[Gpdd] HEALTH- Mimi & Benedryl

[scalabro3 at cfl.rr.com]

Hi, Jamie. I sent this information to you last night and this morning, but I'm posting to the group to call to their attention a possible typo in a veterinary reference text.  When you posted yesterday, I did the math, and found that to get 5 mg/kg, you would need to give her 2 ml of Benadryl if you are using the children’s US version that contains 12.5mg/5mL.  This didn't seem right to me because Cocoa Puff was only taking 0.5 ml when he was on it, and he weighs about 1 kg.

I looked up diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl) in Quesenberry and Carpenter's Second Edition of Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents Clinical Medicine and Surgery and found that the table for ferrets says 0.5 – 2 mg/kg. For rabbits it says 2 mg/kg. For chinchillas it says 1-2 mg/kg. For hamsters, it’s 1-2 mg/kg. For rats and mice, it’s 1-2 mg/kg, and 
prairie dogs, it’s 1-2 mg/kg.  The guinea pig dosage is listed as 5 mg/kg. It didn't seem right that a guinea pig would need so much more.

I called the vet this morning, and she was not there, but her technician said that the proper dosage is 0.5 mg/kg. So I guess there really might be a typo in 
the Second Edition of Quesenberry and Carpenter's book.  

Based on this, I would give Mimi the same dose as Cocoa Puff, which is 0.5 ml or wait until you can talk to the vet as Sandy suggested. I'm not a vet or rodentologist, just someone who has been direct-depositing my entire paycheck lately to one.  

Hope Mimi feels better soon! 
 
ME in New Smyrna Beach