. But it is great in helping relieve the dog and also helps to halt the process that turns the initial skin reaction into a skin infection.

I think that because it seems to be such a benign treatment some are inclined to not think it will work as well as it often does. Seeing is believing :D.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Erny

[hercules&dazey]

hello im new to this i have never posted before.

My 3yo male english staffy has had hives 3times in the last week i have no idea what its from!

ihave given him a zyrtec thismorning but it doesnt seem to be working...

[Erny]

You'll need to investigate the reasons for the hives (were they hives and not mosquito bites? The latter have been in plague proportions recently) but the Calendula tea wash soothes and in my boy's instance, reduced the hives in size dramatically, cleared up the secondary infection that was brewing and basically set them on a path to disappearing inside 24 - 48 hours after commencing application.

If your boy's hives are not mosquito bites, then you need to look at possibilities such as food intolerances (changed anything in his diet or treats lately?) or contact allergies.

[Joypod]

Dogs seem to be developing more alergies just like humans are. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the antibiotics pumped into meat products which we (and our animals) are eating. Just wondering.

[Erny]

Dogs seem to be developing more alergies just like humans are. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the antibiotics pumped into meat products which we (and our animals) are eating. Just wondering.

Not to mention how quick we are to pump our dogs full of chemicals week in week out, and over generations .

[daccydog]

From the owner of a very itchy miss J the daccy girl

i can highly recommend calendula tea recipe thanks to Erny, but unfortunately my little one has got a secondary infection from scratching so much that she now needs an antibiotic , poor babe has insect bites all over her head , , she has never been this bad before

DD