You've heard from two for whom allergy shots work. But honestly only about 65% of the dogs who take the shots are helped. And it can be pricey getting there. Some folks have a really good experience with a dermatology vet -- the dogs in my care have not. So as many posts as you read about allergy. .. and go ahead and search for "allergies" or "allergy" on the forum and you'll find literally a scarey number of posts about the subject. And everyone's got a different experience.
Dog's have a faster metabolism than we do -- so it essentially takes more antihistamine for a dog than is dosed for a human. A *minimal* dose of Benedryl (diphenhydramine) is 1 mg/lb body weight 2-4 times a day (it's a 6 hour drug).
Over the counter Benedryl is 25 mg for the caps, and 12.5 mg/teaspoon for the 'elixer' (kids version).
Now honestly they do get used to the sleepy side effect and after a while you won't even see it. The dose for anaphylactic shock (like a bee sting or mega horrible allergic reaction stuff -- like they mowed the hayfield next to you and the dog took a walk in it) is 2 mg/lb.
But there are a TON of anthistamines that dogs can take. Hydroxyzine, which Sally mentioned, is no longer used for humans, but vets do still prescribe it for dogs (it's been around as long as diphenhydramine has). But dogs can also take Tavist, Chlortrimeton (chlor. maleate -- which is often used on cats incidentally), Claritin and just about any other anthistamine out there!! The interestng thing is they are each quite different -- and tend to each be good at different things. For humans, they say Benedryl is still the tops for 'skin itch' (I have dermatitis and I can tell you that is SOOOO true). But different dogs, different breeds, different things that make the allergies worse can react differently with different anthistamines.
But dog allergies are more complicated than human ones -- for two basic reasons.
Dogs don't just inhale allergens thru their noses.
1. Dogs have a secondary organ of scent -- the Jacobsen's Organ -- that's where a dog truly gets all his scent information. If you see your dog lift his head and sniff -- he's using the Jacobsen's organ. It's between the nose and the roof of the mouth and it's almost a sense of taste to them -- it's a perception of scent that we mere humans can't even understand. But it's kaboodles of tiny tiny 'folds' of skin -- miles of it almost -- so it has this huge absorption area -- and what the dog 'breathes' in today can take days to get all the way INTO the body thru the Jacobsen's organ, etc.
2. Dogs also absorb allergens thru their skin!! So bringing the dog in from a walk or from the outside and wiping it down with a Baby Wipe -- that's smart and can cut down allergens. Keeping a jar of sun tea in the fridge -- stick a margerine tub of tea in the microwave when the dog goes out and then using it to swish the dog's feet in when it comes back in and wipe with a terry towel -- THAT can help in a big big way. The tannins in the tea help neutralize the oils and allergens.
But because dog allergies move so slowly thru the body and because it comes from so many areas, sometimes you have to give any one anthistamine a trial of at least 2-3 weeks -- BEFORE you decide it isn't helping. And I hate to say this, but it may not totally and completely alleviate the symptoms ... but if it helps it's a HELP.
Alternatives:
Like I said, for a lot of reasons I won't give my dogs the shots. Those work by desensitizing the dog's immune system to the allergens. Any dog with allergies is already somewhat immune compromised so I don't want to diminish the immune system. That's ME. These ladies have found relief in it for their dogs, but it's not my way.
What do I do?
1. Yes, I use anthhistamine on mine.
2. Yes, I rinse their feet in tea and bathe frequently some times of the year.
3. I use Chinese medicine with mine -- they see an acupuncturist monthly who works with the allergies. No side effects, no negative effects. They also occasionally take Chinese herbals when need be to balance the body -- Chinese herbs are strong medicine.
4. Homeopathics -- these probably work the best on Billy of anything. Homeopathics are a whole separate branch of alternative medicine. No 'side effects' to them -- but you have to invest the time in getting to understand them and how they work. They aren't convenient -- you have to give them ever few hours (not just once or twice a day but typically at least 3 times a day) and measuiring all the little pellets can get time-consuming. BUT no side effects and it's not going to trash the kidneys or liver. But I'd caution you to look into homeopathy as a science first -- and if you want help I'm glad to help you, but I'm not going to just say take X pellets of ____ and it will go away. Again, altho there are no side effects, homeopathy is truly strong medicine and you don't want to use them unwisely. A holistic vet who specializes in homeopathics is a good place to start ... either that or a LOT LOT LOT of self-teaching, only to realize you need to be super careful.
5. thyroid testing -- my biggest allergy boy literally has THE WORST allergies I've ever seen. They have been completely unresponsive to most anything -- we had him tested by a regular vet three times and came up that it was a little low but not low enough to supplement. Finally, my vet sent the test to Michigan State -- they use Dr. Jean Dodds protocols for thyroid testing and she built their lab.
Her contention is that it's absolutely ridiculous to use ONE standard for thyroid testing -- a chihuahua, a rottie and a lab are all completely different metabolically -- so their thyroid 'levels' will be different.
When Billy's results came back from Michigan State WOW -- yep, he was hypothyroid (low thyroid). We began to supplement him and it was like day and night.
yeah, I still had to give anthistamine ... but whoa -- what we did WORKED. In fact, the homeopathics worked better than anything else. Whatta difference.
My point is this -- there are many things you can do and much of how you treat will depend on how much you can spend and what vets you have that are good in your area. But at least this gives you a choice.
What Dyan says is absolutely true -- please be ever so careful of things like vaccines and 'routine' medicines. Read up on them -- and truly know what they are dong to your dog's body.
Good luck!! Take care. Callie