Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Cetirizine is dosed at 1–2 mg/kg PO q24h in dogs, per Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed, printed p.240 (corpus PDF p.267), Cetirizine, Dosages, DOGS. Cetirizine is used in dogs for Allergic pruritus. Routes documented in dogs: PO. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 1 cited dose rule for Cetirizine in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Zyrtec
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 1–2 mg/kg | q24h | Long-term | Allergic pruritus | Weak | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 9th Ed, printed p.240 (corpus PDF p.267), Cetirizine, Dosages, DOGS |
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These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Active metabolite of hydroxyzine. Selective peripheral H1 receptor antagonist with minimal CNS penetration and minimal anticholinergic activity.
Less sedating than first-generation antihistamines. Ensure human product does not contain pseudoephedrine (Zyrtec-D). Used for allergic pruritus. Limited efficacy as sole anti-pruritic agent.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Cetirizine dose range in dogs, with cited source references: PO 1–2 mg/kg q24h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Cetirizine in dogs: PO.
Cited course lengths for Cetirizine in dogs include: Long-term. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Cetirizine is indicated in dogs for: Allergic pruritus.
These are general warnings for Cetirizine across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Less sedating than first-generation antihistamines. Ensure human product does not contain pseudoephedrine (Zyrtec-D). Used for allergic pruritus. Limited efficacy as sole anti-pruritic agent.
Why a species-specific page? Cetirizine pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.