Itchy dog needs help!

[Andrea]

So I went out of town for the weekend and my mom took care of my dogs for me. My jack russell terrier managed to get chain grease from my commuter bike on himself (not the first time he's done this- he likes to sniff along the walls & behind stuff, so he wanders under the bike that's propped up on the wall & half the time will knock it over).
So, she decides she needs to wash it off of him so he doesn't transfer it to any other surface in the house. She used dish washing soap. Now, his skin is pink and dry looking, and he is uncomfortably itchy. I gave him some benedryl, which seemed to help, but I can't tell if it's helping his skin or just making him too sleepy to scratch himself.

I don't know if the soap left any residue on him, but I'm worried to wash him again, because I don't want to make his skin drier. I usually don't bathe him at all unless he is really funky since he has sensitive skin that seems to get irritated when the natural oils are stripped off.

Does anyone have advice as to what I can do to help him out? Something to moisturize him? Dip him in oatmeal? (he'd probably love that)

[kermit]

I have two, and yes they love to walk under bikes. My little girl has sensitive skin. I just use a good oatmeal shampoo and it works well. Should condition the skin and take the itch out. They smell awesome afterwards.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Whatever you do, he'll need a good rinsing in plain water afterwards. Soap residue of any kind, even oatmeal shampoo (which has a lot of the usual shampoo soap ingredients in it) will irritate his skin.

[Aggie_Ama]

Benedryl and an oatmeal bath. My little girls have the most sensitive skin and they only get oatmeal baths. There is a tar based shampoo that is even better but it smells bad so I don't like it. The dogs get half a benedryl for allergies when needed.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I don't mean to nit pick, but- a Jack russell must weigh about what, 12 pounds?
A human weighs about ten to fifteen times that much. If you give a 1/2 tablet of Benedryl to a dog that size I'd think it would be a huge overdose. I would ask the vet first.

[Aggie_Ama]

I don't mean to nit pick, but- a Jack russell must weigh about what, 12 pounds?
A human weighs about ten to fifteen times that much. If you give a 1/2 tablet of Benedryl to a dog that size I'd think it would be a huge overdose. I would ask the vet first.

That is the recommended dose for my 7 lb Schnauzer but only once a day. The 19 lb miniature schnauzer can have one pill whole. I am not at home, maybe the box is kids benedryl but I think it is adult.

I am not a vet, I did not mean to imply she should give that dosage. I won't even listen when the groomer tells me to administer something to my dogs without checking with the vet. Heck I called the vet when my schnuazer sat in fire ants and I was worried. My vet is on speed dial in my house.

[coyote]

I don't mean to nit pick, but- a Jack russell must weigh about what, 12 pounds?
A human weighs about ten to fifteen times that much. If you give a 1/2 tablet of Benedryl to a dog that size I'd think it would be a huge overdose. I would ask the vet first.

We have a dog with allergies. The first time the vet said that we could give him a couple of Benadryl a day I was freaked. He said that dogs metabolize it differently.