What medicine is safe for dogs with allergies?

There's a lot out there. Many of the products that we have here on the table are safe for just about any pet. Of course, these topical products are all going to be safe, even if your pet maybe has a heart murmur, or you were monitoring their liver values, or dental disease, or things like that. These topical products are going to be safe for any pet and can be super effective.

My next favorite is going to be these Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and the reason why I like them for a pet who may have some other issues is they are all-natural. They just replace some of the natural anti-inflammatories in the body, but we use things like Apoquel and Cytopoint quite frequently in dogs of all shapes and sizes that have all kinds of conditions. And they do well.

That's a big question. When I think of medications, I think of just simple antihistamines. Some over-the-counter Benadryl can be used, but it's often not very successful at helping reduce the symptoms. We also have a barrage of oral medications that have been developed for dogs and some injection therapy. We have a lot of hyposensitization treatments through a dermatologist. As far as food allergy goes, there are some wonderful diets that have been created that help us help your pet with food allergies. We'll often prescribe one of those diets for your pet. We have what we call a big toolbox of tools that we can use to help your pet feel better.

The ones that I've just mentioned. Cortisone is safe, but I have to admit, we cannot use it regularly. It's a powerful drug, but it's a great drug, but it does come with some side effects, so we do have to use it cautiously. The second is Apoquel. The Apoquel tablets that I mentioned are great for managing allergies. It doesn't work with every dog, but it can be a great resource. And third is Cytopoint. Cytopoint is an injection. We do have to see them for the injection, but it works with a vast majority of dogs. I love the way it works with virtually no side effects. Those are the first three things I'm going to at least consider depending on what I see with the pet in front of me. At home, if you don't have anything else and you want to try one of the over-the-counter antihistamines, you can try Benadryl, Allegra, Claratin, or Zyrtec. They are safe. Obviously, safety is the issue here, but they just don't work well. If you want to try them, I have dosages on one of our handouts. Keep your expectations low. But the bare-bones minimum is to bathe them. If you have nothing else that you can start with, get them in the tub. If you're not able to bathe your dog, take a wet towel or wet cloth and hold it onto your dog in those itchy areas. It's only going to last for a short while, but it's better than nothing. Hopefully, that'll give you some tips on things you can try before you get them to us. Anything to keep your dog from being uncomfortable because these dogs are really miserable when they have allergies.

Medications such as steroids, Apoquel, and Cytopoint are safe for dogs with allergies when used in the proper doses and frequency. Additionally, proper bathing, omega-3 fatty acids, and other treatments can be used to maintain a healthy treatment for dog allergies.

We frequently use Aboquil and Cytopoint, but antihistamines are generally your safest bet.