Benadryl and its Doggie Benefits

Bailey is now 9 days into her CCL post-op recovery and she's doing well. As part of the healing process though, her incision has started bothering her... it's getting itchy. I thought about trying some kind of hydro-cortisone cream, but was worried she'd ingest it through licking and I didn't want to interfere with the healing of the incision either. I also considered just leaving on her BiteNot collar to prevent her from trying to scratch it, but I didn't want to leave it on her 24/7. And while I prefer not to give her drugs if I don't have to, I eventually decided it would be a good idea to at least try giving her Benadryl (based on the recommendations from my trusty Yahoo Orthodogs group).

I researched this for awhile, to make sure there weren't any possible serious side effects (I couldn't find any) and to make sure I gave her the correct dosage for her size. The generally accepted dosage (found on various veterinarian sites) was 1-2 mg per pound, twice daily. Bailey is around 62 pounds, so I decided to start with 2 pills twice a day to see how she did, knowing that I could up the dosage if needed. Thankfully, it seems to be doing the trick. I'm sure she's much happier without being so itchy and I'm relieved to have found an easy solution.

As an added benefit (at least in how it pertains to keeping her quiet during her recovery), it also has a calming and sedative effect. She's sleeping through the night and her restlessness has tapered down quite a bit. If giving her the Benadryl can help us get through the next 8-10 weeks without her reinjuring herself, it will be worth it.

Protecting The Incision

Well, I've officially humiliated my dog.

In an effort to keep Bailey from licking, biting, scratching and generally messing around with the surgery incision site, I'm putting her in a protective collar during the day when I'm away from home and can't keep an eye on her. Now, I've been trying to convince her that this collar (called Bite Not) that I got for her is actually much more attractive and comfortable than the traditional e-collar that the vet sent her home with, but I don't think she's buying it. What do you think?

This is her look of shock and horror that I'm putting her through this nonsense:


This is her look of resignation and sorrow:


And this is the look of humiliation, while she is cursing me under her breath:


The Bite Not collar is actually pretty darned awesome from my point of view and definitely a worthwhile investment for me. When she was wearing the original e-collar from the vet, she wouldn't lie down, kept bumping into things, and was generally pretty stressed out while it was on. With this collar, she has her peripheral vision, she can easily nap in it (which I've witnessed), and she tolerates it surprisingly well.

For more details on the Bite Not collar and where you can buy it: http://www.bitenot.com/

P.S. They also have them for cats! What I can't picture is how you'd actually get your cat to hold still long enough to allow you to put it on...