help! hives all over puppy...allergic reaction?

mazzywest

On Sunday, I bathed my 4 and a half month old puppy and applied Advantage for the first time (I found two fleas on him last week). This morning, I woke up to find the puppy covered in hives -- all over his belly, his back and legs. The hives look like they might be pus-filled, and they don't seem too painful.

We've called the vet to see if there is anything we can do and plan on taking him in tomorrow, but I wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this, and how we can make the hives go away.

Pinchc44 · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject:

Without seeing pictures it almost sounds like it could be either an allergic reaction or a staph infection. If it's a staph infection then the vet will probably prescribe antibiotics. If it's hives, then maybe they can prescribe benadryl or something like that. I would definitely take your pup to the vet and have them take a look. If your pup is allergic to advantage then I would look at other alternatives.

mazzywest · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:41 pm Post subject:

thanks, i'll try to get a few photos and post them. I hope it's not a staph infection! i'm thinking it's an allergic reaction, since it came on so quickly (literally overnight) and this is the first use of Advantage (or Advantix, whatever it's called) we've applied to him.

I just gave him a dose of Benadryl - we'll see if that helps. I'd like to bathe him tonight -- and read that Dawn dishwashing soap might be the thing to get it the remaining medication off.

weimdawgs · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject:

The benedryl should help if it is an allergic reaction. I wouldn't put any of that kind of stuff on him until he was at least a year old.

I hope he feels better.

scrbear11 · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:31 pm Post subject:

Zehen is allergic to any topical flea and tick medication. He gets hives too. I put a dose of vectra on him (new product on the market) and went out to dinner, came home and found him laying on the floor covered in hives shivering. My husband picked him up, threw him in the bathtub and we scrubbed him three times to make sure all the product got off and gave him benadryl. It was scary but after a half hour the hives were gone, he still didn't feel good though.

For fleas he now gets a new chewable tablet call Comfortis. It's honestly the best thing on the market for fleas. And for ticks, I just check him after each walk during tick season.

CherrystoneWeims · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject:

Staph can come on overnight. Many times I have also seen owners who scrub their dogs too hard and against the growth pattern of the fur. This can irritate the skin and create some staph. It's almost like the fur gets pushed into the follicle and it gets infected.

mazzywest · Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:48 pm Post subject:

the benadryl didn't help much today. he has nearly a hundred hives now, and on his back his fur is all raised where the bumps are. Here are some photos of his belly and groin area (sorry for the graphic nudity Confused

):

Do these look like a staph infection?

cgmayeaux · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:32 am Post subject:

That is similar to what Bailey gets when he has an allergic reaction to anything. He welps up, then gets crusty, then the hair falls out.

Idaviruma · Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:00 am Post subject:

yeah, looks like allergies to me, Uno gets them once in a while, usually food intolerancy or certain weeds outside, but they pass with time, benadryl doesent work so I get this allergy supplement online which helps get rid of them faster.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15232

hoochmamas · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 6:27 am Post subject:

poor baby! i give Hooch a garlic and yeast supplement for fleas and ticks, and a good check everyday.. he had fleas when he was a pup.. flea comb and duct tape to get every last sucker i could, and then a bath with holistic flea shampoo.. i have an issue with putting chemicals on my dog that i wouldn't put on my own skin or that of my children's.. but Hooch doesn't go play in the woods very often, either.. and i am slightly neurotic with my pup.
hope it clears up soon.. Sad

Wes · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 3:53 pm Post subject: allergies

Smoke gets that sometimes after we've been in the woods or after bird hunting. We give him a benedryl a day and it helps alot. Usually doesn't last past a few days. I am pretty sure that is allergies from the pick you supplied.

waitingonmyweim · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject:

That looks like exactly what happened to Lincoln and they were hives. They came on quite suddenly and got worse over the course of a day or so. Then his snout started getting swollen and we got really worried, so we took him to the e-Vet. They just told us it was an allergic reaction to something (not sure what) and to give Benadryl for 3 days. He was much better after a couple of days.

We also think it may have had something to do with a reaction to his vaccines, as he had vaccinosis later on.

mazzywest · Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:40 pm Post subject:

thanks, all. the hives seem to be drying out/clearing up, so all is good. Benadryl seems to be working.