Allergies - Need Help Quick (Claritin Safe for Dogs?)

[Jessika]

I normally give Charlie benedryl when his allergies get really really bad. Tonight is VERY bad. Yesterday he was perfectly fine, no scratching at all. Tonight we get home from work and he is just spastic with scratching himself.

My only issue is that I am completely out of benedryl right now! However I do have some claritin but I don't want to give him any without making 100% sure there will be no adverse affects. Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with giving their dog a claritin instead of benedryl?? Just for reference this is the OTC stuff, not prescription.

I'm trying to avoid a midnight wal-mart run (but will go if needed) since our walmart is a bit of a drive especially with traffic.

[Karen]

As a human, I react quite differently to Benadryl (does an okay job) and Claritan (makes things worse). I would call an all-night vet just to be sure. Here's the number for the one near us, there's always a vet on duty. It would be long-distance for you, but worth every penny to be sure.

Veterinary Emergency Center Tel: 617-453-0143
Info: After hours emergency and critical care

(they were the folks who helped Miss Hoppy when she was a young bunny and broke her leg at 11:30 p.m. on a Monday night ... Miss Hoppy's vet service has their number on the answering service, which is how we found them.)

[Jessika]

Thanks a ton for the number, Karen! He seems to have settled down for the time being however in the research I've done online it pretty much says that while Loratadine isn't toxic it isn't recommended to give to dogs over benedryl. Nowhere have I read that it's toxic, however, but Claritin-D is a biiig no-no.

Tomorrow I will definitely make a trip to Walmart and stock up on benedryl! I had some, but I just can't find it for the life of me! We lost it on our camping trip a month or so back :(

[Karen]

I'm glad he's feeling better anyway. I always hav a few Benadryl with me just in case. I am on other antihistamine/decongestant all the time, but keep that just in case some reaction pops up that's not bad enough for the epi-pen, but too bad to sit and do nothing about.