Safe medicines for dogs

Has your dog been to a vet to get this looked at? What is your dog doing? Itching? Has he been checked for fleas, mange, etc?

Either way if he is really bothering you can give Benadryl to dogs. The dose is about 1mg per pound, given every 8 or so hours as needed. You can go up to 2mg, so a 17lb dog should probably take 20mg. However, you should get in contact with your vet as this should only be something to relieve his issues until a cause is found.

I have a different opinion. The fillers in human medications can include such things as xanthine which is toxic to canines. Maybe Benadryl is different, but I say let the vet decide.

Benadryl is different. Often we send clients to the pharmacy for it, so they don't have to pay more through us.
If you go through any veterinary pharmacy, 90% of the medications on the shelf are human medications, from antibiotics to immunosuppressants (I know I've gone to the local hospital to pick up a medication we need for a client but we have run out of..). Only medications that don't exist in human medicine really are the exceptions.

I DO wish they made more medications specifically for animals, because it would be awesome to check the label and get a dose instead of going to the drug book... Because most medications we have give you human doses, which are totally different.

(I don't usually give out doses for over the counter medications that can be given to animals, but in a case like this, I'd rather he get the correct dose, than not get an answer and just guess, or go looking elsewhere and finding something incorrect..)

I was at the emergency animal hospital last week and my dog was prescribed Benadryl at the dosage mentioned above by Sariss. My regular vet told me a few days later that every dog owner should keep Benadryl on hand and be familiar with the correct dosage for their dog.