Question:
Charley has been diagnosed with having environmental allergies (pollen, vegetation, dust or cats). They really picked up in July and the vet recommended Benadryl. He's been on that for three weeks and (in my opinion anyway) is feeling better, he isn't weezing, he sneezes less, his ears aren't red and his eyes are less runny.
But, I'm wondering what the side effects of long term use are though? I was going to take him off it in the fall, but if its dust and/or cats that he's allergic to, I don't really want him having a head cold and ear aches all the time either?!

Answer:
Awww....poor Charley. I don't know the long term effects of using Benadryl. Did you ask your vet or try googling it? What if you take him off it in the fall and see if his symptoms recur?

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Originally Posted by rainbow
Awww....poor Charley. I don't know the long term effects of using Benadryl. Did you ask your vet or try googling it? What if you take him off it in the fall and see if his symptoms recur?

Since giving it to dogs is an off label use, and how it works for dogs is different than humans, the google hits I'm getting for human use aren't much good... I haven't asked the vet, I was going to take him off it in the fall, then if the symptomes come back we'll go back and see her. I'm just curious though because the fall is going to mean 3 months of him being on it!

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Yeah, I'd be concerned too. Did you try googlin "Benadryl canine use long term effects"?

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I can only address the human effects of a medication like Benadryl - like an CNS deressant, it is characterzed by the ususal side effects one sees in this kind of medication - reduction of mental activity, cardiac and respiratory depression as well as the development of tolerance, psychological and physical dependence. There are very few (almost none) studies of its long term use since it really is not indicated for this in humans. It is what we call a first generation antihistamine - meaning there are better meds on the market now, less sedating like claratin and that do not some of the side effects that have shown up in some people. (for example as am anticholinergic agent, it can lead to profound drowsiness as a very common side-effect, along with the possibilities of motor impairment (ataxia), dry mouth and throat, flushed skin, rapid or irregular heartbeat (tachycardia), blurred vision at nearpoint due to lack of accommodation (cycloplegia), abnormal sensitivity to bright light (photophobia), pupil dilatation, urinary retention, constipation, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss, visual disturbances, hallucinations, confusion, erectile dysfunction, and delirium.

It is rarely used in peds for that reason - some children have hallucinations even with small amounts. My vet tells me cats do as well and so she never recommends it for felines. There are again better products allergies cats may ahve.

That said, in most instances, used according to directions, it works juat as well as more expensive and newer options. (tho claratin is now avail in generic formulations - at better costs than the brand name version).

My vet did provide me with this site on ther med but it does not specifcally address long term use. If you are concerned, you should discuss it with your vet and find another alternative. (if the sedation does not bother the dog and regular blood work shows him doing fine, he may be fine but I would talk to my vet if were you.)

http://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/mon...nhydramine.asp

Also, like any med, esp a CNS depressanmt, be careful how he stops taking it. That shuld be absolutely done in conjunction with your vet since that process is like withrawal and can cause a plethora of problems and the usual issues with ending a drug like this one. (ie hallucinations, effects on the heart (its rythyms, etc) or general malqaise can occur.)

I hope this helps somewhat. There are just so few studies on the long term use - lots of its abuse and short term side effects.

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Its the active medical ingredient in Benadryl that we're after (diphenhydramine hydrochloride) and the 'medicine' in Claratine isn't the same (I called and asked). Basically how it works for humans is different that how it works for dogs (as per the vet). She said he could take it so long as he had symptoms... Maybe I'll call her and ask again

As far as googling goes, I tried the generic name, the brand names, various way sof saying dog, and mostly get info on how benadryl shouldn't be used for long periods if you have dog allergies, or web sites selling valium . If anyone has a good set of search words, I'd really appreciate it!

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I found two similar links, both of which indicate Bendryl is generally safe but identifies problems to watch out for:

http://experts.about.com/q/Dogs-701/allergy.htm

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/health/benadryl.htm

I also found this link with good information about allergies:

http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=137

For what it's worth, our dog also has allergies and the vet intially prescribed Benadryl. I don't like to use Benadryl for our dog because it doesn't seem to work any better than medicines like Hydroxine and it has more side effects (dry mouth and lethargy).

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Our vets suggested that we alternate medications with different active ingredents to stop some of the more harmful effects..such as the body becoming too used to depending on the antihistamine effect. I am not exactly sure how that works though.

Like you, our plan was only to have the dog on the meds during the most difficult times of the season and then he'd be off them in the fall and winter.

Our homeopath, on the other hand, believed that like other allergies, the seasonal one was a result of toxic build up in the system. She recommended a cleansing of his adrenals and other organs to get his system to behave properly. Many holistic vets believe that suppressing the immune system just makes the problem worse while masking the real issue. They offer various remedies and programs to rebalance that system. You might want to look into it if you want to go a less harmful more natural route.

Like us, you might even get to the root of the problem. Our dog no longer suffers from allergies. However, the homeopathic route is not a quick fix and it took a couple of years before he no longer needed any medication.

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I checked out those sites, thanks!

According to those sites, the meds aren't all the harmful as he is not drowsy and is otherwise normal... I'm kind of concern that they all dealt with the allergic reaction being itchy skin. Though my vet did mention that 'human like' head cold symptoms are being more widely recognized as applicable to dogs as well I guess the literature just isn't there yet

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