Benadryl is a popular over-the-counter medicine with dog owners and even veterinarians. But should you really give it to your dog? It\u2019s an often-asked question online \u2026 <\/p>\n
It\u2019s best to avoid Benadryl for your dog. Benadryl isn\u2019t safe for dogs (despite what your vet and many websites say). It\u2019s an antihistamine that can relieve allergies in dogs (and people). Vets even recommend Benadryl for anxiety, bee stings, car sickness or reverse sneezing in dogs. But there are several reasons Benadryl isn\u2019t safe for dogs \u2026 and there are many safe, natural alternatives. <\/p>\n
First, in case you need help right now for your dog .. here\u2019s advice on Benadryl alternatives for different situations. <\/p>\n
But if you still need to be convinced about the risks of giving Benadryl to your dog, please continue reading below to learn about \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some alternatives to Benadryl to manage conditions that Benadryl is often used for. First, the most common \u2026 allergies.<\/p>\n Allergies can be complicated and you may need your holistic vet\u2019s help in figuring out the cause \u2026 whether your dog has food allergies or they\u2019re triggered by something else. Here are some natural approaches that can work well.<\/p>\n Colostrum is a substance in mother\u2019s first milk that helps build a newborn\u2019s immune system. It can help your adult dog too \u2026 by.strengthening his immune system and help with many types of allergies, including seasonal allergies or environmental allergies. You can give \u00bc tsp of powdered colostrum per 25 pounds of body weight.<\/strong><\/p>\n RELATED:<\/strong> Find out about the top 5 benefits of colostrum for dogs \u2026 <\/p>\n Quercetin<\/strong> is known as \u201cnature\u2019s Benadryl\u201d because it can stop the body from releasing histamines. Quercetin is naturally found in many berries as well as apple skin. For every 10 lbs of body weight, your dog can have 80 mg of quercetin powder.<\/p>\n RELATED:<\/strong> Learn what else quercetin can do for your dog \u2026 <\/p>\n Medicinal mushrooms<\/strong> have high beta-glucan content that strengthens your dog\u2019s immune response and can help prevent allergic responses and inflammation. Mushrooms like reishi, shiitake, cordyceps, turkey tail and maitake are all good choices. If you buy whole mushrooms, cook them first as raw mushrooms can be indigestible for your dog.<\/p>\n Or, choose a mushroom supplement made from whole mushrooms (not just mycelium, a part of the mushroom) and look for one with a certificate of analysis showing minimum 30% beta-glucan content. Follow the manufacturer\u2019s dosage instructions. If it\u2019s made for humans, assume dosing is for a 150 lb person, and adjust for your dog\u2019s weight.<\/p>\n RELATED:<\/strong> Read how mushrooms help your dog\u2019s immune system \u2026<\/p>\n Plaintain leaf juice<\/strong> will soothe stings and bites. If you\u2019re out on walk and your dog gets stung, you can find a plantain plant just about anywhere. Break off a leaf and chew it a little to release the juice \u2026 then rub the chewed leaf on the sting. You can even just rub a leaf directly on the sting.<\/p>\n Baking soda <\/strong>made into a paste with a little water can also help sooth a bite or sting.<\/p>\n And there are two homeopathic remedies<\/strong> that work well for insect bites and stings. These are good remedies to carry on a hike or walk in the woods \u2026 and you can take them yourself if you get stung. Buy a 30C potency, available at most health stores. Try Ledum palustre <\/em>if the bite is cold and puffy.<\/em> Apis mellifica <\/em>works well if the area is red and swollen, with a lot of itching.<\/p>\n How to dose:<\/strong> homeopathic remedies come in little pellets. Tip 2-3 pellets directly from the container lid into your dog\u2019s mouth. For bites and stings, give a dose every 15 minutes for an hour. If the first remedy doesn\u2019t make you dog more comfortable in that time, try the second one.<\/p>\n For anxiety, CBD oil<\/strong> from the hemp plant (not marijuana) is especially effective. Buy an organic full spectrum CBD oil with the different cannabinoids \u2026 CBD, CBA, CBC, CBN and CBG. Together, these cannabinoids provide the \u201centourage effect\u201d that can really help your dog.<\/p>\n For anxiety, you can give your dog 1 to 6 mg CBD per 10 lbs of body weight (check the amount per dropper of the product you buy). Don\u2019t be afraid to increase the dose a little if your dog doesn\u2019t relax.<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Find other herbs that can help with your dog\u2019s anxiety \u2026<\/p>\n For motion sickness, you may be able to desensitize your dog to the nausea or anxiety he gets in the car if you take him on a lot of short trips.<\/p>\n Ginger, peppermint or fennel tea <\/strong>are all herbs that make great teas for nausea. Make a tea and let it cool, then give it to your dog 30-60 minutes before a car ride. Give 1 Tbsp per 20 pounds of body weight to stop your dog feeling queasy in the car.<\/p>\n If your dog gets car sick because he\u2019s nervous, try some other herbal remedies that help with anxiety.<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Read about more ways to help your dog with car sickness \u2026 <\/p>\n Reverse sneezing is a throat spasm that causes your dog to suck air in through his nose instead of pushing it out of his nostrils. Many veterinarians will recommend Benadryl for reverse sneezing because they believe it\u2019s an allergic reaction. Benadryl may stop a reverse sneezing attack, but it won\u2019t stop the episodes long term.<\/p>\n Some dogs reverse sneeze when they\u2019re anxious or over-excited. In these cases giving flower essences like Rescue Remedy blend can often help. Distracting your dog with a toy or taking him outside often helps too. Others recommend massaging the throat, or gently covering the nostril to encourage your dog to swallow. <\/p>\n Reverse sneezing is often a sign of rabies vaccinosis (chronic illness from rabies vaccines), so the best approach long term is to contact a homeopathic veterinarian for help finding the right remedy for your dog. Find one at theavh.org.<\/p>\n If your dog\u2019s ever had an acute reaction to a vaccine \u2026 such as facial swelling, fever, difficulty breathing, or even seizures \u2026 vets will often suggest dosing him with Benadryl before his next vaccination. But if your dog\u2019s had a reaction before, it\u2019s more likely he\u2019ll have one (and maybe more severe) with repeated vaccination. So your best approach is to stop vaccinating your dog and don\u2019t risk these problems. <\/p>\n Instead, do your research on whether your dog really needs another vaccination. It\u2019s likely that vaccines your dog\u2019s already had will protect him for life.<\/strong><\/p>\n RELATED:<\/strong> How to boost your dog\u2019s natural immunity \u2026 <\/p>\n So \u2026 in an emergency, you now have some options to use instead of Benadryl. When you get time, though, it\u2019s a good idea to read the background information below to learn why Benadryl isn\u2019t good for your dog.<\/p>\n Benadryl is the first prescription antihistamine approved by the FDA. It was approved in 1946, just three years after chemical engineer Dr George Rieveschl invented it (Benadryl is the brand name for diphenhydramine hydrochloride<\/em>).<\/p>\n These days there are many generic versions of Benadryl, including one for pets, called Vetadryl.<\/p>\n Along with being an antihistamine, Benadryl is also an anticholinergic (drying) medicine, and has sedative effects. That\u2019s why it makes most people sleepy, and is used as a calming medicine for animals.<\/p>\n Benadryl is an antihistamine that stops the effects of histamine. Histamine is a natural chemical in the body. Its primary job is as a messenger in the nervous system. It\u2019s also a part of gastric acid, helping the digestive process. And It helps dilates blood vessels as part of your dog\u2019s immune response.<\/p>\n Too much histamine can cause problems like food sensitivities, allergic reactions and damaged capillaries. This damage leads to itchiness and inflammation. So what Benadryl does is block H1 histamine receptors in your dog\u2019s body, stopping the histamine reactions.<\/p>\n That means it works by suppressing your dog\u2019s symptoms \u2026 not by curing the underlying disease. So Benadryl may make your dog feel better for a while, but your dog still has the same problem, and the itching or other symptoms will come back.<\/p>\n Holistic veterinarians warn that when you use drugs to suppress symptoms, you drive the disease deeper into the body. But it usually resurfaces \u2026 often in a worse form than before.<\/p>\n Most people assume non-prescription drugs like Benadryl are safe. They probably don\u2019t even bother to read the package warnings. But in 2019 the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology warned against routine use of Benadryl and other \u201cfirst generation antihistamines,\u201d stating:<\/p>\n \u201cOlder AHs have not passed current safety or efficacy standards, and should not be used in routine circumstances for allergic disease.\u201d<\/p>\n They also warned that these drugs cross the blood-brain barrier and \u201c \u2026and may lead to significant CNS suppression and toxicity resulting in psychomotor impairment, coma, and even death.\u201d<\/p>\n Other Benadryl side effects include \u2026<\/p>\n It\u2019s also very easy to overdose Benadryl.<\/p>\n Too much Benadryl can have dire consequences, because dosing has a very narrow safety margin. Overdose signs like these can show up within an hour \u2026<\/p>\n If you see these serious signs in your dog, take your dog to the emergency vet. <\/strong><\/p>\n Benadryl is especially unsafe for dogs with these conditions: glaucoma, heart failure, seizures, prostatic hypertrophy, bladder neck obstruction, allergic lung disease or hyperthyroidism <\/strong>(which is rare in dogs).<\/p>\n You also shouldn\u2019t give Benadryl to pregnant or nursing females. <\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes emergencies happen and maybe Benadryl is all you have handy. If you ever have to use it, make sure you ask your veterinarian for the correct dosage for your dog. Don\u2019t guess \u2026 because it\u2019s really easy to overdose Benadryl and cause severe illness.<\/p>\n But now you have some home remedies to turn to \u2026 so stock up on these natural solutions instead of grabbing that little pink pill from the medicine cabinet.<\/p>\n Fein, M.N., Fischer, D.A., O\u2019Keefe, A.W. et al.<\/em> CSACI position statement: Newer generation H1<\/sub>-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1<\/sub>-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol<\/em> 15, 61 (2019).<\/p>\n de Mello Schier AR et al. Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol: a chemical compound of Cannabis sativa. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets<\/em>. 2014;13(6):953-60. <\/p>\n Schultz RD. Duration of immunity for canine and feline vaccines: A review. Veterinary Microbiology<\/em>. 2006;117(1):75-9.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n ,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Benadryl is a popular over-the-counter medicine with dog owners and even veterinarians. But should you really give it to your dog? 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Home Remedies To Use Instead Of Benadryl<\/h2>\n
Home Remedies For Allergies<\/h3>\n
Home Remedies For Insect Stings<\/h3>\n
Home Remedies For Anxiety<\/h3>\n
Home Remedies For Car Sickness<\/h3>\n
How To Help Reverse Sneezing<\/h3>\n
Acute Vaccine Reactions<\/h3>\n
What Is Benadryl?<\/h2>\n
How Does Benadryl Work?<\/h2>\n
Side Effects of Benadryl<\/h2>\n
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Benadryl Overdose In Dogs<\/h2>\n
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Never Give Benadryl To These Dogs<\/h2>\n
If You Must Give Your Dog Benadryl<\/h2>\n
References<\/span><\/summary>\n