How Much Benedryl Can I Give My Dog

How to utilise Benadryl to help your domestic dog with allergies, anxiety, and more

This article was medically reviewed by Sorin McKnight, DVM, a veterinarian at Wellborn Road Veterinary Medical Center in Higher Station, Texas.

Yous tin too get a Benadryl-alternantive that is specific for dogs, chosen Vetadryl.

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• Benadryl is safe to give your dog for allergies, anxiety, motion sickness, and vaccine side furnishings.
• Though a typical Benadryl pill is 25 mg, you should only requite your canis familiaris 0.9-1.8 mg per pound of weight.
• Make sure that the Benadryl yous're giving your dog only contains diphenhydramine.
• Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more than advice.

Benadryl is safe for dogs, simply don't give any to your dog without consulting a vet first as the wrong dose could be toxic.

Your vet may recommend Benadryl to help treat your dog for conditions similar hives or anxiety and tin can guide yous on delivering the correct dosage and medication.

Here'due south what you need to know about how much Benadryl your dog should take and when you need to come across the vet.

Uses of Benadryl for dogs

Benadryl, or diphenhydramine, is a common over-the-counter medication that helps relieve itching, swelling, and other allergy symptoms.

Because of this, y'all can give information technology to your dog for conditions like:

• Allergies: Benadryl works to treat several different types of canine allergies, including food allergies, seasonal allergies, skin allergies, and allergic reactions to triggers like a bee sting. It can aid calm symptoms like:
• Swelling
• Hives
• Sneezing
• Runny nose and eyes
• Itchy pare
• Feet: "A common side outcome of Benadryl is drowsiness, so it may besides be used to temporarily calm broken-hearted dogs," says Tierra Toll, DVM, MPH, a veterinarian and founder of the BlackDVM Network.
• Motion sickness: Benadryl's sedating effect may besides assist fight off motility sickness during car or airplane rides with your dog.
• Vaccine reactions: "Puppies receive vaccinations early on in life and can have a reaction to these vaccines," Cost says. To calm reactions like swelling or fatigue, veterinarians often recommend giving your puppy Benadryl two to four hours before the vaccine appointment, says Cost.

Dosing instructions for Benadryl

The Merck Veterinarian Transmission recommends giving your dog 0.9-1.8 mg of Benadryl per pound of weight (ii-4 mg/kg of weight).

If you desire to try over-the-counter Benadryl, the all-time form is usually a tablet, which is typically 25 mg per tab, says Justine Lee, DVM, a board-certified veterinary who specializes in toxicology and emergency care.

This means that, generally speaking, a 25-pound dog would become one pill and a l-pound dog would get two.

If you take a very small domestic dog, yous may need to use a lower-dose liquid children'southward formula to get the proper dose for their weight.

"Veterinarians can as well prescribe the dog a grade of Benadryl, Vetadryl, which is the FDA approved grade of diphenhydramine for dogs and cats," Price says. Though it is the same medicine and you could technically apply any one, Vetadryl has some benefits similar:

• A 10 mg option, which may make dosing easier
• Flavoring for dogs, which may make it more appealing to your pup

Precautions when using Benadryl

When using Benadryl, proceed these precautions in listen:

• "Benadryl is bachelor over the counter for pet parents to purchase but should only be washed nether the direction of a veterinarian," Cost says. Your vet tin can make up one's mind the all-time starting dose and check if Benadryl has a negative interaction with any other medications your domestic dog takes.
• If you lot're purchasing Benadryl over the counter, "yous want to make sure information technology'south Benadryl that is only diphenhydramine, no other ingredients added in," Lee says. Scout out for ingredients similar acetaminophen or decongestants that may not exist safe for dogs.
• Ever check the box to make sure the Benadryl isn't expired, every bit expired medication tin can be dangerous for your dog, Price says.

Side effects of Benadryl in dogs

Some of the virtually common side effects of Benadryl include:

• Drooling
• Drowsiness
• Increased center rate
• Dry out rima oris
• Rapid breathing
• Lack of urination

"Although Benadryl is a safe drug, overdosing is possible," Price says. Some possible signs of overdose are:

• Agitation
• Seizures
• Dilated pupils
• Rapid heartbeat
• Constipation

"If y'all do suspect an overdose, you should call your veterinary immediately and take in the packaging for medications that were administered," Price says.

If you gave your dog Benadryl for an allergic reaction, watch to make sure your domestic dog's symptoms are getting better. "If your dog is showing signs of difficulty breathing or the swelling is getting worse, you want to get to a vet or an emergency vet immediately," Lee says.

Insider's takeaway

Benadryl tin be a helpful remedy if your dog has feet, allergies, motion sickness and other conditions.

You tin get Benadryl over the counter, but it's best to talk to your vet earlier starting any new medication.

If your dog shows whatever alarming symptoms like seizures or dilated pupils, go to an emergency vet as quickly as possible

Madeline Kennedy is a health writer for Insider roofing a wide range of topics including reproductive and sexual health, mental health, nutrition, and infectious disease. Before joining Insider, Madeline worked every bit a health news writer for Reuters, and a domestic violence therapist. She has a master's degree in social work from UPenn and is interested in the intersection of health and social justice.

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