When accidentally ingested by dogs and cats, antihistamine poisoning can result in clinical signs of severe agitation, lethargy, sedation, aggression, abnormal heart rate, abnormal blood pressure, vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance, seizures, respiratory depression, and even death.
Precautions Before Giving Your Pet Zyrtec
However, it can have lethal consequences if given to a dog. It overstimulates their central nervous system and heart, causing canine seizures, heart failure, and potentially death.
Zyrtec Dosage and Instructions. It is recommended to give your dog 0.5mg per pound of body weight. You can safely give Zyrtec to your dog up to 20 mg per day.
It sounds strange, but pets can be allergic to allergy medications, including Zyrtec. Tell your vet if your pet's allergy symptoms worsen or if they have signs of anaphylaxis like trouble breathing or swelling of the face. Symptoms of a severe drug reaction include: Hives.
What happens if I overdose on Zyrtec (Cetirizine (Oral/Injection))? Overdose symptoms may include extreme drowsiness, vision problems, agitation, feeling restless and then drowsy or tired, fast heartbeats, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, trouble walking, or trouble swallowing or speaking.
Taking more than the usual dose is unlikely to harm you or your child. If you take an extra dose, you might get some of the common side effects. If this happens or you're concerned, contact your doctor.
In overdose symptoms can include dizziness, tachycardia, headache drowsiness or agitation. While the current generation of lesser sedating antihistamines do not affect the QT interval at normal doses (unlike the previous generation of medicines), there are concerns there may be some effect in overdose.
Cetirizine (Zyrtec® or Reactine®) dose: The typical dose is 1 mg/kg every 24 hours. Hydroxyzine (Vistaril®) dose: The typical dose is 2-4 mg/kg every 8-12 hours.
Zyrtec is active for up to 24 hours, so your dog will be free from a runny nose, itchy skin, sneezing, and other symptoms for the whole day.
Cetirizine (Zyrtec) ¼ - ½ mg per pound (one 10mg tab per 30-40 lbs) twice daily. Loratadine (Claritin): ¼ mg per pound (half of a 10mg tablet per 20 lbs) once daily. Clemastine (Tavist-1, Antihist-1): 0.02mg per pound (one 1.34mg tablet per 65lb dog) twice daily.
Medication should never be administered without first consulting your veterinarian. Cetirizine is dosed in dogs at 0.5 mg per pound (1 mg/kg) orally once to twice daily.
With overdose, dogs may also exhibit mydriasis, dry mucous membranes, disorientation, and fever (10). For animals exposed to an overdose of antihistamines, treatment with guaifenesin and supportive fluid therapy generally results in an excellent prognosis for recovery (15).
Zyrtec, or cetirizine, is generally regarded as a safe medication for most dogs. In healthy dogs with no underlying medical conditions, and when given at appropriate doses, significant side effects are rare.
The dose is 5–20 mg/dog once daily. cetirizine (Zyrtec®) – also second gen. It is available as 10 mg tablets and either 1 mg/ml or 10 mg/ml oral solution. The dosage is 5–20 mg/dog once daily.
Given at a therapeutic dose, some antihistamines are safe for our furry friends. However, an overdose of these medications can be dangerous. But don't worry, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) has all the information you need to keep your pet safe and healthy when it comes to antihistamines.
Liquid Dosage:
Children's Aller-Tec® contains 1 mg/mL cetirizine which means it can be given to your dog at a dosage of 0.5 mL/lb. Use twice daily for allergic dermatitis and once daily for atopic dermatitis. Example Dosage: A 50 lb dog with allergic dermatitis could be given 25 mg twice daily.
Another general rule of thumb is to give dogs weighing under 15lbs only half a tablet of 10mg Zyrtec. Dogs weighing between 15-50lbs can get one tablet, and dogs weighing more than 50lbs can get two tablets or 20mg. These doses can be given twice daily.
Some medications for treating allergies, like Zyrtec (cetirizine) and Allegra (fexofenadine) last 24 hours and don't need to be taken at night. But if you're combating allergy symptoms with a different antihistamine first thing in the morning, keep in mind that its effects will only last six to eight hours.
The elimination half-life of Zyrtec is between 8 to 9 hours. It takes approximately 5.5 x elimination half-life for a medicine to be cleared from your system. For Zyrtec this is 5.5 x 9 hours which is about 2 days.
The dosing schedule is also much more convenient, with dogs weighing over 10 lbs getting a single 10mg tablet once daily. Dogs weighing less than 10 lbs can have half of a 10mg tablet once daily. Chlortrimeton is another excellent antihistamine for dogs, and is the drug of choice for kitty allergies as well.
The maximum recommended daily dose is 20 mg, do not exceed this dose, unless told to do so by your doctor. The usual dose of ZYRTEC oral solution is 10 mL, once a day. In children over 6 years of age, the daily dose of 10 mg is given as a single or divided dose.
The Risks of Taking Too Much Allergy Medication
However, taking too much of any medication can be dangerous. If you accidentally take two allergy pills, you may experience side effects such as: Dizziness. Drowsiness.
There is no known specific antidote to cetirizine. Should overdose occur symptomatic or supportive treatment is recommended. Gastric lavage should be considered following ingestion of a short occurrence. Alternatively consider activated charcoal.