A dog is often considered an important member of a family. As with any family member, when the family pet falls ill it can be the cause of frustration and worry. An indicator that your dog has fallen ill may be a breakout of hives and rashes on his skin, which can often happen seemingly with no direct cause. The more severe the flare-up of hives and rashes on your pet, the quicker you should act to help deliver relief to your pet.
Things You'll Need
- Veterinarian
- Injection
- Prescription
- Oatmeal bath
- Cone collar
- Allergy test
Instructions
How to Treat Dog with Severe Hives and Rash
Take your dog to the veterinarian immediately when you notice a severe outbreak of hives or a rash on his skin. The outbreak may be caused by allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor, such as a pesticide, fleas, a sign of pregnancy, or another illness for which your veterinarian will test. Your veterinarian may be able to offer your dog some immediate relief for discomfort by giving him an injection of cortisone or similar medicine. Your veterinarian also may prescribe an anti-inflammatory prescription for your pet to help treat the hives and rash. Follow your veterinarian's instructions and schedule a follow-up appointment approximately two weeks from the first visit.
Give your dog an oatmeal bath, per your veterinarian's permission, to provide relief for itching. Many groomers offer special oatmeal baths for dogs with sensitive skin.
Supervise your dog as much as possible while she is healing to help prevent her from licking and irritating the hives or rash area while the flare-up is healing. Give her plenty of activity and toys so that she will be occupied and less prone to scratch herself. If necessary, purchase a special cone collar to prevent her from irritating the rash and hives by licking herself.
Seek allergy testing for your dog if other causes for his hives, such as fleas or an illness, are ruled out. Allergy testing may indicate which substances are causing adverse reactions in your dog's skin. Based on test results, remove necessary trigger items from your dog's environment to lessen allergic reactions.