Hives

[mdwp]

Levi our 2 year old boxer has broken out in hives. I have taken him to the the ER vet twice in the past week and he had Benedryl and steroid shots both times. The regular vet put him on ZD food and told me to give him 75 mg of Benedryl 3X a day. I have followed instructions even bathing him with baby shampoo and he still has the hives. I have not used sprays in the house, wash everything in hypoallergenic soap and even switched to baby lotion for myself. He is eating well and the hives don't seem to bother him, just me. Any suggestions?

 

[Lola's mum]

No suggestions, sorry, but I do feel for you. Lola had hives after being stung in the garden in the summer and it upset me more than it did her then she got lumpy scabs on her back which the vet put down to allergies.
If they don't go you'll have to keep pushing your vet to see if they can find out why he's got them.

 

[Murp.mm]

Oh, sorry poor Levi, hives are nasty and itch a lot. I know first hand - when I was growing up every time I looked at an egg I broke out. Hope you find out what's causing it.

 

[mdwp]

Levi and Hives

Cleaned the carpet tonight with allergen cleaner and bathed Levi with hypoallergenic shampoo. Hopefully all of this with the benedryl with work. Thanks for your input!

 

[Indy B's Mom]

I hope Levi's hives go away with the new cleaners and shampoo. I have a puppy with allergies-atopic dermatitis, so I know the frustration of dealing with hives and trying to find the source. Ty broke out in hives every night for a week straight in December, we never did figure it out. Unfortunately, his allergies have "taken over", so we are now weighing our options for relief for him. Could Levi's be from bug bites, like a spider that is lurking in the house? Good luck, please keep us posted.

 

[Macon's Mom]

Levi our 2 year old boxer has broken out in hives. I have taken him to the the ER vet twice in the past week and he had Benedryl and steroid shots both times. The regular vet put him on ZD food and told me to give him 75 mg of Benedryl 3X a day. I have followed instructions even bathing him with baby shampoo and he still has the hives. I have not used sprays in the house, wash everything in hypoallergenic soap and even switched to baby lotion for myself. He is eating well and the hives don't seem to bother him, just me. Any suggestions?

So sorry that Levi has such bad hives! Macon is 2 1/2 and she has allergies too. What food was Levi eating before ZD? Our vet had put Macon on ZD too and I had no idea it was SO bad for her. ZD has carcinogens in it and is not a good dog food. I would suggest putting Levi on a premium allergy food like Natural Balance Fish & Sweet Potato or Duck & Potato. There are a lot of other really good allergy formulas out there. Check the Feeding forum for more info. And do a search on ZD on this site to read more about why it's not good.

It's very possible that Levi has pollen allergies. I think there are tree pollens out in Florida right now. 1/5 - 1/20 was high on the pollen count for trees in Orlando, Florida. Go to www.weather.com and you can get more pollen counts. I wasn't sure where in Florida you lived.

 

[mdwp]

Thanks for the info on ZD, I will definitly check it out. We live in the Panhandle of Florida and right now it seems as if everything is blooming. I have had trouble with allergies lately so it is very possible that pollen is bothering him. The benedryl is keeping him from itching and the spots seem a little better. The vet plans to do blood work in 3 weeks if Levi still has hives to find out what he might be allergic to. We adopted Bella (18 mth. old boxer) and Levi this past year. This is our first experience with boxers so we are having to learn everything. It is worth it though. I have never been around a dog that is so loving.

 

[Macon's Mom]

Thanks for the info on ZD, I will definitly check it out. We live in the Panhandle of Florida and right now it seems as if everything is blooming. I have had trouble with allergies lately so it is very possible that pollen is bothering him. The benedryl is keeping him from itching and the spots seem a little better. The vet plans to do blood work in 3 weeks if Levi still has hives to find out what he might be allergic to. We adopted Bella (18 mth. old boxer) and Levi this past year. This is our first experience with boxers so we are having to learn everything. It is worth it though. I have never been around a dog that is so loving.

Yeah I think trees and weeds are a good guess I have allergies too so I feel for you! Most dogs allergies show up at around 2 years old. Hopefully it's just the pollen and when the season changes, things will be back to normal.

They really are the most loving, snuggly dogs ever! I'm just amazed at how much Macon LOVES to snuggle with us. Are Bella and Levi brother and sister? How fun for you!

 

[mdwp]

No, Bella and Levi are not siblings. Bella is from South Florida and Levi is orginally from Georgia. You wouldn't know it though. They love each other so much. There was never a get adjusted time, they adored each other from the first meeting. She is an instigator, and leads him in to trouble all the time. You can tell it is her too, she has this guilty look on her face and hides behind the table when caught. She hasn't had any trouble with allergies other than metal collars so far. I didn't know that allergeries showed up about two years. I do hope that this is just seasonal and benedryl gets him through the season. The hives are still there today but he is happy and not scratching.