[Christie]

Last year my mother’s dog had issues with fleas after natural topical flea preventative didn’t work. She brought her in to the vet and the vet prescribed K-9 Advantix II. The Advantix killed the fleas, but left her with severe itching and pain. The vet said that it wasn’t the topical medicine itself, but the combination of using it with the natural topical. He said to wait a few days and to give her an oatmeal bath if the itching persisted. That it would just eventually run its course out of her system. It took weeks for the itching to stop.

It was the end of the summer when this happened, so we didn’t have to apply any more topical preventative.

Fast forward to this week where my mother put on the Advantix, and lo and behold the incessant itching has returned. The only way the poor dog will sleep is if my mother gently rub her back. She literally rubs the area just above her tail against a dining room chair to get relief.

Is it safe to try giving her Benedryl? She’s about 40 pounds and PetMD suggests 1 mg/ pound for the dosage.

Last year, we tried an over the counter anti-itch spray a few days after the oatmeal bath. Nothing helped but time. I was hoping since Benedryl was internal, it might help where the external spray didn’t?

Any suggestions? Thanks

• This topic was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Christie.

[anonymous]

Call the vet and ask him to return your call when he has a minute. Direct your medication question to him.
Discuss what other flea/tick preventives would be appropriate for your pet.
I have one dog that had a localized reaction to a topical (Advantix), mild rash exactly where I applied the topical, no pruritus or other symptoms.
For that dog I am using the Seresto collar, so far it’s working. Years ago I had another dog that developed a rash due to a tick collar, my other dogs had no problem with it.
Every dog is different, and as you have found out, the natural stuff doesn’t work.

As far as medicating with over the counter meds (not intended for veterinary use), I think you should ask your vet, I don’t know your dog’s medical history, age etc.
It depends on how bad the pruritus is, you may want the vet to examine him first…..he may need a shot (immediate relief) if it’s a true allergic reaction.

The Benadryl dose is usually 1mg to 1 pound of dog, example 25 mg for a 25 pound dog, the pills are scored and can be broken in half. Do not use the children’s liquid it contains ingredients that are contraindicated for dogs.
Benadryl at it’s best is mild and often not very effective. If the dog is as uncomfortable as you suggest, I would take her to the vet for a shot.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

Ps: If the dog is red all over, rash on the chest, difficulty breathing or any other concerning symptoms, I would go to the emergency vet, NOW.

[anonymous]

The more I think about it, I would advise you to take the dog to the vet (asap) to get a shot (IM Benadryl or possibly a steroid) to stop the pruritus and assess the allergic reaction.

I prefer to err on the side of safety.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[anonymous]

Ps: I would bring the remaining Advantix back to the vet and ask for a refund. Obviously the dog can’t use it.
Good luck and give us an update.

[anonymous]

I have also had good results with Preventic collar (Amitraz). It’s supposed to be good for 3 months, but, I don’t believe that and change the collar every 6 weeks.
It’s available at Chewy dot com.

This is not veterinary advice; consult your veterinarian.

[Author]

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