Benadryl for bunnies

:wave:

*disclaimer - I'm not about to try anything...just finding some info for my vet!*

I've been looking into the use of benadryl; Santa has responded brilliantly to the metronidazole/baytril combo but yesterday she really randomely started having massive sneezing fits again :? The only thing that has changed is a huge increase in pollen in the past couple of days:



See? :lol: So I was wondering whether there's a bit of allergy in there as well.

Anyhoo, I have started looking up info and have found that benadryl is safe for use in bunnies where an allergy may be a possibility.

But

I have also found that a lot of the info originates from the US...and subsequently I have found that benadryl in the US seems to contain a different active ingredient to benadryl in the UK. In the UK it seems to contain cetirizine hydrochloride; in the US it seems to contain something called diphenhydramine.

At that point my head started to explode; I was only looking for an initial piece of info as a starting point, but I ended up getting more confused than when I started! Has benadryl changed recently? Is UK children's benadryl still safe to use (under the guidance and supervision of one's vet, obviously)?

Any thoughts welcomed

I had it suggested to me by Harcourt-Brown to get liquid Piriton for bunny hayfever, though I suppose Piriton is more or less the same thing as Benadryl in that both are for human allergies. I have no idea how similar they are in terms of ingredients etc, maybe you can look around at other allergy liquids available and see which ones contain ingredients like the US Benadryl?

Good luck with your research!

There are different Benadryls - I have some Acravastine ones in my drawer that I'll be taking in grass hayfever season.

I have the same problem with one of my guinea pigs. Every year in grass pollen season she is incredibly congested and sneezy. The only thing I can use is Bisolvon, but it only helps a bit. I wish I could find something else.

Hmmm...piriton is only the same as benadryl in the same way that penicillin is the same as baytril...i.e. although it treats the same condition, it's in no way the same thing :? Piriton is another antihistamine entirely...whereas piriteze, made by piriton, is cetirizine, same as UK benadryl.

My point is, I've heard it recommended that benadryl is used for bunnies in the UK, but most of this advice seems to have originated from the US...and the ingredient in benadryl in the UK is different to the ingredient used in the US...so which is safe, and are we using the right dosages if we are using cross-continent advice which actually seems to be based on a different product :?

I have used this before on a mouse:
http://www.piriton.co.uk/Piriton_Syrup.htm

A different active ingredient again.

I think the issue is that the actual antihistamine is never named - as you say, the brand means very little.

Santa said:

Hmmm...piriton is only the same as benadryl in the same way that penicillin is the same as baytril...i.e. although it treats the same condition, it's in no way the same thing :? Piriton is another antihistamine entirely...whereas piriteze, made by piriton, is cetirizine, same as UK benadryl.

Click to expand...

Maybe it was Piriteze Sorry, it was a long time ago now, it definitly began with 'piri'. I never tried it out so my memory is even more hazy as I don't have a box or branding to remember it by!

I think we'd better have a double vet appointment - I'll bring my sneezy guinea pig too! :lol:

I used Benadryl Allergy when the girlie Boblets developed Snuffles at the age of 10-12 weeks. (OK'd by my Vet)

http://www.allergyadvice.co.uk/bgdisplay.jhtml?itemname=benadryl_for_kids

The Girlie Boblets all DIED of Pyloric Stenosis aged 6 months.
Some research lead me to discover that in humans it has been suggested that there might be a link between a mothers use of Cetirizine during pregnancy and the developement of Pyloric stenosis in her unborn child.

I dont know if the Cetirizine played a part in the death of the Girlie Boblets but personally I would NEVER use Benadryl containing Cetirizine again for a Rabbit

I remember that now, Jane.

That's really interesting (and terribly sad of course ) Jane, thanks for sharing that info. There's so much conflicting information available about antihistamines in bunnies, not to mention the cross-atlantic confusion, that maybe I'll just keep my fingers crossed that she was having a tickly-nose day rather than an allergic response!