Antihistamine Recommendations for Dogs

I took my Ana to the vet today, to address a possible ear infection.  While I do my best to clean her ears proactively no less than once a week, I have to admit that this may be my fault, as I was doing it more like every other week.  Just a reminder that our Pyrs are prone to ear infections, due to their floppy fuzzy ears!  Ana plays pretty hard with her Bull Mastiff friend, so we also came to the conclusion some of her inflammation may be due to his massive mouth pulling and tugging on her ears, as well as the grooming they do for each other!  Their mouths of full of bacteria!

My vet gave me a great hand out regarding some antihistamines we can give our dogs when we know/suspect their ear infections are related to allergies.  The following was suggested by the Veterinary Referral Center of Colorado to control itchy skin and allergies in dogs.  The hand out was given to me by Tender Touch Animal Hospital.

"Over the counter antihistamines can reduce itch in some dogs.  Each dog responds differently to each antihistamine, so we suggest you try each for at least two weeks, and then pick the one that works best for your dog.

• Tavist-allergy, 1.34 mg, give one tablet per 30 lbs twice daily.
• Benadryl, 25 mg, give one capsule per 30 lbs three times daily.
• Chlorpheniramine, 4mg, give one tablet per 30 lbs twice daily.
• Claritin, 10 mg, give one tablet per 60 lbs twice daily.

Supplementing the diet with fatty acids can help reduce itch in some dogs, especially when they take antihistamines at the same time.  It certainly helps the quality of their coats and skin."

The hand out I took also recommends various prescription drugs if the over-the-counter ones do not work, but I assume if they did not work, that any owner would merely take your dog to your own vet for those recommendations if they have not done so already.
 
My Cahota is already on other meds, so I avoid taking any OTC drugs for pretty much anything if I can help it.  He has allergies, and I find that giving him fish oil pills daily makes a world of difference!  If they won't take the pill as-is, try popping it a bit so they can taste the oil inside.  You can also try squeezing it onto their food.

-SM