My neighbours schnauser (sp???)had all the symptoms of an allergic reaction (itchiness, hive like marks). Nothing about her food/treats had changed. My first thought was pesticides (they let her walk off leash in areas that get sprayed not on purpose). This got me to thinking. If your dog has an allergic reaction to something (bee sting, pesticides ect.) what do you give them?
Tara

I don't know what caused this but Al got some blotchy red spots one day, i gave him some Benadryl and it cleared up within 30 mins.. if something more serious would have happened or if it had gotten worse he would have gone to the vet, luckily its only happened that one time!

so i'm guessing the schnauser is doing fine now!?

My vet advised Benadryl .

I had learned about the Benadryl from here ... I think, I read it here (that's what she tried and it worked). Are there other antihistamines that you can use as well or other remedies?
Thanks,
Tara

The kind of hives/rapid onset itching you described in the Schnauzer is typical of things like bug bites and stings, vaccinations, some allergic drug reactions, some food allergies, etc. Pesticide's are a possibility, but probably less likely. It's called an "immediate hypersensitivity" reaction because they are exposed to the evil thing and react VERY quickly - often within minutes.

The treatment for that kind of allergic reaction is Benadryl (and cortisone if it's bad enough). Generally, the oral Benadryl (AKA diphenhydramine) is dosed at 1.5 to 2 mg per pound. It can be repeated in 6-8 hrs. This antihistamine is very inexpensive and readily available, so it's really the drug of choice and is what is used in a real medical crisis.

If the reaction is persistent, a trip to the vet is in order. Cortisone might be needed.

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions can be mild or REALLY bad - like fatal :-( This is the classic stung-by-bee-and-drop-dead reaction a few people have. If your pet has these reactions, it's a good idea to keep Benadryl in the house.

Carol