Alavert or Benadryl?

[eastsidedoglover]

My daschund has several hard, crusty sores on her body.  I took her to the vet and they gave me antibiotics and took a scraping for fungus but the results will take two weeks to come back.  Yesterday she was scratching and I know she can have Benadryl, so I have her half a tablet morning and night, but the poor thing was so sleepy!  Today she seems much better and there seem to be fewer sores, so I was wondering if it would be okay to give her Alavert instead since it is non-drowsy?  She weighs 12 lbs.  If it's okay, do I give her a quarter of a tablet, and can I give it for 3-4 days or until she seems better?  

[eastsidedoglover]

She's better!  Prednisone took it all away - started acting within hours and she's 80% better already.

Thanks again, everyone!

[Misfits4Me]

Did these lesions, by any chance, come up after her surgery? How about after the antibiotic? Or did she have them before all this? How long?

Have you changed anything recently? Like new food, or shampoo, or carpet cleaner or applied a new flea product? Anything you can think of when this started will help....

Yes, your right....Both of your foods are very good ones.....Wet is better than dry for skin problems.....Just a thought.....

I'm hoping we can figure this out....Karla

P.S. I feed table foods, too.....Only healthy ones, though.....All the time as a matter of fact!  ;)

[eastsidedoglover]

Karla,

Thanks so much for your beautiful, comprehensive answer!  I'm thinking you might be right on target with the staph infection.  The antibiotics haven't seemed to help tremendously, but there haven't been any new sores, so maybe they're doing more than I think they are.  They look worse, but maybe that's because they're crusty now.  I'll continue the course, anyway...

This is her second course of antibiotics in a month because she had a bulging disk and had to have major back surgery in early December.  That made me wonder about a yeast infection, too, so maybe I'll try probiotics?  I don't know if yeast would make these brown, crusty sores.  I feel so bad for her!  

I have been giving her benadryl because I was still a little nervous about the others, but thanks for the reassurance.  It's good to know that they're safe as long as they're non-D.  She still seemed quite miserable, though, so I called the vet and she gave me a steroid, prednisone, so give her for the next 4-5 days.  I'm hoping that will do the trick.  

The vet a fungal culture last week when we went in, but she says it hasn't grown anything so far.  It takes two weeks, but I suspect that's not it.  Staph seems more likely.  And no, I don't have cats.  I have two other dogs, and they're okay, and I don't see any rings around the sores at all.  

Meanwhile, I'll check her foods and start her on a vitamin and omega 3's.  I've got them on Wysong food and Paul Newman's stuff so I thought it was good food, but I'll check again.  I do feed them table food (oops!) so I'll have to watch that too.  

Thanks again, and any comments are greatly appreciated!

[Misfits4Me]

Well, I went outside and thought of something else.....If the lesions are crusty in the center with a reddish ring around them, it's possible that it's Ringworm.....Do you have Cats? Do you have any of the same sores on you? Ringworm is very contagious & treatment will be completely different....Did they do a light test to check for ringworm?

Let me know what you find out.....Karla

[eastsidedoglover]

Thank you Ginger!

[ginger899]

I have never used Alavert for my dog, but from what I have heard, it is safe to use for dogs. However I am not certain of the correct dosage. Can you call your vet on the telephone, just to ask advice about this? To make sure it IS ok, and to ask them about the correct dosage?