Your four-legged friend means the absolute world to you! You can trust us when we say, we totally get it! Our cattos and doggos are our family members, and we know you’d do just about anything and everything to keep them happy, well, and healthy.
However, we don’t have to tell you that it isn’t always biscuits and gravy. Even the most responsible pet owners can agree that problems come up out of nowhere! In these instances, cat owners can find themselves wondering what in the world to do next.
One of these unpredictable health concerns could easily result from your cat experience an allergy attack or allergic reaction. Just like us humans, cats can experience allergies to a wide array of things including vaccines, environmental toxins, and food. Thus, it is imperative to know what to do if and when such an allergic reaction happens.
In today’s article, we’ll cover the popular and conventional medication: Benadryl. Is it safe for your furry friend? Is there potential for adverse side effects? Knowledge is definitely power my paw parent friends! The more you know about preventing and treating allergic reactions, the better equipped you will be to handle the situation appropriately.
Let’s get to it!
What is Benadryl for Cats?
Benadryl for felines is a conventional and traditional medication primarily used for treating irritation, pain, and uncomfortable adverse effects associated with allergic reactions and seasonal allergies.
Benadryl will typically come in liquid and tablet forms, but can also be injected directly if the allergic reaction is extreme or severe. Oftentimes, Benadryl can help with insomnia as well as motion sickness nausea.
Being one of many over-the-counter (OTC) medications available to you, Benadryl aims to ease seasonal allergies in humans. But, when it comes to our furry felines, paw parents need to be extremely careful. Even if your veterinarian deems Benadryl as being safe for your cat to take, even with appropriate dosage, doesn’t necessarily mean that other human drugs are safe for feline consumption.
How Does Benadryl Work?
Let’s first start with histamines. These inflammatory substances attach to cells, typically causing what we commonly refer to as an allergic reaction.
Benadryl is an antihistamine. Thus, it works by blocking histamines from attaching to histamine-1 (H-1) receptors on small blood vessels and smooth muscles in ours and our cat’s body. This, in turn, prevents an allergic reaction from happening (or so intended).
In a general sense, Benadryl is a brand name for its active ingredient: diphenhydramine. Diphenhydramine, aka Benadryl, can be purchase at your local grocery store or drug store presumably and has the same, if not similar, effects.
Can I Give my Cat Benadryl?
The buzzing question when it comes to searching away on the internet when your cat is in need. In short, our answer is “yes, you can give your cat Benadryl, but…..”
