I have a male weeny dog who is turning 10 this year. This past fall or a little longer ago, he started getting so congested that he was breathing out of his mouth and getting these scabby pus welts all over his belly.
I took him to the vet, and they said he has allergies, and to pinpoint exactly what kind it'll cost an arm and two legs. So, they prescribed a bunch of stuff along with shampoos and changed his food. I bought a humidifier and changed the filter in the furnace. None of the medicines have worked, and I gave him Benadryl with the vet's knowledge. It was working for a few weeks, but now nothing is working.
So I bought Zyrtec and was wondering if it's safe, or is there anything else that can be done for my little guy. He is 16 pounds. I swear I have a box of tissues in every room. What can I do about his congestion problem? He's miserable along with me. So please help. His skin is getting a lot better. I just want him to breath better.
By DLR
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I have a Wheaten Terrier who has allergies also. He weighs fifty pounds and takes one generic Clariden tablet daily and generic Benedryl up to four times a day, as needed, at the suggestion of his vet. Adjust these medications according to your pets weight.
If your dog also has skin problems, swab the itchy areas with a fragrance-free baby wipe when he comes inside. This may be an allergy to grass or mold outside. Oatmeal shampoo is soothing, make sure there is no fragrance added.
Otherwise, make sure that your vet checks him to make sure there are no secondary infections which may require an antibiotic. Also, I was told that dogs with skin allergies tend to have food allergies too. A kibble without wheat or corn may help also.
I had a cairn terrier with many allergies. For his skin allergies I changed his diet to brown rice and canned salmon (bones and skin and all; they need it for the calcium and fat). This worked for him and he lived to be 17 without any further difficulty.
My friends wiener dog was allergic to lawn fertilizer. His belly would break out every spring. They or the Vet did not know what was causing it. I suggested they change to organic fertilizer and voila.... not more scratching and biting. They had gone so far as to put a muzzle on the poor little guy to stop the biting. Now he is 100%.
I have not had much experience with nasal allergies. Look for patterns in your dogs allergies. This helped me to figure out what was going on. Also you might try an air cleaner in you home. They remove allergens that are in the air. But it is a real mystery sometimes to try and find out what the culprit is. Don't give up and best of luck to you.
Depending on where you live, if there is a veterinary university nearby, they may help with taking care of your pup. Sort of like going to a hospital that is a teaching area for medical schools.
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