Help please - allergy question

[Anonymous]

My nanny took my 5 yo to her friend's house for lunch. The friend has a dog, and my child seems to be having an allergic reaction - nanny says he has bumps around his eyes, and it sounded like hives. I told her to see if they have children's benedryl and to give him that and bring him home and to monitor his breathing and call me immediately if it seems like his breathing is in trouble and we will meet at the ER.

I have never dealt with an allergy before. Is this the correct course of action, or is there something else I should be doing or watching out for? We are military and it is virtually impossible for me to reach his primary care physician directly. I have to call an 800 number, ask them to call the provider, and the provider calls me back in around 48 hours. So, looking for some more immediate advice. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Yes, that sounds right. Do they have children's Benadryl? If not, do they have other children's medicine, Zyrtec, Allegra, etc.?

[Anonymous]

I would go to the ER or urgent care, as he may need steroids to calm the reaction. Check in with his ped and see if he needs an allergist. My kids have food and medication allergies, but not animals, so I can’t speak to that, but I would definitely follow up with a doctor.

[Anonymous]

PP here. Sorry, didn’t realize it was a girl, not a boy.

[Anonymous]

Environmental allergens, like pet dander, tend not be life threatening for people unless they are asthmatic. It might be a good idea to bathe and change into clean clothes so that any traces of the allergen are no longer present. Benadryl or a non-drowsy children’s antihistamine will help with active symptoms. If the hives burn or itch, a cool cloth or cloth-wrapped ice pack can help. Your child will probably be back to her typical self within a few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Environmental allergens, like pet dander, tend not be life threatening for people unless they are asthmatic. It might be a good idea to bathe and change into clean clothes so that any traces of the allergen are no longer present. Benadryl or a non-drowsy children’s antihistamine will help with active symptoms. If the hives burn or itch, a cool cloth or cloth-wrapped ice pack can help. Your child will probably be back to her typical self within a few hours.

Thank you! We gave him some children's benadryl and popped him in the shower, and he seems good as new!

[Anonymous]

Children's benedryl will be much better than zyrtec or claritin because it is fast acting. I don't think urgent care or ER is necessary unless there are breathing problems. It's less common to have breathing issues with dog allergies than it would be for cat allergies, at least in my experience. Definitely bathe the kid and change clothes.