Alergic Bumps all over?

[oojacoboo]

I noticed last night that Duke had bumps all over his body. He has them mostly on the backs of his legs and around the base of his body. They are mostly away from his head. I do not know what to do about this. My girlfriend is yelling, take him to the vet. But, what I am reading here is that its a quite common symptom and it appears to be an alergy of some type. The bumps look like mosquito bites and he appears to be scratching a bit more than normal and he is gnawing on the ones on his leg I believe. Its hard to tell exactly what he is gnawing on, b/c he quits when I get up close to him. Other than the ocassional scratching, it doesn't seem to be bothering him at all.

I have heard that people are giving their dogs benedryl and a medicated shampoo. It isn't harmful to give a dog benedryl if the problem isn't allergy related, correct? Also, do you give them normal "people" benedryl or, is there a doggie kind? Duke is almost 14 weeks old now, so he is young.

Please give me some advice if you know anything about these symptoms. Also, if it is benedryl and a shampoo that I should give him, where can I purchase these products. If it is "people" benedryl, he is a pup, how do I determine the dosage?

here is a picture that I posted on my site.

http://www.jacobt.com/coppermine/albums/10-21-04/duke_bumps.jpg


Thanks in advance for the advice, as always.

 

[Rocky Hoya]

I would take him to the vet ASAP. He is really young so it is best to see the vet.

 

[oojacoboo]

ok, I know this picture makes it look a little worse than it really is. But, I wanted to put this one in so that they can be seen, the bumps. I just gave him a bath and he looks a little better, but it could be because his coat isn't completely dry. I don't really want to fork out 100 dollars or more for a vet visit if I am just flipping out over an alergy. Please, if someone has experienced something like this with their dog let me know something.

 

[lafsalot]

OMG!! It certainly looks as though your furbaby has had an allergic reaction to something. When dealing with an allergic reaction, Benedryl is usually given to ease the symptoms, but his is pretty severe. You should really bring him to your vet who will most likely give him a shot of cortisone. They can also advise you on how much Benedryl you can give your dog. I just brought one of my dogs in for treatment of seasonal dermatitis. Good luck, and do let us know what transpires - Cathy

 

[oojacoboo]

ok, new realization. I was thinking about this, but I discounted it when I frist stumbled upon it. The only thing that has changed with Duke in the past day that could have caused this is the fact that I put him in the back of my vehicle on a new mat that I got for the back, like a cargo mat. I don't think that this mat was the problem, but I am not going to rule it out. However, there is a bottle of febreeze that is sitting in the back of the car inside of a bag. It is kind of hidden and not just lying around, but I looked at the bottle and there was a small hair on the spray nozzle of the bottle. I am thinking that it is possible Duke rubbed up against this. Would a simple rubbing up against this be enough to cause a break-out? This has to be the reason. I didn't notice these bumps until last night after he was in the car and I put him into the cage and then left the house for a couple of hours. It was upon my return that I discovered them. So, it had to be something around that time that caused this.

I was reading this thread regarding febreeze:

http://www.faqs.org/qa/qa-4897.html

if anyone else knows anything regarding this, please let me know.

 

[Poetic_thing]

ok, I know this picture makes it look a little worse than it really is.... I don't really want to fork out 100 dollars or more for a vet visit if I am just flipping out over an alergy. Please, if someone has experienced something like this with their dog let me know something.

Please do Duke a huge favor and get him to the vet. How bad do you think hundreds of hives/bumps would feel all over your body?? If this is an allergy, it needs to be dealt with to ease Dukes pain and discomfort and so he does not make things worse by scratching, biting, etc which may cause infection. If you are really adamant about paying for a vet then call one and ask them about Benedryl. If you do a search here on Benadryl you will find that you can give it to your dog and you will also find the amount that can be safely given. When it comes to your dog - ask yourself this..."what would I do if it was me, g/f, Mom, child, etc??" Do for your dog what you would do for your human counterparts. Big hug to Duke - get well soon

 

[jgrock]

Whenever your pup has a severe allergic reaction like the one Duke had, you should immediately take him to the vet. Especially if the dog is young and you don't know the cause.
If they are swelling on the outside that means they can also be swelling on the inside and can go into anaphylactic shock if the reaction is not treated. I have used Benadryl many times with my dogs for mild allergic reactions, but never for a severe one. Duke's reaction looked pretty severe to me.

 

[oojacoboo]

ok, I appreciate everyone's concern. He has not scratched or bitten himself at all after I gave him a bath. I told everyone that the picture looks alot more severe than it actually is. It was the way that I got the lighting. I am going to give the vet a call first thing and see what he suggests. Has anyone heard about the febreeze thing?

 

[ljnash]

Samantha had hives all over like that when she got bitten by something, a bee or spider. The vet gave her a couple of shots (can't remember what they were--it was 6 yrs. ago). I definitely would have the vet see him!

Good luck.

 

[Rocky Hoya]

Cathy...lafsalot,
Just wondering what treatment you guys use on your baby for the seasonal allergic dermatitis?
Oojacoboo, Please let us know how your baby is doing.