Allergies

Is there anything OTC I can give a 2 month old puppy for possible allergies? I read that benadryl shouldn't be given under 4 months. I've had him for a week and he's developed itchiness and some bumpiness on his belly. No fleas. It's more like a rough patch, not individual bumps like insect bites, and he mostly ignores it unless I touch it and then he starts scratching. Not sitting around all day chewing on himself. I'm thinking maybe a contact reaction to long grass/vegetation. I'd just started changing his food over to my brand - it's comparable quality and ingredients to his old stuff but I'll go back to that for now. I will take him to the vet if it gets worse or he develops other symptoms but right now it's only minor irritation.

Hello - allergies are lifelong and get worse over time, so if there is genuinely an allergy, there is nothing you can give it that will make the allergy go away.  Rather, it's a case of managing it / the symptoms and avoiding the allergen(s) if it (they) can be identified, but this is usually more difficult than it sounds due to the sheer numbers of allergens a dog meets in a day, some of them obvious but some not so much.  Sadly, while it's tempting to say that a flare-up isn't too bad, allergies itch so dogs scratch them, which makes them inflamed, which makes them itch, so dogs scratch them, which makes them inflamed, which......  you get the picture - it's an inflammatory cycle and can wax and wane.  Parasitic lesions can also behave like this (there are mites and other crawlies as well as fleas) so it's worth treating them with a quality anti parasitic treatment (ask your vet nurse) and both allergies and parasitic rashes can leads to bacterial and yeast infection (there are some medicated superficial shampoos for this).   In short, there's no easy fix I'm afraid; there is no such thing as 'just' an allergy and it's worth getting a handle on early.

If we're looking at an allergy, the beginning phase while it's relatively minor with the fewest secondary effects e.g. infections, thickened skin etc may be a valuable time to discuss treatment options.

As I said, I will take him to the vet and if when it gets worse. Right now I'm just looking for something that might help with the symptoms, otherwise it'll be "watch and see". He has been treated for both fleas and worms. No visible parasites of any kind. I don't have any experience dealing with mites but he doesn't have visible symptoms consistent with what I've read, nor has he been exposed to another dog that he could have gotten sarcoptic mites from.

If and when*

If its the sort of allergy to something flying through the air or underfoot, regular rinses of the feet and coat can remove any allergens clinging to the fur.  It may equate to a "marginal gain".

He has an appointment for Monday but I'd still like to give him something to help with symptoms in the meantime if there's a safe option. I don't know that it's a contact allergen, that's only a guess. He's itching elsewhere so it's affecting him systemically.