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Section II: Going to the Dogs
(Or Cats)
29. Can dogs take Benadryl for allergies?
My vet recommended it for a dog that had an allergic reaction—briefly, only for an acute episode. Wouldn’t recommend it without a veterinarian’s advice, though: the pills you buy in a drugstore are formulated for a critter the size of a human and probably would amount to an overdose for most dogs.
More recently, my agèd Pembroke corgi became extremely ill after having been misdiagnosed and given incorrect medication for broncho-pneumonia, which caused adrenal gland dysfunction, labored breathing, and seizures. By accident, I learned that a half-tablet of Benadryl helps her sleep and eases her breathing problems.