Before giving your dog this medication, it is vital to ensure it won’t interact with any medicines your dog is currently on. If your dog has a history of renal or kidney problems, you need to talk to a vet before proceeding with a dose. Zyrtec can worsen the issues because it can cause urine retention in your dog. Exercise precaution if your dog has a history of sensitivities to antihistamines. Senior dogs and dogs under the age of one or any that have medical conditions should be ran by a vet. If in doubt about anything regarding your dog, call a vet. It’s always better to be extra safe when it comes to your doggy. Now that the scary details have been mentioned, there are a few reasons you may want to give your dog Zyrtec are:
If your dog doesn’t like taking capsules, there are a few things you can try. A pill dispenser, often called a pill popper, can help administer the pill to your dog. These look like syringes that let you place the tablet close to the back of the dog’s throat. It isn’t pretty, but it is effective. Pill pouches hide the pill, and the dog will eat them, thinking you are giving them a treat. The most common option is to sneak it into their food.
Zyrtec is usually well tolerated by dogs and doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier, making sedative effects far less likely. If you want to take extra precautions to avoid sedative effects on your dog, avoid other medicines that can enhance the impact. If you’re unsure of the side effects of any medication your dog is currently on, you can contact your pet’s clinic and check to see if any of them depress the central nervous system. A few other side effects are:
Zyrtec is the brand name for an antihistamine medicine that treats issues such as skin and allergy symptoms that several factors can cause. The generic form of the drug is called cetirizine, and both versions work by blocking the histamine effects in the body. Histamine is a chemical released by the body because of certain substances, such as dust, food, or chemicals. It’s an immune response after exposure to those types of pathogens. The histamine then acts on a person’s eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, or gastrointestinal tract, causing allergy symptoms. It has been studied for its role in allergic reactions for a long time.
You may want to give Zyrtec to your dog for several reasons. And as with anything medical-wise that you will be giving them, you want to make sure that you have the correct dosage and understand what side effects are typical and when you should be concerned about them. It’s always good to get approval from your vet before you start treating an undiagnosed problem in your dog. A medical opinion helps make sure that the underlying cause is diagnosed so that you’re not treating something that may come across as minor but be far more severe. This guide will help you understand the proper dosage to give your dog and how to do it safely.
Can I Give My Dog Zyrtec?
Yes, you can give your dog Zyrtec. In fact, Zyrtec is one of the safest over-the-counter medications for dogs. It is an excellent first-aid choice and has wide safety margins – it is not likely to cause any issues even if given in large doses.
Zyrtec is the brand name for the antihistamine cetirizine hydrochloride. In veterinary medicine, Zyrtec is used off-label, meaning although safe, it is not FDA approved for use in pets. However, vets support the Zyrtec use in dogs because it is beneficial, inexpensive, and readily available.
Zyrtec is popularly known as an improved Benadryl version. This is because, unlike Benadryl, the active ingredient in Zyrtec (cetirizine) does not cause sedation and lethargy. This is due to the fact that cetirizine does not cross the blood-brain barrier.
Are Allergies Dangerous for My Dog?
When your dog is outside during allergy season, he or she will most likely get some pollen in their system. Pollen stimulates the release of histamine from mast cells, which could get into blood vessels and cause severe dilation. When blood vessels dilate, blood flow heightens. The constant blood flow can result in swelling, congestion, and redness. Histamine can also get into the lungs resulting in constriction, which can lead to wheezing, sneezing, and other unfavorable problems.
If these allergy symptoms are left unmanaged, it can cause tissue swelling, which can obstruct the throat. With an obstructed throat, air and oxygen will not be able to properly enter the system. Because of this, your dog may have trouble breathing, which requires an immediate trip to the vet.
Other dangerous complications of allergies are bacterial infection and shock. Histamine can cause severe pruritus and itchiness. When your dog keeps scratching, their claws can rip through their own skin. The open wound would make him or her susceptible to bacterial infection.
Bacteria can get through the wound and into the bloodstream, causing shock. With a shock, your dog may experience low blood pressure, severe fever, shakes, and chills. If left unmanaged, these complications can be very life-threatening for your four-legged companion.
Zyrtec contains an active ingredient called cetirizine, which contains antihistamine properties. The medication works by blocking receptors on various blood vessels, tissues, and lungs so that histamine would not be able to bind to them. When histamine can’t bind to those receptors, it will not be able to dilate your dogs blood vessels, therefore reducing symptoms of sneezing, watery eyes, or other unfavorable symptoms.
This second-generation antihistamine medication is often prescribed for humans, but it can be used for dogs as well. The best thing to do is to talk to your vet about it so they can prescribe the proper medication with the correct dosage.
Dogs and humans often experience similar symptoms when it comes to allergies. When dogs get allergies, you may notice:
If you don’t treat the symptoms properly, skin infection and hair loss may occur.
Keep in mind that constant scratching can cause open wounds, which in turn makes them susceptible to infections leading to hot spots. If your dog has severe allergic reactions, they can get hives and anaphylactic shock. Like in humans, anaphylactic shock in dogs can be dangerous and life-threatening.
If you observe any sudden diarrhea, seizures, and vomiting, then you’d better get your dog to the vet right away! If you check your dogs gums and notice that they are paler than normal instead of a healthy pink, then it means your dog may be suffering from shock. You can take a look at their paws to feel the temperature. With symptoms of shock, their paws might be cool to touch.
Can I Give My Dog Zyrtec and Benadryl? | DogVela
It’s no fun to watch your poor pup repeatedly lick at her sides, haunches, and tail in an effort to scratch her unrelenting itches.
Fortunately, dogs respond well to many of the same medications that alleviate itchiness in people, and with your veterinarian’s consent, you can give her cetirizine, better known by the brand name Zyrtec.