Hives (urticaria) are itchy bumps that appear on your dog’s skin. They are usually caused by allergic reactions like insect stings, contact with certain foods and medicines, or environmental allergens.
They tend to be very itchy, leading to lots of scratching and licking – often leading to serious skin irritation or even life-threatening anaphylactic shock reactions.
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Treatment
Hives are areas of redness and swelling on a dog’s skin that form into round bumps. Hives typically appear on hairless parts of their bodies but can show up anywhere on them. Hives can cause itching and pain that leads to excessive scratching – leading to further complications like dermatitis or infections and even difficulty breathing in severe cases.
Light cases of hives can typically be resolved using antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (also known by its brand name Benadryl). Your veterinarian will recommend the correct dosage. In more serious instances, such as when near respiratory tract hives appear, corticosteroid injections will likely be necessary.
In recurrent cases, your vet may suggest an elimination diet to identify food or environmental allergens that cause reactions in your pet. This means eliminating suspected allergens from his diet and replacing them with hypoallergenic alternatives – although it can be challenging identifying it may help prevent future outbreaks of hives.
Prevention
Hives are caused by localised releases of histamine, leading to dilation of blood vessels and inflammation, leading to small reddish-purple itchy welts that eventually form larger skin welts known as wheals on hairless parts of the body. They usually appear on hairless areas of skin such as face, mouth, or throat but may also form elsewhere on body parts like feet, hands and ankles. Although uncomfortable and painful, they do not lead to serious dermatitis or edema of deeper layers of skin.
Avoiding future outbreaks of hives requires identifying what allergen is triggering it and eliminating it, whether that means using certain chemicals or medications, spraying for bugs and ants, not keeping certain plants around your house, or keeping pets away from pollen and other common allergens.
Recurring cases of hives that don’t respond to at-home treatments should visit their veterinarian, who may recommend more aggressive measures, such as corticosteroid injections.
Home Remedies
Hives are red bumps or welts that appear on your dog’s skin and may contain fluid. Hives may also form inside their nose or mouth and cause swelling, becoming very itchy as they scratch away at itchy patches causing bleeding from scratching. If these hives appear on your pup’s face, their eyes may close up or appear puffy as a result of scratching.
Home remedies can provide effective relief from hives in dogs, including itching and swelling. One such remedy is using green tea rinse (steep several tea bags in 2 cups of hot water until cool before using them to bathe your pup).
Chamomile can help relieve itching in dogs. Apply a cold compress instead. Yellow dock is another natural remedy used to soothe itching and inflammation in canines; to make this herbal solution mix 1 tablespoon of yellow dock powder or herbs with 2 cups of boiling water before pouring the solution onto their affected areas and rinsing afterwards.
Veterinary Care
If your dog develops hives, it is important to get him or her checked out by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They will be able to confirm the diagnosis and identify what has caused it – this may involve blood tests or physical exams – then most commonly prescribe an antihistamine and corticosteroid that will relieve itching and swelling so your pet can heal more quickly.
Hives typically do not pose a significant health threat and typically subside within several hours on their own. If, however, hives continue to develop or your dog experiences dramatic swelling of lips and nose, this should be treated as a medical emergency requiring prompt veterinary care if this type of condition presents itself in your pet. For these cases, we offer video consultation with one of our vets if this becomes an issue. If this sounds familiar then contact us and arrange for one!
