Zyrtec for Cats

[pam johnson]

I was so hoping to see something about this version of Zyrtec. Is this the ones that they call Zyrtec Dissolve (10mg)?   My cat has severe itching to the point of rolling around and looking like she is having a seizure. She was on Claritin Red Tabs (also dissolvable in the mouth) which she didnt mind at all. The problem is that they aren't working and I just read up that the active ingredient is a Class H2 Antihistamine which isn't as effective in cats as the Class H1's . Zyrtex is a class 1.  Now I just have to quickly find a store that carries them.  

Again, please if you could confirm back that the package name of the ones that your cat will eat (with citrus flavor) is Zyrtec Dissolve?  Thank you very much! 

 

[kozmic kitty]

Hi!  I don't use the desolveable zyrtec.  I use generic 10mg pills Kirkland Aller-Tec from Costco.  They are exactly the same as the Brand name. 10mg that break in half easily.  very small and my cat Lola is very easy to pill.  This may be a long term need for your kitty and the Brand name, especially the desolvable are an expense I cant do for the long haul.  (I have two special needs kitties that have been an expense over the long haul so we try to save money where we can)

Update on Lola.   I was late giving her her daily dose one evening as I was ill.  By morning, she was grooming and doing that biting at her rash..  Unfortunately she has licked or chewed the healing scabs off and the newly opened patch of sores looked raw and oozing.  When there is oozing, this is indicative of a skin infection like cellulitis.  My vet immediately started her on antibiotics; Cefpodoxime, daily for 3 weeks, along with her evening zyrtec, after a serving of wet food.  Sores began to heal quickly and have dried up nicely.  This rash has the weirdest scabs that take forever to fall off.  This is discribed in the literature for this eosinophyl type allergic rash.  they start out flat and as they heal, they lift from the edges of the lesion and heal towards the center.  they stay attached for a very long time!   Do Not Be Temped to loosen or remove the scab even when it looks like a dried little spike.  If you do, the lesion with open again.  I still use a Douox pad as a wipe over the area every night as it helps prevent the pyoderma /cellulitis (skin infection) and seems to aid in drying up the lesion sooner.  

Hope this helps.  If your cat will pill manually, using this 10mg Certizine Hydrochloride, broken in half to achieve 5mgs is a great option.  Hope this helps.

 

[kozmic kitty]

I just saw your photo of her lesion on Alpha Cat.  That round flat open lesion is exactly like Lola's.  She has a few areas on her back, with anywhere from 10 to 3 or 4 of these circular lesions per patch.  The redness around it indicates infection and that an antibiotic is necessary.  My Vet rxed Cefpodoximine for three weeks! Lola responded quickly but I'm told I must continue this for the full course or the infection will return.  See my most recent post.  Sure hope you kittums if feeling better.  

 

[mosimom]

You can get generic Zyrtec at Walmart and Walgreens. Active ingredient is cetirizine. Do not use the decongestant kind!!! 5 mg is the max dose per day.

 

[mnm]

I treated one kitty with Zyrtec with awesome results several years ago. She had licked her tummy bald. I simply crushed up 5mg into her wet food... 2x a day. She didn't seem to even notice. She has since passed, sniff, however, her sister had a bit different symptoms..actually develops a few scabs on her back out of nowhere, then licks at them to create a hot spot. We took her to a dermatologist vet, and she was put on Atopica. She tolerated it ok for awhile in her wet food, but then was wise to it and wouldn't eat, don't blame her. But administering it directly in her mouth is not an option..as that experience is WORSE than her living with her allergies! Thus we stopped Atopica. We just started her on Zyrtec and she isn't affected by the taste crushed up in her wet food, so are hoping it does the trick. Her "derm", ha, did suspect it is environmental allergies, and not food allergies. I had told the derm our other cat took Zyrtec and she said that was fine... so I'm doing it with this one. Fingers crossed!

 

[tobilei]

Okay, we're going to give Doxepin, an older tricyclic/antihistamine a try with Jasper. He's back up to 2.5mg of pred  every other day. The hope is to wean him off the pred and the doxepin will hopefully control the itching as well as help his undesirable personality traits.

 

[spotmenow]

Two questions...

I've had my cat on Zyrtec for almost two  weeks now...first at the 5 mg once daily with a little relief noted and then at 7.5 mg. once daily with about 75% improvement. 

Q1:  I've read that the half-life of Zyrtec in cats is about 10 hours; so why is it only given once daily?  Wouldn't it make sense to dose 2x a day so that blood levels do not ever dip below a therapeutic dose?

Q2:  I saw a great improvement initially on the 5 mg/day and then he flared up again, so I increased to 7.5 mg for a few days and saw another great improvement - we are now in another flare up...I'm tempted to increase to 10 mg but know that 5 mg is the max dose recommended, plus I'm afraid that the improvement will once again only last a few days and then what do I do?? 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...I have the 10 mg tablets, intended to be taken once daily by humans...

 

[stephanietx]

Zrytec is half a tablet (5mg)  twice a day in my house.  Those are from the instructions my vet gave me.

 

[pam johnson]

I've been giving my12 year old cat Lulu , 1/2 a dissolvable Zyrtec, twice per day for about 3 weeks.  So that's total 10 mg per day (5 mg each dosing). I crush it and mix it in about a tablespoon of canned food and she doesn't even notice it.  She has always had some seasonal allergies since we've been mostly living in Florida.  These presented as some sneezing and more skin on her back flaking at certain times of the year.  

This year it has gotten much worse. We went away for July and had a cat sitter. We came back and she had scabs on her back by her tail.  Our vet, recommended twice weekly baths with collodial oatmeal shampoo and skin conditioner. She does not take well to baths, but it did help clear up her scabs on her back.  She's also been extremely itchy on her back behind her shoulders, to the point where she doesn't really like to be touched there.  Her skin would roll on occasion from being itchy

Then came October and Hurricane Matthew while spending some time at our place in Outer Banks, NC, long story short, we ended up with storm water in the duct work under the house (in crawl space ) and didn't realize it until 2 weeks later . During that time we had been running the a/c. I am sure that had a reaction to the mold that was most certainly in the duct work and being pushed into the house via the a/c.  Poor Lulu started having almost seizure like behavior, rolling around on the floor and obviously in severe discomfort.  I took her to a vet there, who said it was allergies causing her itching. She cannot go on any type of steroid because she is overweight (18 lbs) and pre diabetic.  Any type of steroid will likely throw her into full on diabetes.

I was given a list of antihistamines by the NC vet and started trying some.  I was told that like humans, cats need to find the right one that works for them. That's how I found this website.  I had bad experience trying to give Benadryl..  Just did not work.  Claritin dissolvables didnt have any impact.  I think the Zyrtec helps but not to the extent that others have had.  But the vet did give the dose (keeping in mind her weight) as 10 mg per day (administered twice daily/5 mg per dose).  We have since come back to Florida with her and out of   We just discovered that she has scabs on her back again, the pollen is kicking up here. So no idea what the trigger was for this.  Interesting info though from Kozmic, I am going to call the NC vet and check the Eosinophil levels in her blood work, so thank  you.  She is going back to having baths again, as much as she doesnt like them (she won't even go near the bathroom anymore where they happen).

Spotmenow- I think you should be dosing your cat twice daily, every 12 hours.  As far as the dosage, it is very possible that the full 10 mg per day may be appropriate for your cat but I'd check with your vet.  I have not seen any side effects with giving Lulu that dosage and feel comfortable as this was the info given to me by my vet.

At any rate, I wanted to say thank you for all the info posted here.  And also that even though the 10 mg dose is the full human dose, that is what info was given to me by a vet for my large cat.  I'll keep checking back for people's updates.  I definitely understand the helplessness that we all feel when watching our cats itch manically and bite themselves. It's heart wrenching.

 

[mary h]

Have you tried grinding it up and putting it in Fish Oil, not the vitamin stuff, like from a can of Sardines. That usually will mask any other taste completely.

 

[cat princesses]

I have used zyrtec in the past for a cat - I also would put it in a small gel capsule that I buy from thriving pets - it helps alot to eliminate any bitter pill taste.  I would just coat it in some butter and freeze it for 5 minutes to firm it up and down the hatch it went.  I have also used claratin on my current cat who has allergies.  NEVER use any of the Zyrtec or Claratin with the D - that is deadly for animals - only use the regular version.

 

[valentine319]

I just found the pack pharm brand zyrtec on eBay and they have propylene glycol as the last ingredient. My cat is back to pulling out hair. I'm going to try splitting her dose and giving twice a day. I've changed food but she seems to have bad seasonal allergies. She is allergic to fish but I've removed that.

 

[jmichaelp]

My cat is having congestion due to ragweed, so I started him on Zyrtec fir the first time (previously used chlor-trimeton). After a formula change with Hills k/d, he stopped eating as much & lost weight. I was surprised to see that this increase his appetite to normal levels. I'd previously used cyproheptadine, another antihistamine, for appetite problems.

 

[valentine319]

My cat is having congestion due to ragweed, so I started him on Zyrtec fir the first time (previously used chlor-trimeton). After a formula change with Hills k/d, he stopped eating as much & lost weight. I was surprised to see that this increase his appetite to normal levels. I'd previously used cyproheptadine, another antihistamine, for appetite problems.

Yes, xyrtec really does stimulate the appetite.

My cat has been switched to raw rabbit but she still gets a bit of seasonal allergies. It hit just recently.

 

[Bebs]

Hi! Has anyone tried using Zyrtec liquid gels? My idea is to puncture a 10mg capsule and administer it in 2 doses, morning and night. This way I'll only have a drop of liquid to administer in food or a syringe. My girl is very combative, so I really want to make this as easy as possible for both of us.

Certrizine HCL 10mg
Inactive ingredients: gelatin, glycerin, mannitol, pharmaceutical ink, polyethylene glycol 400, purified water, sodium hydroxide, sorbitan, sorbitol.

 

[valentine319]

If it's manitol (a sugar free sweetener that can cause intestinal issues) I'd be apprehensive. Sorbitol is a sweetener too.

I crush my pill with a spoon and add tiny bit of water. I have pipettes by the 100s. I suck it up in the pipette and squirt down the side of the mouth. It's easier than a syringe. The pipette is a soft plastic so you won't hurt them.

Here's what i tend to buy.

100 3ml Durable Dropper Transfer Graduated Pipettes Disposable Plastic USA Sale | eBay

I suggest a 3-5 ml pipette. I sanitize mine with alcohol when I get them but I'm using them for multiple things.

 

[donutte]

I wouldn't use this, personally. You can always run it by the vet to see what their thoughts are though. It's a bit hard to dose a gel-cap though by squeezing out a few drops and hoping it's right.

 

[mosimom]

Isn’t polyethylene glycol toxic to cats?

 

[valentine319]

Isn’t polyethylene glycol toxic to cats?

I've personally checked with the vet. All brands have a minuscule amount in them now. My vet was unconcerned.

Now that being said I'm unsure what propylene glycol 400 is or its difference compared to main propylene glycol.