# Zyrtec/Reactine for Allergic Dogs?



## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Cali has allergies, though I'm not sure to what. Some foods, I think, but I also suspect some inhalant allergies. I was researching to see if there was anything new for treating canine allergies and I read on a number of sites that vets are now prescribing Zyrtec (US)/Reactine (Can) for dogs. They're both the same drug, just different brand names.

I've been taking Reactine every day for probably 10 years now to control my own allergies and from what I've experienced and read about it, it is an extremely safe drug. Has anyone here tried it for their dog? If so, did it help?


----------



## vtomblin (Jul 18, 2010)

benedryl is the only antihistamine I know of that is ok for dogs. Many human meds can really damage a dog's liver etc. Hope you find out what is doing it.


----------



## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

vtomblin said:


> benedryl is the only antihistamine I know of that is ok for dogs. Many human meds can really damage a dog's liver etc.


From my research on the web (on veterinary college, the merck veterinary manual and canine dermatologists' sites), second-generation antihistamines like Zyrtec have safely been given to dogs for the past 10 years or so. The benefit of them is that they don't make a dog sleepy like Benadryl does. 

I probably wasn't very clear in my post. I wasn't contemplating giving Cali an antihistamine without talking to my vet about it first. I was just wondering if anyone here had had them prescribed by their vet and if they'd made any difference. The results of the clinical studies that have been done vary so I was looking for some "real life" experience. LOL

I know Cali has some food allergies and I've managed to sort some of them out but, as I mentioned, I suspect she probably has inhalant allergies. There's not much I can do about those except treat the symptoms.


----------



## Meg (Aug 1, 2010)

My vet suggested that Darcy should take a half-tab (5 mg
) of zyrtec/ceterizine 10mg for his runny eyes. At the time he was 4 months old, about 30 lbs. She didn't write a script for it, just told me to buy it o.t.c. as cheaply as I could find it. I gave it to him religiously for 2 months, then increased to a full tab as I wasn't seeing any results with the half tab. In the first place I don't feel his eyes are super runny so I really just tried it to see if it would stop or reduce it; it didn't. Now I don't give it to him at all. I bought a HUUUUUGGGEEE amount from amazon.com for cheap so now I've been taking it for my year-round allergies, lol. I'm not sure why it didn't work. If Darcy's allergies are anything like mine, they will never go away entirely. I can only ever make my allergies slightly easier to manage. Hope my input helps! Good luck! :thumb:


----------



## caroline429 (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks.  I was hoping to hear it had worked miracles for someone's dog. LOL The studies I saw seemed to indicate it had excellent results in about 20% of dogs, helped a bit with some and some, not at all. I guess your guy falls into the last category. 

Cali has runny eyes too, but to be truthful, I've never owned a dog that didn't! I don't really worry about her eyes, I was hoping to find something that helped with the scratching. It isn't horrendous, she's not scratching herself raw or chewing on herself but since she's only a year old, I worry about it getting worse as she ages.

Sounds like cetirizine is at least safe enough to give it a try. Next time I'm at the vet's, I will ask her about it. I already buy it in bulk at Walmart for my own allergies so, like you, if it doesn't work, it won't go to waste.


----------

