Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find allergy medicine for dogs specifically. That’s why many vets
encourage Buffalo, NY dog owners to use over-the-counter drugs. However, you have to be
extremely careful about what you offer Fido because many OTC medications are toxic for pets.
Wait, Why Would We Need Allergy Medicine for Dogs?
As it turns out, your four-footed friend can suffer from allergies just like the rest of your family
members. In fact, they might even be allergic to you! It’s not uncommon for dogs to have
allergies to human dander or cat dander as well as many other common allergens, such as dust,
mold, and pollen.
Dogs will experience a variety of symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, inflammation,
sneezing, hives, ear infections, itchy eyes, and hives. While severe allergies can send dogs into
anaphylactic shock, most are easily treated with antihistamines.
Why Can’t I Use Human Allergy Medicine for Dogs?
Actually, veterinarians do sometimes prescribe human allergy medicine to dogs. Since dogs are
mammals too, they are similar to us in a number of ways, and so with your vet’s permission, you
can turn to over-the-counter drugs. You will, however, have to adjust the dosage depending on
your dog’s size, and you should note that certain side-effects like drowsiness, for instance, affect
some pets more than others.
However, more and more antihistamines found at pharmacies today contain additional
chemicals, namely decongestants, included to help treat common allergy symptoms. For the most
part, any allergy medicine containing “D” in the name—think Claritin-D—can cause your dog a
great deal of pain.
Which Allergy Medicine Should My Dogs Avoid?
The following brands are safe to give to dogs:
Benadryl, Chlortrimeton (and off-brand equivalents), Claritin, and Tavist.
On the other hand, make sure you stay far away from:
Actifed, Claritin-D, Contac, Sudafed, Tavist-D, and any other medications that contain
decongestants
In any case, make sure to consult your veterinarian before administering any medications. If your
dog does ingest over-the-counter allergy pills with decongestants, make sure to call an animal
hospital immediately.
Allergy Medicine for Dogs:
If you suffer from environmental allergies, then you know how miserable allergy season can be,
and so you most of all know what your dogs are going through. So, make sure to read labels very
carefully before passing any of your OTC drugs over to your pet!
