# Hive like reaction - change in temperature?



## Robh (Jul 28, 2010)

For the last couple of days Isla, our 20 month Vizsla, has been having a hive like reaction down her legs, chest and increasingly across her head. There has been no change to her diet or environment. Also to my knowledge nothing has changed on her daily walks e.g. fields being sprayed.

The only trend I’ve picked up on is that the hives tend to come up once she has come in from the cold. E.g if she has been playing in the garden or been on a walk. I guess this sounds like an environmental change that might be causing it but I just can’t pinpoint anything.

I’ve been giving her a Piriton which seems to help.

Any thoughts through on it being a reaction to a change in temperature?

Also other rather Piriton does any know of any over the counter treatments for hives in the UK?

I’m going to wash her bedding and towels on a high temperature without washing powder just increase in might be a reaction to washing powder or fabric conditioner from a previous wash.

Thanks, Robert


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Hi Robert,

I have no idea about the reaction in response to weather. A quick google came up with cold urticaria (in humans). To me, that means it is possible, although it seems pretty unlikely. 

_http://allergies.about.com/od/urticariahives/a/coldurticaria.htm
_
Here is a link of something who posted about cold urticaria in a boxer forum.

_http://www.boxerforums.com/health-concerns/55668-cold-urticaria.html_

As for medicine, I'm not in the UK, but here in the US we can get benadryl for relatively cheap and it is the go-to allergy medication for our dogs. We recently used it to clear up a horrible hives patch with Oso. He looked a mess initially and only 3 days later he was back to his healthy looking self. Our veterinarian told us 1mg per pound of weight. The side effects are drowsiness which Oso didn't seem to experience at all. We gave it to him 2-3x a day (8 hours apart) and it worked like magic. 

We don't want to be giving him medicine all the time, maybe there is preventative you can give like protective body wear/limited time in the cold. Was this a problem for her as a puppy?

If it were me, I would try the benadryl or piriton to get it under control - get her a sweater for when she goes out and then if its continual get it checked out by the vet. We never discovered why Oso got his hives, but they haven't come back yet (fingers crossed)


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

I believe most allergies develop between 1 and 3 years of age so it could just be something environmental that she's coming in contact with outside. Benadryl didn't work on Dozer but his allergies are serious. Vet can give rx meds and can even give an injection if they don't go away.


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## Robh (Jul 28, 2010)

Thanks for your thoughts. I think I might have pin pointed the issue to her bed in the boot of the car which of cause she will have be on when going to too and from the walks! I'll keep you posted.

You can only get benadryl from the vet in the UK which means a minimum cost of £40. Of course if I need to I'll go but I just want to try and find the issue myself first.


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