Piriton

Hi everyone, I am seeking advice about Piriton.

Poor little Kuchar has become rather thin coated on his underside as he has grown up, especially his inner thighs and around his "little man". He licks, chews, chobbles and scratches very often, and now his skin, which is easily visible in these places, looks pink, rashy and inflamed. If anyone can remember what German measles rash looks like on humans, this is what it looks like on Kuchar. I've got a strong suspicion that he is reactive to grasses and now that the long grasses are shedding pollen, his eyes have got a bit gummy too.

So, after recommendations from Caryll a few months ago, I plucked up courage and bought some Piriton today. To my great surprise I didn't get the third degree from the chemist department at Tesco! although I had my story all ready about my niece who suffers from hay fever (most of it true, so I wouldn't blush and stammer when the questioning started). Hooray! Now I have 30 Piriton tablets.

My question is, how much should I give Kuchar? Each tablet is 4mg chlorphenamine maleate. The dosage for children aged 6 to 12 years is half a tablet every 4-6 hours. Should I give him half a tablet?

I would very much appreciate your advice for my itchy little boy.

Poor thing!

I'd start off with half a tablet, then adjust as necessary. The good thing is that it's extremely difficult to overdose on antihistamines. Once it reaches its full potential, it doesn't do anything else. If you feel that half a tablet isn't working to full effect, you can increase to a whole tablet!

Yes, I'd start with half a tablet, twice a day. I'd also wipe his thin furred bits with a damp cloth when you come in as well. If it is grass sap or grass pollen, you'll remove a lot of it before it really irritates!

Damp cloth is good. If you do that, make sure you dry folded areas properly though (groin, armpits, for example) to avoid irritation.

Thank you Eleanor!   

I've just given him half a tablet wrapped in a bit of cheese.

I'm glad to know that it is difficult to OD on them, which is what was worrying me.

No problem!

Hope he feels better soon!

Thank you both for your extra advice about wiping with a damp cloth. I don't know why I hadn't thought of that myself - doh. Maybe because I and my family have been very lucky and not had to contend with allergies before (except my niece, who inherited it from my brother-in-law).

I'll see how we go - I know that I was given Piriton 3 months ago after my op (to cope with post-morphine itching) and it worked like magic.

It's pretty good stuff, although it doesn't work for everybody funnily enough.

Piriton has been a God send for me when Demps has been shedding!

No, it doesn't always work, depending on the type and severity of an allergy. Most of the time, though, it will at least offer some sort of relief. For severe allergies or in situations where the person/dog is in constant contact with the allergen, something else might be needed to treat it.

Ok, thank you - I'll try not to pin my hopes on it. I'll give it a chance (that and the wiping) and see how we get on.

Didn't mean to make you doubt it! Honestly, it'll most likely work! I'll be very surprised if it doesn't.

LyndaW wrote:Ok, thank you - I'll try not to pin my hopes on it.  I'll give it a chance (that and the wiping) and see how we get on.

It usually does work - some vets will tell you that Piriton doesn't work for dogs, and will then prescribe you tablets which have exactly the same ingredients for 3 times the cost + a consultation fee!

I've read about some fantastic results with dogs that have scratched themselves raw & the Piriton has given them such ease.  

Yes, Kuchar is beginning to chew and scratch himself raw    I have every hopes for Piriton and that is obviously the first place to start. I'll wait and see .....

Poor Kuchar!   

Thank you Caryll and Eleanor - fingers crossed !

 

You can give up to 4 a day, I used to put vaseline on my dog before going out to act as a barrier and then wipe off when I got in, allergies are nightmare

another good tip I hadn't though of! Thank you Roobyroo   

Do you have savlon there? Human cream. Jess gets terrible rashes & as long as you can stop them licking for 1/2 hr.... brilliant & fast working. Heat subsides, redness diminishes, also an antiseptic. Over 2 days...twice a day....gone!

You could also try politely asking Kuchar to keep his belly away from the grass. Perhaps he'll listen!

Yes Tracy, we have Savlon - I might give that a go.

And no, Eleanor, he won't listen! He seems to find this pleasantly warm weather a bit much and will flop down froggy fashion onto the grass before I can stop him. I often have to haul him to his feet by his collar! Although the thought arises that I could restrict his walkies to the pavements ..... that will be desperation measures though.

LyndaW wrote: and will flop down froggy fashion onto the grass before I can stop him.  I often have to haul him to his feet by his collar!

That's exactly what Dempsey does!  

That really is exactly what Dempsey does!

Grass is heaven for our dogs in this weather!

It's kinda cute, and other people think it's hilarious, but it can be a royal pain!

It's like they know you can't do anything about it! If you try to haul them up, people think they're being abused!