Hi, For the past week or so my dog has been nipping her skin/licking herself and ripping the hair out of her tail. I could see a few small bumps beneath the fur of her tail and consulted a online vet. I was told it was a allergy of some kind, fleas/diet or environment. She’s recently been flead and bathed, her diet has not changed and so that leaves environment. Last year she had hives twice all over her back legs and we were told to just bathe it with warm boiled water. I’ve been doing the same with her tail twice a day with no luck. I’ve heard that many people give their dogs antihistamines but which ones are safe for them to take or any alternatives that could help.
Piriton is safe for dogs and you are able to Google the correct dosage for your dog's weight. If you are in the UK, do not tell the chemist that it is for a dog, as they are not allowed to sell medicines for animals. Just a cautionary note. It might be worth consulting an real life vet as the best cure for flea allergy is to get rid of the fleas, and a vet will have more efficient remedies than you can buy over the counter. Also, I did have a crop of itchy lumps on the tail of an older dog which turned out to be small sebum filled cysts.
I agree with Carole. See a vet to let them examine and advise. I also agree about flea treatments. Rosie had a bad case of fleas when we first got her. Vet prescribed Frontline and it didn't touch them at all. Back to vets and they dosed with Stronghold. Not had a problem since. It's not the actual products. Some work better on some dogs than others it seems. Obviously, all the house was also sprayed with flea spray, bedding and toys washed etc
When Tikva developed a line of hives on her head it was straight off to the vet. Literally within minutes of my noticing the hives. By the time we got there the hives [small but obvious] had spread across her face and body. One injection of Diphenhydramine [Benadryl] and a course of Prednisone, and the hives started going down shortly after the injection. The Prednisone cleared up whatever had caused it. It was not known what caused the allergic reaction but it is possible she was in contact with something that had been thrown into the yard. There is no way I would trust an online vet who only has your word to describe the symptoms, a "real life" vet needs to see the dog. We do not know what caused the allergic reaction in Tikva but a yearly case of hives is not caused by fleas - flea allergies would be all year round, not just once a year. Bathing with warm boiled water will not cure any type of allergic reaction. If bathing with warm boiled water would cure any type of allergic reaction, whatever caused it, I would not have to carry around two Epipens and keep a stock of Prednisone for the allergies that years of testing never found what are allergens for me. Please take your dog to a real life vet and stop relying on online and/or what someone told you.
Thank you for the replies. When my girl had hives last year I did ring a vet and explained the situation. It was the weekend so they were only open for emergencies. I was told to bathe them with warm water and if they didn’t go down within a couple days or if they got worse to go down to the office. They reduced in size/appearance very quickly and went away completely within two days. The reason I didn’t call the vets this time and instead asked a online vet, which is a legit site, and then a forum was because my dog does not travel well and will not let the vets handle her. So if I can sort it myself it will save a lot of headache and stress on her part. I appreciate that you’re just trying to be helpful but It would, in my opinion, be ridiculous to go running to the vets every two seconds for every minor problem when there are potential solutions you can do for yourself.
If your own vet told you to bathe the hives with warm water, without even having seen your dog and the hives, then if it were me I would be looking for a new vet. I am sure the online vets are legitimate but they also have not seen the dog. They only have your description of these hives. As for running to the vet for minor problems - un-diagnosed hives are far from being minor as they could be a sign of something more serious, especially if it is, indeed, an allergic reaction. But dosing your dog with anti-histamines when you do not know what has caused the hives in the first place, can be very dangerous. Regarding the fact that your dog does not travel well and will not let a vet handle her, how do you manage to have her vaccinated? And would you self-diagnose and treat a human baby because s/he cries when she sees a doctor? Tikva will be four-years-old in three weeks time, and the only time she has had to go to the surgery was for spaying and the allergic reaction she had. So I do not go running to the vet every two seconds for minor problems, but no way would I treat her myself without a vet seeing her if she really did have a problem. Your dog, your choice. You obviously care enough to ask for advice but none of us here are vets and only a real-life vet who actually sees your dog can diagnose and prescribe the correct medication. I hope your dog gets better soon.
Comparing a frightened child to a frightened dog is a bit different. I never said that I wouldn’t take my dog to a vet, only that I like to try and avoid if able. I wasn’t going to just go buy some piriton and dose my dog up without knowing/looking at all the information available. I quite clearly asked as well for any other alternatives. I also wasn’t accusing you of anything but you are a incredibly rude person. I don’t have to explain myself or my vets actions to you and nor will I.
The only problem is that it doesn't appear that the online vet gave much advice other than 'it was an allergy of some kind'. Obviously, they can't prescribe so they haven't really been that much help to you
@C.G - I am not rude, I was was being honest and trying to help you. I would not diagnose and treat my dog myself just on the word of a vet spoken with on the telephone, or an online vet - neither of whom actually saw the hives. You also said that your dog will not let vets handle her. Perhaps you should find a vet who is more caring of scared dogs?
