4 Paws Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Hi, i just rang vets and got different antihistimane dosage rates for my german shepherd who has a airborne allergy and forgot to ask what the dosage rates would be for polaramine if i tried that.It's just that i usually keep it in the house for myself and it's not that expensive compared to a few of the others she mentioned(zyrtec,telfast). Has anyone had success with a particular brand.She said to try one brand for approx 10 days to see if it heped(which is why i thought at least i'd use the left overs of the polaramine if it didn't help her ) Also found on a website to use evening primrose oil with the antihistamine treatment,anyone tried that?. I have my girl on macralone tablets at the moment so have to wean her off them before i start on the anti histimanes.Have also tried different shampoos(malaseb,aloveen etc)as i own a mobile dog wash and she is on Nutro Lamb and Rice.She was previously on a BARF diet before i switched to the Nutro and theres no difference so it's not diet related.She has small red welts on belly etc and drives me crazy with her scratching and nibbling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cavandra Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 i just rang vets and got different antihistimane dosage rates for my german shepherd who has a airborne allergy and forgot to ask what the dosage rates would be for polaramine if i tried that.It's just that i usually keep it in the house for myself and it's not that expensive compared to a few of the others she mentioned(zyrtec,telfast).Has anyone had success with a particular brand.She said to try one brand for approx 10 days to see if it heped(which is why i thought at least i'd use the left overs of the polaramine if it didn't help her ) Also found on a website to use evening primrose oil with the antihistamine treatment,anyone tried that?. No sorry I know people who use clarantyne with good results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peigirl Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Hi 4 Paws Sounds like a contact allergy if its just on your girl's belly. By all means try the polaramine. Do you have the 2mg or 6mg tablets? I use the claratyne for my boy it is stronger than the polaramine and the active ingredient is 10mg. If you can get away with a lower strength dose, do so. Fatty acids are normally used to assist in keeping allergies at bay. A combination of your omega 3&6 fatty acids are normally used so you would need to consider a fish oil supplement in conjunction with EP oil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Paws Posted March 19, 2007 Author Share Posted March 19, 2007 thanks peigirl,she appears itchy pretty well everywhere,it's just you can actually see the red welts more on her belly where there is less hair. The vets did suggest a few different brands(phenergan,periactin,telfast,zyrtec)but thought i'd give the polaramine a go first seeing as i have it in the house instead of having to go out and buy some to try. I do add sardines or flaxseed oil to there nutro but will give the EPO ago as well I have the 2mg tablets(pink)of polaramine here julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I am having the same issue. Pup is on Proplan sensitive so getting lots of fish oil there. I pulled up the wandering jew but he is still itcy, mainly on his tummy. It is obviously something in the garden and is probably grass! He loves having his costisone cream rubbed on! I might try him on the polaramine as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peigirl Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 (edited) Hi Julie The 3 types of Omega 3s are ALA, EPA and DHA. ALA is found in flax. The body converts ALA to EPA to DHA but only a very small amount is converted. You would be best to give an EPA and DHA supplement directly ie, fish oil or sardines. Fish oil capsules like you buy the EPO will be fine if you dont want to feed sardines regularly. You will be fine to start with a 2mg polaramine dose. Try one a day to start with, half in morning, half in the evening. 2mg is a very low does and may have no affect. Is so try 1 whole tablet in the morning and 1 whole in the evening. If still no affect try the stronger polaramine or a different brand. Antihistamines work differently in dogs as opposed to people - often they need more than us for the same result. I have a thread going in health at the moment called 'Atopic Dermatitis'. Zayda_asher makes some good suggestions with remedies for an itchy dog. Good luck Tash ETA to add link Edited March 19, 2007 by peigirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonny_beagle Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 Suggested does from 'First Aid for Dogs' polaramine body weight <10kg - 2mg 10-30kg - 4mg over 30kg - 6mg Claratyne 10mg tablets <20kg - half tablet over 20kg - 1 tablet listes polaramine, phenergan, telfast, claratyne and zyrtec as suitable for dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KOE Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I used the red tabs and gave 1, smelly as it may wipe her tummy welts over with CIDER VINEGAR a few times a day 1st that may just cure it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 (edited) Look for a reaction to the antihistamines too because some dogs will become drowsy and dopey like people do! Different ones will effect them differently. Re: the fish oil in the proplan. The amount of fish oils in foods is no where near enough to constitute a theraputic dose for itching, as Tash says its much better to give the supplement directly, a dog BC sized could have at least 3 caps a day (you might want to build up to that amount of oil though if they are not used to it). The other thing with the oils in foods is that it is usually rendered useless (and rancid) but the high tempratures of the extrusion process, so its not much more than a marketing ploy for the companies! RE: the rash on the GSD two things come to mind: 1) Do you know what she is actually allergic to (i.e.: has she been tested?), if you look at the other thread Tash referred you to you will see an explaination on why this is important. 2) Are the welts like little pimples, crusty and oozy once they burst? It is possible from your discription that she has a secondary Staph skin infection. If this is the case and its bad then she may need a course of antibiotics. The vet can test her skin for the presence of Staph bacteria. Staph Bacteria are notoriously resistant and a strong infection on the skin will need a course of at least 30 days duration (I recommend probiotics whilst undergoing this). Once you have done this to break the cycle you can try using some of the other methods mentioned in the other thread to control her allergies. If its not Staph and "only" that her skin is inflamed you can try some of the other methods before she develops a secondary skin infection! Good luck Dan Edited March 19, 2007 by zayda_asher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TangerineDream Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 1 x 2mg Polaramine can stop me (69kg) going into anaphylactic shock from an allergic reaction and also worked for Tango last night when he stood on a Euro wasp, so I'd start with 2mg first and see how you go rather than starting with a high dose first up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarian Posted March 19, 2007 Share Posted March 19, 2007 I am having the same issue. Pup is on Proplan sensitive so getting lots of fish oil there. I pulled up the wandering jew but he is still itcy, mainly on his tummy. It is obviously something in the garden and is probably grass! He loves having his costisone cream rubbed on! I might try him on the polaramine as well. Do you know if your dog is beef sensitive? That particular product is coated with beef tallow, so might be worth reviewing diet. Agree with Tash regarding sardines etc - nice oily fish can make a big difference even if diet is excellent - some dogs just need that bit extra to see results. Sags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 My pup has a contact allergy problem not food allergy. I fed him the Proplan sensitve just in case and have been so impressed with his coat that I have left him on it. It has also helped my older border with some mobility issues and her coat has improved too. Pup's coat is so nice that lots of people comment on it. Going by that I would have to say that the oil in the product is working. I had previously fed things like Innova, Evo and Eagle Pack so it is not like I went from Pal to the Proplan to get a obvious improvement in coat. He gets sardines too btw and other BARF stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 The reason omega 3 EFAs are used for allergies is because they help to reduce the inflamation in the system due to the histamine response in the mast cells. The levels needed for this to ocurr are much higher than what are needed for improving coat shine / condition and definitely much higher than are in commercial foods. So whilst it is working for you to improve coat, it is most likely not working at a theraputic level to reduce inflamation and, therefore, itching. :rolleyes: However, the sardines etc. in the diet will certainly improve that. Whilst many of us with allergic dogs do feed fish we also use a daily high dose Omega 3 EFA supplement to ensure that they are getting a high enough dose to help reduce their itching on some level. Hope that helps clarify a bit more what I meant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Ta! I started taking oil tabs myself but didn't notice a improvement in the hayfever. Bugger! I get contact allergy from grass too so know how the doggies feel! Luckily i don't get the urge to roll around on the lawn naked much!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Ta! I started taking oil tabs myself but didn't notice a improvement in the hayfever. Bugger! I get contact allergy from grass too so know how the doggies feel! Luckily i don't get the urge to roll around on the lawn naked much!!!! :rolleyes: Well that is lucky! Like anything some people find it just doesn't work for them or their dogs. My dogs are around the 23 and 30 kilo mark and take 4 salmon oil caps (each 180 mg EPA) a day. They could quite easily take more if needed. The research in people has show that the levels needed are quite high, to the point where some people have had troubles taking as much as needed... So they tend to try for as high a dose as possible and see if it helps. Some people also find that Evening Primrose Oil helps (GLA), but again it doesn't work for everyone (I found it didn't make a difference for us). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarian Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Um... hello! What's wrong with rolling around naked in the grass????? :rolleyes: Like there's any grass here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Don't you find the grass cuts distressing?? :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagittarian Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Nothing that a slosh of alcohol (over the wound then into the mouth) won't quickly fix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulesP Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 Sorry! Itchy doggies really aren't a laughing matter! Bad Jules! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zayda_asher Posted March 20, 2007 Share Posted March 20, 2007 You've gotta laugh at something or you'd go nuts... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now