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Table of Contents
- Acidophilus
- Acidophilus, Yogurt, Dietary Changes
- ACV and Yogurt, White Vinegar and Distilled Water
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda
- Apple Cider Vinegar and Yogurt
- Apple Cider Vinegar Recipes
- Apple Cider Vinegar, Dietary Changes
- Borax and Peroxide, Dietary Changes
- Coconut Oil
- Colloidal Silver
- Dandruff Shampoo
- Dietary Changes
- Dietary Changes, Baking Soda
- Dietary Changes, Yogurt
- General Feedback
- Grain-Free Diet, Apple Cider Vinegar, Baths
- Grapefruit Seed Extract
- High Protein Diet, Frequent Baths
- Hydrogen Peroxide, White Vinegar
- Iodine
- Medicated Shampoo
- Milk of Magnesia
- Multiple Remedies
- Over the Counter
- Plain Yogurt, White Vinegar
- Possible Causes
- Prescription Medications
- Raw Food Diet
- Remedies Needed
- Rubbing Alcohol, Gentian Violet, Boric Acid
- Salt Bath
- Systemic Yeast Infection Remedies
- Ted's Mange Remedy, Raw Food , Supplements
- Turmeric and Corn Starch, Clove Powder
- White Vinegar
- White Vinegar and Aloe, Probiotic Yogurt
- Yeast-Free Diet
- Yogurt
- Yogurt, Omega Oils, Herbs
Dog Yeast Infection Treatment: Home Remedies for Pets
Last Modified on Mar 07, 2014
Systemic candida and local yeast infections are becoming increasingly common health concerns for pets and pet owners alike, possibly as a result of antibiotics use and the growing share of our diet taken up by carbohydrates. You may see yeast infection symptoms in dogs and cats like rashes, other skin issues, constant fatigue, a white tongue coating, or yeasty smells in ears, mouths, and across the body. Fortunately, some home remedies can help you kill off Candida albicans and the local and system yeast infections it causes.
IMPORTANT! When writing Earth Clinic about a yeast infection issue with your pet, please include the brand name of the food you are feeding him/her! We'd like to start pegging the brands that may be causing these issues.
Home Remedies for Yeast Infection in Dogs
Apple cider vinegar is the top remedy for candida a yeast issues, for external and internal use. Yeast infection in dogs' ears is also a common issue, in which case rubbing alcohol or a vinegar and water spray in the ear can relieve your pet's yeast symptoms.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Yogurt | 26 YEAS |
Apple Cider Vinegar | 12 YEAS |
Multiple Remedies | 10 YEAS |
Acidophilus | 6 YEAS |
White Vinegar | 5 YEAS |
[YEA] 12/15/2013: Chiweenie from Las Vegas, Nv: "Hello everyone, I never write on sites when I am doing research on these things but I HAVE to share. My chiweenie is 2 and he started getting "hot spots" all over his abs and his genital area. After much research and spending hours online looking up yeast infections, I headed to walmart.
I bought ACIDOPHILUS and gave it to my dog 2x a day. It cleared up FAST. It was the only that WORKED! Everything else on here is Bull****.
I did ACV, which seemed to irritate his skin. I decided to leave him alone and bathe him every other day to keep it clean. I left him alone besides baths, and wrapped acidophilus pills in pieces of ham which he gobbled up. It went from horrible to CURED.
Screw all these other home remedies. Let their bodies heal it up and just give them acidophilus I bought it for $4!!!"
Replies[YEA] 01/01/2014: Maggie's Mom from Waterloo Ontario Canada replies: "My Wheaton Terrier developed a scaly, smelly rash that was very itchy last year. It started as a few spots on her tummy to covering most of her back. the vet said it was allergies and prescribed a food that is hypoallergenic and a cortisone shampoo that I used every other day. she wouldn't eat the food. The shampoo helped a bit. I came across an article by a veterinarian on Facebook that talked about allergies.it led me to another article about yeast infection. She described the scaly rash that my dog had and the smell that is similar to a taco chip. That was the smell my dog had. Late in October I started her on a diet of raw food which she didn't like. Instead I switched to cooked meat. I give her no grains, rice, potatoes or other fruits or vegetables as these things can feed the yeast. I also started her on a cleanse called Candigone. It's a mixture of herbs that help cleanse the body of the yeast and probiotics. I gave her 1/2 a capsule 2 times per day and 25ml of the tincture 2 times per day. She just completed this cleanse. I have added a vitamin supplement since the meat alone is not sufficient nutritionally. Within a few days of starting this routine the rash and itching were reduced. After one month the rash and itching were completely gone and I am no longer bathing her every other days. She had a grooming 3 weeks ago and still smells good. The other thing is her mood is completely changed. She is playful again and has so much energy again. This infection was making her miserable. I really believe you need to find the internal cause in order to cure the issues on the outside. Shampoos and ointments are only treating the symptoms.I was feeding my dog Wellness Core dry dog food."
01/15/2014: Amelia from Ohio replies: "Hi, my schnauzer was fine until he got his shots. my next dog will NOT be vaccinated. The immunization destroyed his natural gut microorganisms. that's number 1.it took me 5 years to figure out what yeast was. When I found out, I put him on Nzymes. followed it exactly as described and it did not work. His itching is so severe that he has bleeding spots throughout his body. He had temporary relief after my holistic vet took him off all dog food and I started cooking him cool foods like turkey, liver and beef and vegetables, nothing canned or dried. However, that was short lived after 3 mos. Why? because candida is bad living microorganisms you HAVE to kill, just like you have to kill worms.
I also tried coconut oil which is a fungicide. Unfortunately, the DIE-OFF of the candida from coconut oil is so severe that his itching which is severe actually becomes worse during the die off. It is unbearable. if he could speak he would scream, I am sure. San anyone please tell me how you are handling candida die off itching?
My family pressured me to stop the madness and let him live peacefully with steroids until he dies. His suffering took such a toll on me that I relented. However he is not responding to even the steroids now and he's back to bleeding and scratching again.
3rd. please realize my friends that in my case the immunization was the instigator of his gut imbalance. But the truth is ALL dog food is the reason why there is an epidemic of yeast infection is bad for dogs, especially dry dog food. Why? because dogs need food that is alive, just like humans. Live food has live enzymes which balance the gut.
By the way Winston only eats live food now. I do not give hi anything canned or dry dog food. So as you can see, even with the live foods the candida has to die.
Having said that, my poor schnauzer is still suffering. I am starting to read your posts and still wondering how to handle the die off of the candida if I put him on some of your suggested treatments which makes him itch even worse than he already is. Please tell me did your treatments cause severe itching and then it got better? how long does that go on?
Thank you, Amelia"
01/15/2014: June from Pasadena, California replies: "I am so sorry to hear about your dog's suffering. Are you still feeding him home cooked food? I agree, yeast and candida are a difficult battle. I have a dog who gets very itchy a few times a year and I have finally worked out what really helps him.1. Weekly or bi-weekly baths with tea tree oil shampoo (found in organic section of grocery store). I make sure to rinse out the shampoo very well.
2. Grain free dog food... I cycle through them, but my dog is doing well the past few months on Taste of the Wild, bison formula. Before that I had him on Blue, salmon formula.. but his coat got very dull. There seems to be more vitamins and nutrients in Taste of the Wild. I feed him 1 cup 2x a day soaked first in hot water to soften the kibble.
3. I give him a small scoop of very potent human grade, multi strain probiotic in EVERY MEAL. I get mine at customprobiotics.com based in Glendale, California. Pricey, but a bottle lasts for months and months.
4. Fish oil - pharmaceutical and human grade. 1 capsule a day without fail.
5. If his ears are starting to smell yeasty or if I notice him scratching them, I wash them out with a liquid the vet gave me and use q-tips. This liquid works much better than the home remedies I've tried and doesn't irritate his ears. I do this once a week.
I really hope this helps. I personally believe there ARE better solutions than steroids. I know you will help your furry friend and send you many prayers to find things that will help him."
01/16/2014: Theresa from Mpls., Mn replies: "Hey Amelia!Some things to consider:
Since you suspect you are dealing with yeast try adding 1/16 teaspoon of epsom salt in 1 liter of non-chlorinated drinking water for 2-3 days - max; this is not intended for long term use, just to nip a break out in the bud. When you stop the epsom salt in the water you can then start adding 1 teaspoon baking soda to 1 liter of water; do this for 5-7 days. This is a 'break out' or crisis dose. After a week you can cut it back to a maintenance dose of 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to the water. If you suspect a fungal component you can add 1/16 teaspoon borax along with the baking soda in 1 liter of water. In acute and extreme cases 1/4 teaspoon of borax in 1 liter of water is indicated. Many humans take 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon borax in 1 liter of water daily as a detox and antifungal/antiyeast, so long term use is not an issue, however all these remedies are something you should 'play by ear' and should be adjusted as you see fit. The water additives address mineral deficiency issues and should be addressed first.
If there is a staph infection going on, consider bathing him in a solution of Milk of Magnesia; use 1 part of water to 2 parts MOM and saturate the spot to kill off any bacterial or fungal infection going on. If he licks it up he MAY get loose stools as this also when taken internally is used to detox. If the spots are dry and crusty you can apply vaseline after the MOM treatment - up to you. Another consideration is mixing 50:50 baking soda and borax, mixed into 1% hydrogen peroxide to form a paste- apply gently to pyoderma 4 x day [rubbing or grinding the paste into the skin may cause to inflame the skin and make it worse].
Read up on Turmeric; you might consider sprinkling turmeric on his skin when he starts scratching to see if it helps to calm it and heal it.
I ditto the advice to give probiotics - but I also suggest brand hopping, so that you give a number of strains of bacteria and rotate them around.
Some people report sucess in calming the skin by adding herbal Thuja Occidentalis to the food, and/or herbal nettle [urtica urens] to the food, or dosing homeopathic thuja and/or urtica.
As much as I dislike the steroid route, I have found it helpful to use them to calm the skin to where it can heal and then using grain free rotation diet/probiotics/frequent bathing/ACV to water/baking soda to water."
01/17/2014: Wrigs' Mom from Naples, Florida replies: "We adopted a 'rescue' dog in April. He is a lovable, 5 yr old- 23 lb. Cavalon.He had some spots on his belly, and over time, they would change, and got worse, as well as many turned into sores. He would scratch, and was miserable. The Vet said to give him the antibiotic, and he would be fine. He was, and after about 3 days, the spots came back. We repeated the antibiotic! 7 months into this, she took a skin test and said he has a serious case of yeast infection... and told me to put him on Salmon, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin! Like a fool, I did.... he got worse!
I did some serious investigating, and if you are allergic to yeast, NO potatoes, or any starch should be given.
I found a site that gave me a fairly good idea of what he could have, and what I could see myself preparing for him.
He now gets, a "gourmet" dinner - 4-6 oz of prepared chicken, 2 tbs of can pumpkin, 2tbs can green beans, 2-3 tbs quinoa [cooked] --- he also gets a hard boiled egg every other day. In addition to this, I give him a multi-vitamin - 1, 000mg Omega-3 fish oil - 200 IU Vit E - 1, 000 IU Vit D3 ----- the days he does not get an egg, I give him 2 tbs quinoa, and 2 tbs pumpkin around noon time.
Since most [all that I have found] treats have some sort of starch or yeast he is off all of them! He gets broccoli, or green beans as a snack. He just happens to love them ;)
He gets a bath in Tea Tree shampoo once a week, and he does not have any odor!!
He is so much better. I feel confident I am on the right road with him now. I swear, we have to be their advocates, and think outside the box! Most doctors do not appreciate internet research, but we must continue to try and heal our pets with our brains!
This site was recommended to me by a dear relative... I thank her!!
I hope you and your pet find the perfect combination to a good, and healthy life ~~"
01/18/2014: Om from Hope, Bc, Canada replies: "Very good, but canned food? Raw veggies into the processor with turmeric and a little celtic salt would be better."
02/18/2014: Kim from Maryland replies: "Do you mind telling me which brand of acidophilus you used? And about how much you gave your dog daily? I have About a 15 pound Shih Tzu Lhasa mix and I just don't want to overdose him. Thanks so much!"
[NAY] 02/28/2014: Dmjshriver from Dighton, Mass replies: "I have a stratfordshire bull terrier that I adopted from a kill shelter when he was 6 months old. When I first adopted him, his paws were pinkish brown and naive me thought they were dirty! At about 5 months old he was obsessively licking his paws, his rear end and scratching his ears. When I took him to the vet they found both of his ears severely infected and said it could be the result of allergies gone unchecked. They put him on steroids and antibiotics. The ear infection cleared up, but he continued to have red, itchy paws. I put him on a completely grain free diet. I feed him Wysong epigen dry dog food in the morning and a raw diet at night. I have him on Ultimate Flora probiotic (50 billion), 1 pill/day to help restore his good bacteria, he takes oil of oregano capsules, 1 capsule in the a.m. one capsule p.m. To help kill the yeast, he takes sea cure 4 tablets/day, to help with "leaky gut", he gets 1 teaspoon of salmon oil on his food (a.m and p.m. Feedings), he gets 20 drops of Apawthecary detox drops 2 x day on his food, to help with his yeast detox, he also gets Enzyme Miracle 2 x day with his food at 1 scoop per cup of food as directed to aid in digestion. I have been soaking his paws in a solution of 1/8 cup ACV, 1/8 cup hydrogen peroxide, 2 cups water, 3 x day. he has been on this regimens for 2 1/2 weeks and I see little to no improvement on the yeast on his paws. When I do the foot soak, he goes crazy and spends the next 15-20 minutes aggressively licking his feet. I am so frustrated and don't know if this is working or not. Should I continue the treatment, as it is quite expensive and hope in time he will get better, or try something different? I appreciate any advice out there!!! So desperate to get my puppy healthy."
02/28/2014: Theresa from Mpls., Mn replies: "Hey Dmjshriver!I have dogs with skin issues and I share your pain :(
Couple things -
Have you considered using a holistic vet? Find one here:
And, sounds like you are going all out to try to heal your boy. The diet changes are all good. The supplements appear OK. I cannot tell from the info you provided just how long you have had this dog and how long you have been dealing with his itching and how long you have been treating with the various supplements. In any event, if you are not seeing any results then a few things come to mind.
You are giving your boy lot's of stuff to treat the yeast over growth and detox; it's entirely possible that the treatment is working and that you are seeing the results of the detox in action. With natural approaches conditions often appear to worsen in the process of getting better.
And, while your probiotic looks super duper, flooding the system with too much of a good thing creates an imbalance...which is not a good thing. So the key species in your probiotic are various lactobacillae, while the main species for canine specific formulas typically contain Enterococcus faecium. If this were my dog I would change it up - try PB8 for a bottle, then DDS/FOS for a bottle, then maybe 'Fortiflora', and so on. You want to populate the gut with myriad species as the domination of 1 species would actually present as some of the problems you are seeing.
And, while the dry diet looks like its top of the line, if you can go RAW entirely, that would be best. If that just isn't workable, you might consider rotating proteins or changing brands entirely. Not all dogs do well on the top rated diets - through no fault of the diet, its just comes down to a personal chemistry thing.
And, soaking the paws in the ACV/peroxide bath to relieve the itching clearly isn't cutting it. With the info provided I could not ascertain if he is chewing his feet raw or if he is just licking his paws obsessively. If he is experiencing a contact allergy you would *think* rinsing his feet as soon as he came indoors would help noticably - but it appears to have no impact. That makes me think possible pododemidicosis/demodex mite infection around the base of the nails and feet.
If this were my dog I would find a holistic vet to determine a long term plan to eliminate the yeast and get his system back in balance. I might change up the kibble, or go entirely RAW if I could. I would rotate brands of acidophilus frequently. I would also alkalize either by adding raw, unfiltered, unpasturized, 'with the mother' type ACV to the food 1 or 2 teaspoons am and pm in his wet food to start. I would also add baking soda to his clear, non-chlorinated drinking water - 1 teaspoon per liter for the first week, and then drop it down to 1/2 teaspoon per liter after that. I also would implement my allergy plan based on Ted's remedies that I regularly use on my pack during allergy season:
Allergy skin battle plan for allergy flare ups
- Borax laundry booster - the plain stuff with NO scent.
- 1 -16 oz brown bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide
I get both of these from the grocery store.
Empty hydrogen peroxide into larger bottle - I use an empty 1 gallon vinegar jug. Add to this 32 oz filtered or distilled water - I just refill the hydrogen peroxide bottle twice - and dump into the jug. What this does is change your 3% hydrogen peroxide into 1% hydrogen peroxide.
Next add 1 cup of the borax crystals and shake. There should be some un-dissolved crystals in the mixed solution - this is just right. I try to use hot water from the kettle on the stove, that or sit the jug of mixture in the sink full of hot water while I bathe the dog.
Bathe the dog - use whatever shampoo and rinse well. Squeeze out excess water and make sure the tub is drained. I then plug up the tub. Now pour the mixed up solution over the dog. I use a small sponge to soak up the solution from the bottom of the tub and squeeze it out onto the dog again and again, making sure I get the head and underneath. Keep squeezing solution over and over onto the dog for about 15 minutes - 30 minutes is better. Then pull the stopper from the tub and let the excess drain. DO NOT DRY THE DOG OR RINSE THE DOG. The solution has to remain wet as it is still working. Allow the dog to air dry. I just pop mine into their crates and I remove any absorbent bedding.
If you are worried about poisoning your dog keep in mind that borax has the same toxicity as table salt. The solution doesn't seem to hurt the eyes or sting any sores on the skin. Some dogs feel instant relief!
Now, the above remedy is Ted's remedy for mange, but its a good start for troubled skin. I will do this dip 2-3 times the first week when allergies hit and skin starts to get itchy and yeasty. I would treat the entire dog with the mange remedy and only after treating the entire dog for 2-3 baths in the first week would I then shift to the Antifungal/Staph solution, and this can be made in small batches so you can treat only the affected areas and not the whole dog.
Ted's Anti fungal/staph skin solution - you will need:
- Milk of Magnesia [magnesium hydroxide]
- Epsom salts [magnesium sulfate]
- Borax [sodium tetraborate]
- 1% hydrogen peroxide solution
Mix 1 tbsp of MOM with 1 tbsp epsom salt and 1 tbsp borax into 1-1/2 cups of 1% hydrogen peroxide. Apply and do not rinse. This solution should knock out any staph infection or yeast infection going on in the skin. Just apply generously to the affected area and allow to air dry. I usually quadrupple the batch and treat the entire dog; once they have had a couple full body treatments I then would mix up a small batch and use in a spritzer bottle to spot treat areas. I mix up the solution fresh daily as I am not certain how long it keeps.
Now, since you soak your dog's paws 3x day in ACV/hydrogen peroxide and you are not getting results, try povidone iodine for a foot soak. You can obtain the iodine at your local drug store. You want to dilute the povidone iodine with water to the color of iced tea, using just your eyes – no scientific formula is involved. If it comes up too light, just add a bit more of the iodine. If it's a bit dark, add more water. You can use a dish tub and soak 1 foot at a time, and keep the solution for up to 1 day. Soak each foot 2-5 minutes and then pat dry - no need to rinse.
Please report back how it goes with healing your boy!"
03/04/2014: Zdmjshriver from Dighton, Ma replies: "Theresa,Thank you for your response. I have had my stratfordshire for about 6 months now. I adopted him when he was about 5-6 months old. He came to me with what I now know was yeast on his paws, belly and ears. A few weeks after I brought him home he was aggressivley scratching his ears and I took him to my vet, who diagnosed him with 2 severe ear infections, which I was told was possible from allergies. He had been fed Trader Joe's kibble at the shelter, which was mostly corn and fillers. unfortunately I didn't realize at the time I took him to the vet that he had a yeast problem. I changed his diet to Wysong when he was about 8 months old. Because he continued to obsessively lick his paws I started investigating on the internet and I realized he has and has had since I adopted him a severe yeast problem. I have been treating him with the fore mentioned treatmeets for about 3 1/2 weeks now. His paws seem a little less brown, but the black on his nails seems to have gotten worse. I will try the soak and bath treatments you suggested, and just recently bought a new probiotic. I was just curious how long it took pets to see really notice able results on treatments if their dog has had problematic untreated yeast for 6-8 months like my poor pet. I am committed to getting him well, but I don't want to continue to bombard him with treatments if I've passed the timeline for seeing results. Does anyone have feedback on how long it took for their dog/s to heal from problematic yeast? I will post the results of the new treatments soon. Thanks for your advice."
03/04/2014: Theresa from Mpls., Mn replies: "Hey Zdmjshriver!I had an red/rednose who had black nails from licking her paws; the saliva built up on her nails and discolored them. What you may be seeing is the same thing.
Yeast manifesting on the skin usually makes the skin itchy and dry and black, sort of like elephant's skin; what you are describing with the paw licking sounds more like allergy - contact allergy even.
What might help your dog is a povidone iodine foot soak/rinse. You can obtain the iodine at your local drug store. You want to dilute the povidone iodine with water to the color of iced tea, using just your eyes – no scientific formula is involved. If it comes up too light, just add a bit more of the iodine. If it's a bit dark, add more water. You can use a dish tub and soak 1 foot at a time, and keep the solution for up to 1 day. Soak each foot 2-5 minutes and then pat dry - no need to rinse.
When you ask about length of time it takes to resolve a yeast issue, consider that it took months to get your dog into bad shape and it will take just as many months to return him to good health - inside and out. Also consider if he is genetically prone to allergies that he may be living with this all his life. You don't state what color staffy he is, but is he blue? Quite often blues and dilutes are disproportionately suscepitble to allergies. I had an OFRN who had yeast issues - she was the one that lead me to my current holistic vet. Her systemic yeast infection manifested in her reproductive tract resulting in experiencing her first heat cycle at 4 months, and then as soon as she was out she would start back in again. Holistic thinking indicates that if you spay before resolving the issue that is manifesting it will simply manifest elsewhere in the body, so I was determined to resolve her yeast issue before spaying her. It was 10+ years ago, but I want to say it took a good 3-4 months, first with treating with 1 type of acidophilus for 3 weeks including cleaners such as milk thistle, and then back to see what else was indicated and then dosing those remedies and another type of acidophilus for another 3 weeks and so on and so on. It was not a quick fix, however many symptoms resolved very quickly once we were on the right track.
Allergy symptoms IMHO don't seem to resolve quickly - not while the allergen is present. So while you may still be dealing with yeast, you also very well may be dealing with allergies.
If you are certain you are dealing with systemic yeast -and I would trust your gut feeling over anything I might advise from my keyboard, far, far away from your real time situation, you might consider dosing borax in the water. Borax is the ultimate antifungal, you might consider combating the yeast from the inside out by adding 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon of Tetrasodium Borate or Borax in a litre of water and having him use that as his sole source of drinking water. Use this protocol for 5 days on then rest for 2 days. So, 5 days on, 2 days off with the Borax. Borax is anti-fungal - so anti-yeast - and also good for bones and helps to balance the hormones as well as chelates and removes fluoride from the body. Borax affects your male hormones or androgens in a viagra-like manner, which is why you must rest for 2 days -- to avoid gland over-stimulation.
Source from EC: http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/borax15.html#YEAST
If you are not seeing the results you'd like with the detox drops you are using, again, go with your gut; keep at it if you feel they are helping, otherwise discontinue if you feel there really are not bringing the results you thought you would see by now.
Please keep us posted!
"03/07/2014: Bcf from Austin, Tx replies: "Zdmjshriver:I just recently adopted Dakota (about 3 weeks ago) who has had a chronic yeast infection. She was in foster care for 7 months, and since I don't know how bad she was when the foster family got her, I don't know how much better she got. What I do know is after 7 months in foster care with a great couple, the yeast infection was still active, and they had been doing everything they were told to do. (new food, baths with special shampoo, antibiotics, and benedryl for the itching and scratching.) She also has little skin growths all over her body (some like skin tags, others like big pimples) She has lost all her hair on parts of her body (chest, legs, arm pits) and her skin has turned black where there is no hair. (which I have recently learned are common side effects of a yeast infection.)
Last week I took her to my regular vet who "packed" her ears b/c along with, yeast there is another bacteria infection going on. Dakota also had Blood test results showed that her liver numbers are really high.results showed that her liver numbers are all very high. The vet suggested I change her diet, and put her back on antibiotics along with another liver medicine to try and get her liver back on track.
The vet that I spoke with about Dakota's blood test results was not my regular vet, but something she said did not make sense to me, so I started doing research. I read all about a raw diet, and was fully prepared to take that path, but I came across a website that suggested several different types of dog food that are good to use when a dog has a yeast infection. The one you are using was one of the choices, but another was a brand called NUTRISCA. It is GRAIN FREE and POTATO FREE. I gave her "homemade food" for about 3 days, and today (Friday, March 7,2014) is day 3 on the Nutrisca, and the difference in Dakota has been remarkable! Her energy level today is night and day from what it was a week ago, and there is a remarkable difference in her eyes. The food must taste really good, but she gets very excited when it is time to eat, and she gobbles it up.
She has a long way to go before she is 100%, but the more I read, the more I am learning that she can be completely yeast free with the right food, yogurt, and apple cider vinegar. :)
This is a very long note to suggest you may want to try the Nutrisca Dog Food. I think a critical component is to eliminate potato from your dogs diet."
11/16/2011: Julie from Mt. Washington, Kentucky: "What kind of acidophilus can I give my dog and how much? He weighs 69 lbs. and we have him on Holistic Select Duck Formula."
Replies01/07/2012: Jana from Naples, Fl, Usa replies: "My 10 yr old, 35 lb. PBGV, Max, was diagnosed 1.5 years ago with Cushings Disease. I am managing his disease with one Trilostane 100 mg capsule per day. He is doing extremely well.However, he was constantly scratching and licking his paws creating bloody, hairless patches. I tried EVERYTHING my vet, dermatologist, recommended: injections, special shampoos, allergy meds you name it... spend hundreds of dollars.
Fortunately my groomer informed me Max was suffering from yeast and I should call my Vet to request a medicated shampoo for the treatment of yeast and administer Acidophilus in pill form. I ordered the medicated shampoo and consulted my local heath food store, Whole Foods, and found an ACIDOPHILUS capsule 340 mg. I administer one, sometimes two pills, per day inside a pill pocket size of an all meat hot dog... He gobbles it down, a treat!
In addition, I have switched to feeding him Blue Wilderness brand dog food with high protein, NO GRAINS, corn, wheat or soy. He likes the Salmon best but will eat the chicken and duck flavors too! The food is expensive, approx. $30.00 for a 11 lb bag but worth every penny.
Max was a sick and "ugly" looking dog until I finally found the right combination of food and medication. His coat is thick and soft, he rarely scratches and almost never licks. He walks with me a least a mile each day. He is alive and thriving. I contribute his well being to my groomer and from the information I gained from reading posts on this site."
03/15/2012: Kelly from Langley,bc, Canada replies: "I have spent the last 6 months taking my cairn terrier to the vets and being told he has allergies to the environment. The vet told me to feed HP and gave me meds for his skin condition. He has gotten worse over the last month and I had him at my groomers and right away she told me he had a yeast infection. Told me to try Natural Balance with sweet potatoe and salmon. I also after reading about the acidophilus am now giving him that. Does it get worse looking before it gets better is my question? And what can I put on his sores that won't harm him? Thanks"03/16/2012: Maegan from Houston, Texas replies: "For the sores I use hot spot medicine. I don't really like it too much though because it's messy. I found a spray that has medicine to treat wounds. It prevents infection. I can't recall the name, but I found it at a pet store. Honestly, I believe it's a generic. Also, I sometimes spray the apple cider vinegar directly on her. I have some spray with bitterant in it, so she won't chew her skin, but it doesn't work as well as the vinegar. She hates the taste and won't lick. Besides that it seems to help treat the infection from the yeast."[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 03/16/2012: Maegan from Houston, Texas replies: "I'm about a week or so into the acidophilus treatment, along with a few other things I'm doing. Sadie was so bad that I was about to give up. She was one hundred percent bald and completely miserable. So far I have noticed that she sheds skin A LOT more than before, but after every bath, her skin looks healthier. She's even getting wisps of fur where there hasn't been any for months. I don't really know if a dog like this gets worse looking before they get better, but with my Sadie that is definitely the case. Her yeast odor is a lot worse, but like I said, after a bath she seems better. The only annoying thing in all this is that I have to bathe her daily because of all the skin shedding and odor. I just make sure to bathe her in medicated and oatmeal shampoos, followed by a good rub down in Monistat. She is already in better spirits. She was playing with her toys and loving on my pug. I'm going to stick with it because, so far, things look encouraging."03/18/2012: Jeane from Quezon City, Philippines replies: "Hi, Maegan! I have tried steeping a bag of jasmine tea in water and then giving my dogs a rubdown with this infusion. I am not sure if other types of tea have the same effect, but our dogs have stopped continually scratching and biting themselves after only a few applications. And the jasmine tea smells great on them. However, it still takes a few weeks at least for the hair to gradually grow back. I have read of another product that got me thinking. It is white vinegar. I find that the tea infusion is helpful in treating hot spots and yeast infection but not too effective in killing off ticks and then read somewhere about the benefits of white vinegar. So now I am using white vinegar with water as a spray on them. And then I also dissolve a bar of the mildest and most natural soap I can find here in water and then mix two to three caps full of white vinegar into it and make a homemade shampoo. This shampoo we use like a regular shampoo on them, and it leaves them smelling just great! So I was thinking this vinegar concoction may be of help to you, too."03/18/2012: Jeane from Quezon City, Philippines replies: "Hi, Kelly! Maybe you can try using a tea bag on his sores? I have tried steeping a tea bag (jasmine, have not tried anything else though) and then rubbing the infusion all over their bodies. This method seems to stop their itching and also dries up the sores. Hope this helps!"04/24/2012: Shelley from Roseville, Ca replies: "Just reading your great tips on yeast infections. Just brought my dog home from the groomer today and she said my buddy has a yeast infection. She told me NOT to use shampoos with oatmeal as the yeast feeds on it. I noticed someone mentioned batheing their dog with it and thought you may want to know. Thanks for the great tips!"[YEA] 05/24/2012: Marilyn from Austin, Tx replies: "Our 14 year old chow mix has been plagued with a yeast infection of her skin for several years now. She has also been diagnosed with Cushings. We treated her with Lysodren for over 2 years for the Cushings with little change. We finally gave up on the Lysodren. Being encouraged by your postings here about acidophilus, I started giving her 3 to 4 pills spaced throughout the day. I also started bathing her in a medicated shampoo every 4 days. I treat her flare up spots with an otc spray for athlete's foot. This is working!!! She feels better because she's off Lysodren, she's not itchy and her skin and hair are very much improved. Just wanted to let others know there is hope to clear this up. I feel she has turned the corner."06/04/2012: Mypapagaio from Newport Beach, Ca/usa replies: "There is a comment in here from someone in March 2012 who said her groomer told her that her dog has a yeast infection and that she should switch to Natural Balance with Sweet Potato.... THIS IS WRONG! Sweet potato is a starch, starch turns to sugar and yeast feeds on sugar.She is correct in that when on a proper treatment to rid your dog of yeast that the symptoms do get temporarily worse. This is due to the body purging the toxins at a greater rate through the dogs skin which itches terribly. However, feeding your dog an inappropriate food that contains starch or sugar will also make it get worse, but for the wrong reason.
Special made raw food (research the types online) is the number one recommendation. As well as a supplemental daily dose of pro-biotics the dog needs to replenish their system with in order to maintain the proper levels of yeast. And a medicated anti-fungal shampoo is also recommended with bathing at least twice a week. Again, research online for brands. There are also a number of homemade daily rinses that you should do IN ADDITION to all the other treatments. They involve a diluted mixture of water and vinegar, or water and lemon juice, or water and baking soda.
Diet is number one and whatever you do, DO NOT LET YOUR VET ADMINISTER ANTI-BIOTICS OR STEREOIDS!!!! RESEARCH YEAST INFECTIONS IN DOGS ONLINE AND DO IT NOW. There is a ton of information online about this and thank God I found it as our 6 month old puppy has been suffering for 8 weeks. Everyone thought it was an allergy. Vets were quick to treat some random infection they thought it was with more anti-biotics. Anti-biotics only strip the poor dog of the good bacteria it needs to fight the yeast. RESEARCH!!!! "
07/04/2012: Emilia from Sugar Land, Tx replies: "I need help. I just wrote a whole thing and lost it! So here I go again.He is two from the vets information and we rescued him from the city. he is a french bulldog and when we got him home he was on antibiotics because the city thought his skin was bad from being out in the Texas heat and fleas, she said they did skin scrapes to make sure it wasn't contagious because we have other dogs and he was safe.
So my trouble started when his antibiotics were done from her skin concerns and being neutered.
First the odor and then the elephant skin growth in the folds of his neck. My husband did some research on the internet and found the yeast infection infrmation and suggested we change his food and get better less aggressive shampoo. We went straight to the store and found, NUTRISCA, grain free and potato free and sprinkle oregano on it at meal time. It has helped his gas problem although he has gas it doesn't STINK! Anymore.
The first shampoo we changed to was a baby shampoo with lavender and it made him fell better but then I found a pet shampoo with tea tree as suggested on another site. It did work on lossening up the elephant skin spots and is suppossed to soothe the skin. But my next research/purchase will be the Malaseb shampoo.
What does work is the white vinegar and water rinses. I do them daily. I put a gallon of water and one cup wv and it helps him. After I soak him I towel dry him and put a clean T shirt on him. The t shirts , with some modifications, help protect the red spots from direct scratching and I use my son's old T shirts because store dog shirts seem to irritate him. He has a large neck and broad chest so the store clothes bother him in this area. My son's shirts work best I put them on him backwards. Anyway he gets hours of relief and a clean shirt everday. With the tea tree and rinses I have gotten a lot of the odor under control. But I want to get the peppermint oil to complete this portion of the regimen.
But today was a downer! I woke up and his skin was inflamed and oozing. It hurts my heart to look at his tender skin under his thinning coat. I have to count myself lucky because he doesn't have the ear issues but every other symptom. What I am thinking is we changed to food in time and the ears didnt have a chance to get started.
QUESTION # 1 But when does the inflammation even out. With all the efforts! Will it get worse and then better because I really feel this has to be the worst. He has spots all over and under and his neck is bad again. And today the smell came back!
I want to try acidophilus to round out my efforts. But I have a question. I looked at the health food store but didn't buy it because it was not free of soy yeast or dairy products. And the ones I found at the pet store were not acidophilus so I am going to have to order some on the internet.
QUESTION #2 Yogurt? I am guessing you are using the plain unsweeted kind but are you using it to give additional enzymes or the way to give the enzymme with out purchasing additional probiotics.
Awaiting any feedback to help keep me strong and not fall weak and head to the vet!
07/12/2012: Suzebel from Kure Beach, Nc Usa replies: "Struggling with dogs yeast: Hi Emilia, Sorry to hear about your dog's problem, I hope this helps you get started. I have a 1 1/2 yr old cockapoo. She has already been on antibiotics for yeast infections 4 times. The last time for 21 days. This did not help and a few days ago it started again. I noticed the tell tale smell and irritated skin. I had minor surgery and wasn't as involved with day to day caring of kids and dog for a few day. I wasn't suppose to drive yet and wanted to give her relief and that is when I found this site which is amazing.I want to share what I've done so far because I believe it is working. The first thing was a baking soda and water soak so she could get some relief. I filled the tub just a few inches and added 3 tsp of baking soda. I sat her in the water because her problem was her girl parts, behind, stomach and underarms. Then I wiped it on the areas that couldn't soak then removed her from the tub. I towel dryed her and blow dried her hair because the vet said the yeast grows faster when wet. I was going to take her in the next day until I read on. There are so many natural treatments but I didn't want to over do it. The next treatment I tried was plain old white vinegar because that was all I had. I made a small amount of 50/50 solution white vinegar and water. Other people have said you may not want to use on open sores and I agree. My girl didn't squeel in pain but was happy when I was done. Then I gave her a human fish oil soft gel coated in peanut butter. It was 1000 mg and Many post say you may want to give more for dogs with skin problems but I want to build up. The WV did give her relief for a few hours.
Meanwhile I went to a health store and bought organic coconut oil, organic Apple Cider Vinegar and plain organic yogurt. Greek was all they had so that is what I bought. When I came home I put 2 tsp on top of her dog food which is a limited ingrediant grain free. A note, she has been on special food for over a year and the yeast still comes back. I don't think that is reason enough to go to easier to find or cheaper food, just confirms to me, food change is not enough. She loved the yogurt and ate it up. Then I made another small 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar and water mix and wiped her again. When it was dry, I used the co. I Very generously coated her rectom, under tail, back legs, girl part, under belly and under arms. I used a different napkin every time my napkin was dry because I've been told yeast can spread. She was very greasy so I did cover the furniture. So we both went about our business for an hour or so and when I checked on her, the red was so, so, so much better. Not perfect but it was obvious that she had relief and at this point relief was what I wanted for her.
The antibiotics are a band aid and nothing done correct or well happens fast or without experimenting. I have been very watchful and let her out often. I'm assuming there will be some type of diarrea or less than normal ability to hold bowels in with the addition of yogurt and a fish oil pill. I kept her very greasey for the rest of the day and had her sleep on a towel on my bed so I can easily change it daily. Gave her the same today. 2 tsp of yogurt with food, Fish oil with peanut butter, Lubed with coconut oil. Midday I bathed her with a med shampoo in the tub and rinsed very well. Emptied and rinsed tub well and added fresh water and some acv. I used a rag to rub the clean mix on all affected areas. I did not rerinse. Towel dry then blow dry. I use a small, not super powerful travel size dryer and concentrate on drying the infected areas. I will rub coconut oil on before bed and give her a clean towel to lay on. No diarrhea yet but still taking her out often.
She is doing very well and is suffering much less. When I'm sure she can tolerate the yogurt without bathroom problems, I will give her coconut oil to eat because other posters have reported good results. Lucy's yeast doesn't sound as serious but I sincerely hope one of these treatments gives your dog the relief that lucy found. Good Luck!"
07/14/2012: Suzebel from Kure Beach, Nc, Usa replies: "July 14, 2012 Update "I need help with dog yeast"Hi, I posted some treatments found on this site for chronic yeast infection that I just started with my 1 1/2 yr old cockapoo. I have been treating topicly with 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar and water and I have been rubbing coconut oil on affected areas. I am happy to report singificant relief for my dog. Less red and lesions from biting and scratching, smell almost gone and noticably less scratching all over. She still has pink fur but she's a white dog so I think she needs a few baths to rid stain.
I also added 2 tsp organic greek plain yogurt to limited ing. dry food and 1000mg fish oil.
Question She has started not coughing or vomiting but kind of like a human trying to release phlegm. She doesn't know to spit out and I can tell she re swallows it. She just vomited some yellow bile like substance and isn't very excited to eat. I have read many reviews saying whether human or animal, releasing of toxins when starting natural treatment is common. If anyone can give advise or let me know if this is normal I would appreciate it very much. She has not had any diarrhea from change in diet. I will say this is positively working, I just don't want to ignore signs that may need vet atten. And I also dont want to go to vet and get talked into antibiotics or steroids. Thank you!"
07/16/2012: Jessica from Texas replies: "Hi Suzebel, Your situation sounds a lot like what we went through with one of our dogs. This site has been a lifesaver for her, for sure, because our vet had her on steroids constantly which I know was not good for her.What put our Daisy on the way to health was a combination of things: 1) chewable acidophilus tables and 2) making sure in addition to being grain free that the limited ingredient dog food didn't have any potato or sweet potato products.
She liked yogurt at first but then would not eat it regularly which is what got us to the chewable tablets. After about 10 days of the acidophilus, she lost most of her appetite, was visibly bloated, and had green slime in her waste. After 2-3 days of that (to the point where we were seriously worried and had scheduled a vet visit) she slimmed down to normal and had appetite again. With just the acidophilus tablets and limited ingredient food, her skin started to heal, the smell went away completely, and hair started to grow where she had been elephant-skinned. Our theory is that period of bloating and slime was the dying-off effect.
We continue to give her 2 tablets daily (she's a 70 pound dog) and it maintains her health in that instance. She does occasionally get itchy and then has reduced appetite spells for a day or two, but it is nothing like what she was before.
I hope your dog is going through a dying-off of the yeast also and will come out the other side on the road to health. I am not a health professional so cannot confirm what you are describing is that but wanted to share our experiences with our dog because I know it can be scary!"
07/16/2012: Suzebel from Kure Beach, Nc, Usa replies: "Jessica from Texas, Thank You. I have been diligent with treatment and still researching. I have read about grain and starch free food. Found a few brands but couldn't find reviews that weren't posted on retailer websites. Lucy contiues to get better with the yogurt and fish oil. The coconut and 50/50 acv/water continue to relieve her itch. I will order the food and add acidophilus pill. Thanks again for sharing Daisy's recovery treatment! I hope it continues to bring her good health!"07/31/2012: Lawoman from California, Usa replies: "Yellow bile, sounds like a vomit sour stomach... don't use vinager..its not poison, but its ACIDY.. for your breed type. Give the dog pepto bismol or acid reducer OTC pill, NO FOOD for 24 hrs. Some rice... with bit of chicken- its fine."08/03/2012: Piperwrst12 from Bronx, Ny replies: "You have to be careful when feeding dogs food with chicken. Many stomach and skin sensitive dogs can develop chicken allergies, my Shih Tzu did. He now eats an organic food with duck or bison meat, vegetables and no grains. He has gotten better."08/09/2012: Diane from Port Jervis, New York replies: "wow, my dog has seen the vet numerous times in the past few weeks, she is miserable, smells is itchy and has licked her paws raw. She was misdiagnosed several times, I did my own research and it seems my dog has systemic yeast infectiom. I read Coconut oil and oil of oregano are very helpful so I am staring this along with probiotics and the vet did give her a full thyroid workup which did not show much. Her yeast levels came back on the low side, but I am sure this is what it is. NEVER use oatmeal shampoos as oatmeal is a grain and yeast thrives on oatmeal. Use tea tree or lemon shampoo. I have been feeding my dog CHICKEN and RICE, but am switching to truly grain free. One brand has rice, both brown and white. Will let you know how this all works out. (the vet prescribed antibiotics and steroids) we all know antibiotics kill the good bacteria so be careful if thats what your vet prescribes. Even vets can be wrong. Be your own dogs advocate!"08/13/2012: Mary from Aberdeen, New Jersey replies: "Hi, to you all! I had 3 yorkies suffering from yeast, I know what you all are going thru. I did my research and found a website that helped me cure them, until two years ago, I took Mutsy for a dental and without my authorization they gave him rabies vaccination. From then on, Mutsy went backwards, first he was diagnosed with Cushing (caused by all the cortisone injections and pills the vet gave him, in addition to antibiotics) and because of the Cushing, I was afraid of giving him the drops that had cured him from yeast before. He also has developed kidney failure and the diet he is in k/d is full of potatoes which is very bad for yeast infection. I am now taking him to get acupuncture, he is still not doing well. The vet that does the acupuncture told me to give him plain yogur that we need to boost his immune system. I need to explain to you all that my Mutsy is now 16 yrs old, so you would understand my situation is delicate. I know about white vinegar, but his skin is so raw and he has open sores, so I cannot use it. I did use Malaseb shampoo together with pledges of Malaseb as that website had recommended and it worked. Unfortunately, the feds shut them down and I was not able to get the Malaseb shampoo for the past two years until now: I was able to get it online, but not the Malaseb pledges.Since I know the pain of seeing your loves one scratching and itching and even crying, I wished to let you know my experience. Careful with the acidophilus pills, better use the yogur. Good luck to you all!
10/08/2012: Bch208 from Elizabeth, Nj, Union replies: "This is just to share my experience and maybe help someone who might be going through the same problem I was. I have a 5 year old black cocker mix and she is a very picky eater when it comes down to dog food. I've always had her on what I though was good dog food like iams but she ate very little of it and always seemed hungry. Months ago I was in Shoprite and saw Purina Lamb and rice and noticed that it looked like it had little pieces of meat and bought it thinking maybe my dog will like it. Less than three days later she started scratching and she developed a yeast infection so I took her to the vet. He prescribed antifungal shampoo by the end of the week she was a lot worst so I took her back and he prescribed some fungal pills by the end of that week even worst she now had soars all over her body and fungus everywhere including her ears. She had huge scabs all over her body and the sores where looking bloody and infected so back to the vet we went. He did blood work, scraped her skin and a couple other tests and put her on antibiotics but she just kept getting worst and now she wasn't even eating the home cooked food I was making for her.At this point after like four visits to her vet I was giving up on him. Even though I had been googling all along I started to try different things. I tried the vinegar and peroxide rinses after her antifungal shampoos every two days, I started her on vitamin c to boost her immune system and omega 3 oil pills. http://www.natural-dog-health-remedies.com/vitamin-c-for-dogs.html I had her shaved so that the shampoo got a better chance of working but still 2 days later the fungus kept coming back. I also started her on the human version of acidophilus (Walgreens). This all helped but I still had to bathe her every two days because the fungus and little pimples kept coming back.
Then one day I was sitting in the living room applying castor oil to my face, neck and hand like I do every night (good for wrinkles and dry skin) and I decided to put some all over her body thinking it might help with the itching. I went to work the next day knowing that when I got home I would have to give her a bath but to my surprise there was no obvious fungus anywhere so I sat in front of the computer and googled castor oil and fungus and was surprised to see that it works great on fungus, infections, sores, lice, ticks ect ect so I've been doing it every other day and the yeast has not returned. http://www.diagnose-me.com/treatment/castor-oil.html now I'm not saying that castor oil can cure fungal or yeast infection because from everything I've read fungal and yeast infections are caused by allergies to either food or other things but it has stopped her itching, she doesn't have a single sore and I haven't seen any white fungus since I started using it. Her skin is looking really good and her hair is growing nicely and she's not shedding and now I'm only bathing her once a week. She doesn't evens shed as much in the bath tub which would always take me a long time to clean after a bath because of all the hair loss. Now I'm only giving her a bath once a week. Three days ago I started her on Great Life Grain Free Salmon dry food and to my surprise she likes it and so far so good.
For her ear infection I do my own solution. I found the recipe on the cocker Spaniard AKA page years ago because she was always getting ear infections and that too has been doing really well. I have given the ear solution recipe to many people and they all have said that it's the best thing ever & that it works faster than anything the vet has ever prescribed for them. (The ingredients you'll need are white vinegar, powdered boric acid, isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol), and Betadine antiseptic solution. Generic versions of the Betadine are known as Povidone-Iodine, and those are fine, too. Just be sure not to use "Betadine Scrub", which is Betadine with a detergent added. What you want is "Betadine Solution" or generic "Povidone-Iodine Solution".) http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html I've been using this for many years (Boric acid has mild antibiotic properties against fungal or bacterial infection) http://www.drugs.com/mtm/boric-acid-ophthalmic.html. My dog has never had to be treated for ear infections since I started using this years ago. As soon as I see she's getting an ear infection or I catch her scratching her ears I start the treatment and it clears it in a few days.
Anyway like I said in the beginning I'm just posting this in the hopes that it can help someone."
10/11/2012: Coopersmom from Plainview, Ny, Usa replies: "I have a 5 year old Shepherd mix, adopted from the North Shore Animal League. He is a wonderful guy... but we've recently been dealing with the dreaded yeast.Switched to Nutrisca - Chicken and Chickpa recipe
Bathing him 2x per week with Malseb; spray w/ACV & Water mix
1x day - 2 capsules - Probiotics
1x day - 2 capsules - Apple Cider Vinegar
1x day - 2 capsules - Candida
2x day - 2-3 BenedrylI've purchased an inflatable collar for him to wear because he's ripping his skin apart. If he gets the collar off, I find a new spot on his head that he's ripped open. It's breaking my heart and after going though the regimen every day, I still don't feel like I'm helping him at all. Some say they see improvement within days or weeks. On some websites, I read it will take months to see any improvement... very discouraging.
I've been putting Hydrocortisone cream on his open wounds... It seems to help with the healing process fairly quickly. Is there anything else I should be using? I'm will try anything!
I've spent $$$$ at the vet with steriod shots, meds, antibiotics... Antihistamine shots, nothing works. I've lost my money and my faith with this vet... Not sure if I am going to take him somewhere else for a look. It's been great to find this website... I just hope I'm doing the right thing!"
10/11/2012: Kaz from Sarasota, Florida replies: "I love all the suggestions. I wish I had looked this up earlier. I have been battling the yeast for almost 2 yrs now and been down the road with the vets giving steriods and antibiotics. After it got to costly I finally have decided to take things into my own hands. So yes we are doing the Rice and meat, Bathing with Hibiclens (can get at pharmacy and came recommended from pharmacist)active ingrediant Chlorhexidine gluconate which has been helpful. I also used an Walgreens anticeptic cleanser/pain reliever to help with the sores. I had a friend remind me yeast feeds on moisture so I got the idea to use Medicated Gold Bond Foot Powder and it appears to be working great! Of course you have to get the sores cleared somewhat but it keeps his skin dry, less itchy, and smells good. I have only been using it for two days but his mood has improved drastically and has started wagging his tail again. I'm not claiming these are the tell tale remedies but so far its looking promising. Look forward to trying some of the remedies posted too, especially the ear one (powder probably not good idea for ears). Thanks"10/25/2012: Emmy's Mama from Central, Fl replies: "To Coopersmom in NY: One more thing I would suggest is yogurt. I have been using a lowfat, plain organic yogurt. My dog is about 70 pounds, and I give her about a generous half cup each evening. She has a doggy door, so I am blessed to not have to worry about if it loosens her stool. I have tried many things in the past, including expensive pills from the vet, and the yogurt seems to have made the most difference. Good luck!"11/05/2012: Jadams from Franklin, Nc replies: "I foster for a rescue group and have adopted a few of my own, one of which has severe food and environmental allergies. She is on a vegetarian diet, which is grain-free, and we manage her symptoms pretty well. Her yeast infections will flare up and I'll know she's been sneaking into the other dogs food, although this doesn't happen very often. When it does, she will have the yeast infection developing in her ears and the BEST solution I have found is a mixture of Gentian Violet Solution, Boric Acid and Witch Hazel astringent. It's a 16 oz bottle of the witch hazel, 4 Tbsp of boric acid and 16 drops of the gentian violet. I keep this in a jar and will use a dropper to put it into her ear and massage well, then dab with a tissue and repeat once. Do this only a few times a week and the ears clear up perfectly. I also use it on my pekingese that has a very narrow ear canal and always has irritaion in her ear. The gential violet is anti-viral, anti-fungal and a natural antibiotic. The boric acid soothes the inflammed tissue and the witch hazel reduces swelling. It does not burn like isopropol alcohol will. I have used this for many years and have many friends that now use it as well. It is a 'violet' colored solution and will stain your clothing if you get it on yourself. It will eventually fade away off the fur.This is a great solution for the ear infection, while waiting for the acidophilus and other products to take effect, as they get immediate relief."
12/20/2012: Kreed from Snellville, Ga replies: "My Lhasa has been miserable with the constant scratching and licking. Both of us were never getting uninterrupted sleep. I tried all types of shampoo and food changes, but no relief came for her. I didn't want to start her on drugs, but was getting close to giving in.Then, I discovered this site via a search. After reading the symptoms described by everyone, I knew I was on track to a possible solution to Sasha's ailments.
Two days ago I began giving her a tablespoon of organic plain yogurt in the morning and evening. I also added ACV to her water bowl.
Yesterday, I bathed her with a medicated shampoo and rinsed her with a 50/50 ACV solution and at night rubbed coconut oil on her worst areas (lower back and tail). I have also put the ACV solution into a spray bottle. Whenever I see her lick or scratch I spray the area she is attending.
I'm happy to say she is now sleeping peacefully and has scratched only a few times during the day. She is still licking, but far less than before. I will bathe her again tomorrow. Will also try to get the ear solution ingredients and start the ear wash.
BTW-She loves the yogurt and licks the bowl clean each time. She also drinks the ACV water, but isn't as enthusiastic about that.
Thanks for this site. It truly has been a help for both of us."
12/21/2012: Kreed from Snellville, Ga replies: "Also, forgot to add that I changed her to grain-free dry food (I always add warm water to soften it and make a slight gravy) and I am temporarily using a quick squirt or two of the ACV/water solution as needed for ear itch relief, whenever I see her scratch at her ears. This is just until I can get all of the ingredients for the ear wash.Day 4 and very little scratching. She is still licking. I spray the areas she licks with the ACV solution, but she still goes back and licks the area. It seems that she is licking it because she likes the taste of the ACV solution. I might be wrong, but that appears to be the case. Go figure."
12/26/2012: Kbreed from Snellville, Ga, United States replies: "Day 9 - Very little scratching, some licking/chewing and she is sleeping through most of the night with hardly any scratching or itching. Her skin has returned to looking more normal (not the dark elephant skin). Most of the scabs are gone.Have bathed her with the medicated shampoo, rinsed with ACV solution, dried, combed and put coconut oil on skin when dry, twice in 9 days.
Continuing with ACV in drinking water and have reduced heaping tablespoon of plain greek yogurt to once/day (instead of twice/day). Also, I spray ACV solution on any area she scratches or licks/chews. Unfortunately, she likes the taste of the ACV solution and will still lick at the sprayed area (but not chew) to taste the ACV.
Never did the ear spray. Couldn't find the boric acid. Most stores here are not allowed to sell it. Not sure if it's really needed though."
02/06/2013: Mother Of Four Dogs And Three Cats from Chattanooga, Tn replies: "Thank you for your responses on the yeast problems in dogs. I have three out of four dogs with some type of skin problem from itching for no reason to full blown yeast. I was making a homemade diet for my dogs, crockpot of vegetable/fruit with a quinoa base and adding EVO can venison to it. Also adding lots of supplements that I been told was good for them. Two of the four was allergy tested by blood and that where we can up with venison as my meat source. Since the yeast out break starting back in December 2012 with one dog. I was told a new allergy test was being performed with salva. So I started with the first dog to see what she was allergic too, venison and quinoa. So lets rethink my homemade food. I went a head and had the other two that was blood test, retested with the salva test. Believe it or not they both have allergies but not as bad as tested by blood. Anyway now I have three tests that I can compare to see what to feed them. All three allergic to venison and quinoa. My vet suggested raw goat and goat milk but my dogs wouldn't touch neither (also very expensive for four dogs). So we tried raw pork and they wouldn't eat that. So I made the comment at the vets office, my dogs was use to cooked/canned food not raw. She came up with can Evangers Pork and Evangers vegetarian vegetables. I was told to do 1/2 can of pork to 1/4 can of veg. To make a complete meal for one dog (i have four to feed). So I mixed it up and they had a hard time getting bits stuck in their teeth. So the next day I took one can of pork, 1/2 can of vegetables and two shots of goat milk (needed to use up) and put in blender. They wolfed it down. My problem now is the can vegetables main two items are sweet potatoes and potatoes. I have one allergic to potatoes. Also two with the yeast which potatoes are not good for. So now trying Sojo dehydrated vegetables and adding can pork to it. They are both on rx from vet and I add acidophilus to their mixture. My vet took us off the fish oil/hemp oil because it causes heat. My vet stated that the yeast is an inbalance of their system and that the liver is trying to get rid of the toxins, explaining their skin conditions of smell, leaking, ear infections, etc. She also gave me shampoo that doesn't seem to work. So your helpful hints of baking soda, vinagars, castor oil, coconut oils, teas and not using oatmeal shampoo are very helpful. I have purchased a Brita water filter for the main water source so their water is pure. The dogs and cats have a Drinkwell which also filters their moving water. My main concern is getting the dogs' diet back in order with something everyone can have, whether I make or buy that won't cost us an arm or leg to feed them. Then, getting their skin condition calmed down and internal systems back in balance at the same time. So my journey has just begun again. Thanks again for the feed back."03/03/2013: Debbiefudge from Brighton, East Sussex, Uk replies: "Hi, I am replying to your post about yeast issues in dogs. I have 3 Shihtzus. One of them, Teddy had yeast issues as a puppy. I kept taking him to the vets who kept pumping him full of antibiotics and steroids. And he was getting, sicker and sicker, to the point I thought he was going to die. So, I decided, enough was enough and took 'things' into my own hands. After doing loads of research. I discovered the antibiotics and steroids were actually feeding the yeast. That's when I discovered Earth Clinic. He was fed on canned dog food at the time. It had vegetables in it. Plus on research on how they produce any dog food. I discovered it was full of rubbish etc etc. I would not feed any vegetables they contain natural sugars. Not even potato's. You have to think about what wolves eat. And go right back to basics. And raw bones. Good for their teeth. Contain calcium. There is yeast in so much even hidden. Mine get raw chicken on the bone. Like a drumstick. Give it whole. I buy big frozen bags and defrost as needed. And any other meat. Like minced beef and pork. Also, big bags frozen. They get one meal a day. It really doesn't cost me much. That's all they need. You can give fish, now and again. A tin of tuna or salmon as a treat, in fish oil.My Teddy is bathed in D10 shampoo, which is anti fungal. I get mine from Ebay. You can do a final rinse in half water/half white vinegar. Leave to dry or use hair dryer. You can also put the same mixture in a spray bottle and use between baths. I stay away from ACV. It's made with apples. Again, it's sugar. Clean ears out with half water/half white vinegar. No treats. They don't need them. Give them a bone to chew on. Never, ever, give cooked bones. They splinter. Keep it simple and it's so easy. If they are hungry, they will soon get used to the raw meat. Don't cook the meat. Plain yogurt can be given now and again. And just the filtered water to drink. Even my 4 cats, eat the same. I always have colloidal silver. In case they ever need antibiotic. I also give them half a clove of fresh garlic a day. Keeps fleas away. (Not cats. Toxic to them). They have Food grade DE in some natural yogurt. I do not put any chemicals on them. And, NO booster vaccinations either. The only time I use ACV is on the backs of their necks if they have an eye infection. I can honestly say, I have 7 very healthy animals. No fat on them. Just pure muscle. No skin problems. Lovely soft fur. Lovely, clean teeth. I don't like vets. They earn so much money from the drug companies."
08/26/2013: Tracey from Bartlett Tx replies: "We have a 130 lb Great Pyranees that we adopted 6 ms ago from the shelter. He was found in a ditch and was covered in lessions and hard severe yeast infection in his ears. We refer to him as the million dollar dog because we have been through so many antibotics and treatments. He has been to the vet and poked and proded so often that he has become agressive at the vet, not good in a 130lb dog. He has to be sedated to be examined, adding even more to the cost. I am SOOO thankful to have found this site. I'll be changing his food right away and adding yogurt to his diet. He is does have thyroid problems so he is currently taking that medication along with 2 others. He is getting sick of pills in peanut butter but had already turned his nose up at velvetta and hot dogs. We do bathe in vinager and water, but clearly not often enough. I will also try adding a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar to his water and see if he has any issues with it. There are a lot of other great ideas here as well. Thanks so much everyone for sharing. I feel like there might be hope without it costing me a fortune!"08/26/2013: Theresa from Mpls., Mn replies: "Kudos for rescuing this big boy! You may find that ZYMOX works wonders for his ears.And the Great Dane Lady has great info on resolving systemic yeast infections: http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/systemic_yeast_mini_course.htm
I also have had to trick my dogs into eating pills - after going through many types of soft cheese, pill pockets and the like, I can't get much past them! What has worked for me lately is to wrap the pill in raw ground beef, or some smelly canned food - they are too busy gobbling the moist food down to check for pills!"
[BETTER BUT NOT CURED] 04/01/2009: Karen from Longpond, Pennsylvania: "i have a 4 1/2 year old weimaraner (penny) and she has had this rash forever it has just started to get worse with in the last 2 months i have changed her food to wellness and have started her on 1/4 cup of yogurt with 2capsules of acidophilus sprinkled in i also bathe her with a medicated shampoo 2times a week i think thier is little improvement but her skin seems to be drier then normal any idea on how long this will take to heal and what else can i do?"
Replies04/08/2009: Jimmy from Bedford, Texas replies: "it takes about 2-3 weeks to see results, my cocker was just as bad, no potato products or sugars, this promotes yeast. keep up the med bathing, acidophilus,which comes in a powder form at pet shops, i also gave him Vitamin A 400mg aday capsule, its been 2months and he doing great. no more keeping us up at nite scratching."05/05/2009: Melissa from Austin, Texas replies: "My poor Schnauzer has been suffering of a yeast inferction for so long. I have taken him to the vet and they told me he had "allergies" and I paid for all these tests and dermatologists. After much money wasted, I gave up. Recently, I found an antifungal shampoo that has been a dream come true! My dog is finally sleeping through the night and not chewing his paws anymore. The constant scratching has finally stopped. He is no longer musky and smelly the day after a bath. The antibacterial/antifungal shampoo has Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate. It can be used on dogs, cats, and horses. For the first few weeks you have to bath them twice a week and then once a week until the yeast infection is gone. Please dont waste anymore time and look for this shampoo. After you read some of the reviews on it, you will be sold!"05/06/2009: Karen from Longpond, Pennsylvania replies: "can you tell me where to get the shampoo and possibly the name"05/11/2009: Diane from Scranton, PA.USA replies: "I have a black lab with horrible allergies and skin problems. Under her arms, her belly she would need to go on steroids, for 6 weeks, then it went away, it wold come back with more vengence, more steriods, some time antiobiotics and then the yeast wold start in her ear. I read everyting I could on her. I switched her to a holistic.natural dog food, gave her yogurt and raw veggies daily. It took 5 months, YES 5 MONTHS before I saw a difference. She came down with a terrible case of hives she was covered all over by big red spotches under her fur. In 24 hours it went away and she started to heal. She hasnt had an anitobitoic in 6 months, the longedt in her life. I think the hives, were her body just ridding itself of the allergies and infections. She now is growing hair everywhere she lost it, she isnt hot or bothered or scratching. The ears are a little harder to cure and I use ear drops as needed but cant seem to find anything natural that works. I think I found a vet who will work with me on only the barest of vaccinations, I dont beleive in them either. Have two other resuce pups and all are on the natural food and yogurt and raw veggies. I notice a difference in stools and a big difference in teeth and tartar. Did alot of reading in what they put into Grocery store and vet shop brands. DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!!"06/13/2009: Wendy from Pennsylvania, USA replies: "Hello, I happended to notice your post when looking for remedies on another subject. My mom has a 2 yr old wiemeraner and she is wild. we love her, anyway, she started getting a rash when she was a year old and its pretty much never went away, it gets a little better sometimes, but it is always dry.The vet said weimeramers have really thin sensitive skin, i dont know about yours but my moms dogs ears are very silky and thin.(though her rash is usually on her belly. her vet prescribed some type of hydrocortizone creme that really helps with the dry itchiness and its sensitive to the redness. He said she is allergic to colors, if they steer away from colored bones and colored food for people - it helps."09/22/2009: Olga from Jamesville, Virginia replies: "Melissa from Austin, Texas, could you please give me the name of that shampoo and where to buy it?I have exactly the same situation. I have a Bloodhound who has a very bad yeast infection. I took him to the wet many times. After a lot of different tests, they sent me to the dermatologist who said that my dog has allergies (especially allergic to dust) and prescribed "special shots." I spent so much money, but nothing helped. Finally I gave up and stopped giving him those shots (they didnt help anyway). Now I wash him every week. I dont think he is getting better, but he is not getting worse and Im grateful for that. But I would love to purchase the same shampoo that helped your dog. I just feel so bad that I cannot do anything for my dog to help him get rid of this infection. Thank you!"
EC: Do a google search on "Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate" and you will find the shampoo!
11/12/2009: Marilynmfan from Trinity, Tx Usa replies: "The shampoo to use for yeast infections in Malaseb. You can find it at your vet. If they are out, it is on backorder because the plant is relocating and suspended shipping temporarily until in the new facility. I have a 6yr old rescue english bullie who came to me with severe yeast problems and between some natural remedies, vinegar and acidopholus tablets, he is doing wonderful."01/05/2010: Lisa from Howell, Mi replies: "I have (2) male 12 yr. old shih-tzus from the same litter. One has very bad skin issues while the other one is fine. At the present time the one dog has a yeast infection and is on antibiotics. I have used Malaseb shampoo and it does help. The important thing to remember is to leave the shampoo on the dog for 10 minutes. Also, if you can't get it from the vet it is available on the internet. You just have to do a search for it, but it is out there.I have tried so many different things for my dog's skin and I just ordered some acidophilus capsules to try and see if I see a difference with the yeast infection. My vet told me to just use plain acidophilus, nothing more. I have had him on steroids years ago, but vowed that I would never put him on them again. I truly believe he has chronic yeast and it has never really went away 100%. I have tried the apple cider vinegar and it made him worse so I stopped it. He's had skin issues since about 5 years old. I have also tried numerous dog foods and the food I have him on right now has definitely made a difference in his skin and coat. All of his hair has grown back on his paws and also on his neck. He was missing so much hair on his paws and neck that it looked like he had mange. He does not appear to be licking as much as he used to either. Also both dogs love this food. I am feeding Taste of the Wild (grain free) pacific salmon formula. I have never seen their coats as shiny as they are right now. I have had them on many other high end dog foods, but this one is different.
It is so sad to read about how many dogs have this problem, but don't ever give up hope. I have gotten discouraged, but I never have given up on my dog and he doesn't look that bad right now it's just that he has the yeast infection that is making him smell. I figure if I can get rid of the yeast with the combination of antibiotics, shampooing with Malaseb and acidophilus that would be miraculous. I'm very hopeful after reading the info on this site and the many people that are having good luck with the acidophilus. If anyone is having issues with dog food, try the Taste of the Wild pacific salmon formula. I truly believe it is an excellent food for dogs with skin issues. It definitely helped my dogs and I believe it has been the best for both of their health. Both of my dogs began getting little moles all over their bodies before they were on Taste of the Wild. Since they have been on this food I have not seen anymore new moles.
I am so happy to have found this blog. There are so many people going through the same thing with their dogs. If each person can help one other person with their dog then it is worth it."
02/09/2010: Joanne from Buffalo, Ny replies: "Hi Lisa,Your post touched my heart. I am sitting here crying looking at my poor 8yr. old female shepherd. She has had chronic allergy issues since a puppy. She was never vaccinated and always on good foods - later good foods without any grain. Her last food was Wellness ocean fish. She also gets fish oils, yogurt, grass fed hamburger... you get the picture. Anyway, her chronic skin issues would always flare up esp. her ears. Sometimes she would develop a secondary bacterial infection - the treatment by the vet was always low dose steroids and antibiotics. They would work initially, but the infections and itching would always return. Last year the vet suggested keeping her on temeril-p continuously to keep the infections at bay. She was on this med for a year! I thought at a low dose it was okay because the vet recommended it and it seemed to keep her from flaring up.. In the last few months she began drinking a ton of water, her abdomen was distended and she was continuously hungry. Her skin also became flared up all over - she lost hair all over her abdomen and back legs and was a mess. A trip to the veterinary dermatologist revealed calcinosis lesions from the steroids, massive amounts of yeast everywhere and what she called "steroid induced cushings disease". She prescribed more antibiotics, an antifungal med called ketoconazole, an antihistamine to help with itching and "revolution" in case she has mites! I am terrified to keep giving her all of these things! I also took her to an alternative vet who did acupuncture and prescribed some chinese herbal formulas, but they give her very watery diarrhea. I have been feeding her grass fed hamburger & giving her yogurt and acidophilus and fish oils, digestive enzymes, to no avail. I don't know what to do. I am so worried she is not going to make it.. Even her breathing is stressed. She is covered in sores and rashes and I am so grief-stricken. Any advice?"
02/23/2010: Catherine from Hartford, Ct replies: "When I looked up the shampoo product with the "Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate", I found that it is no longer available. Another product with the active indgredients ketoconazole, chlorhexidine, and acetic acid is being recommended as an alternative. Does anyone have any feedback about this shampoo product?"02/26/2010: Brook from Hampton, Va replies: "Petshed.com carries the Malaseb shampoo. They are not in the U.S. so I guess that is why they still carry it. I just bought a bottle for $18.95 including shipping."03/14/2010: Haliegh from Butler, Pa replies: "I wish I would have seen this site 2 months ago. My dog Chance fought this battle almost all his life, which was a short one at only 8 years. The vet said it was allergies and was always put on medications that never helped. He lived about 5 years with no hair on his lower half of body, no matter what we bathed him with he was always stinky, had terrible ear infections all the time that would not heal with any medication. Our vet suggested changing dog food, we were feeding him Purina Dog Chow, which is terrible but we thought that it was good for him, and started with Natural Choice. Which helped for a short time. At the end he was living a life of misery. He would be up day and night just scratching himself bloody. He could hardly move sometimes he was just in too much pain. Sadly we made the choice to have put to sleep. It was too hard watching him live a life like that. That is no way for any animal to have to live. Not one time did any vet suggest yeast. It was always allergies. But seeing the symptoms that yeast can cause I know that is what was wrong with him. And it is so upsetting that I could have helped him a long time ago if I would have better answers. Bless all of you for the help you are giving to all these owners in need for their family companions!"03/18/2010: Lisa from Howell, Michigan replies: "Hi Joanne in Buffalo, NYI just saw your post. Reading about your dog made me want to cry. Your poor dog has been through a lot and so have you with your dog. I am writing to give you some hope. I wanted to let you know that my dog has never looked better than he does right now except for when he was very young, before the age of 5. He is now 12. It has taken years to get where we are now.
I wanted to let you know that I too tried Wellness grain free formula for my dog, but it did not make a difference. I have had him on numerous high end foods. I must say that there must be something to the food he is on now, because all of his hair grew back and his coat looks great. He is not 100%, but he is much more comfortable and happy. He does have seborrhea. He still gets an oily coat, although he is not flaking like he was. Also, his yeast seems to be under control right now. I now only bathe him about once every 1 1/2 weeks. It's better than every few days. I give him acidophilus 1x day. I bought it from a company called Kirkman on the internet and it is 3 billion cfu's per capsule. My vet actually told me about this company. He also told me not to worry about giving it to my dog 1x or even 2x day. My dog just got off of antibiotics and when he was taking them the vet said to make sure I gave the acidophilus about two hours after he had the antibiotic. I'm sure you know that antibiotics get rid of both the bad and the good bacteria so the acidophilus helps to restore the good bacteria that their bodies need. My dog was on a sulfa based antibiotic this last time. He has been on amoxicillan which helps with the yeast, but not entirely. The vet had put him on Cephalexin because he said it is good for skin conditions, but my dog got really bad after that. Now, I am just waiting to see if he is going to get bad again because it usually doesn't last. This is like a dream come true.
It definitely takes a lot of research and trials. I know it seems at times that you have a lab animal because you have to try so many things. I always think maybe this is the thing thats going to make him better this time.I definitely think simple is better. I would try to get down to a few things for your dog and definitely not give him the steroids. Steroids seem to help initially, but I found that my dog got much worse after getting a little better from the steroids. They are not good for them.
I have both of my dogs on Taste of the Wild dog food salmon formula. I just bought the Taste of the Wild bison and venison formula because the omega's are higher, but I definitely think there is something to the salmon formula. At the present time they are getting the salmon formula in the morning & the bison & venison formula in the evening. I give the one dog an acidophilus capsule after breakfast. He is not on antibiotics right now. That is all I am doing right now and he is doing better than ever.
I also wanted to let everyone know that Malaseb shampoo is availabe at: www.drsfostersmith.com I initially bought it on amazon, but searched and cannot find it now. There is also 2 other shampoos that I use that help.
One is called Septi-soothe and it can be bought at Drs. Foster and Smith's website above. It has a great scent if you have odor issues with your dog and it has 3% chlorhexidine where as most shampoos with that ingredient have 2%. I also use Pet Relief shampoo by Virbac that I bought at the local pet store. This shampoo is good for oily skin and coat and also has a nice scent. Leave on for at least 10 minutes before rinsing.I hope that some of this information will help someone. I know what works for one dog may not necessarily work for another, but there is a chance it can, so it is worth writing about.
Joanne, I want to wish you the best for your dog. Keep trying and don't ever give up."
03/22/2010: Mary Anne from Los Angeles, Ca, Usa replies: "Joanne, your dilemnas with your dog are very similar to mine, and I think yours was originally badly mis-prescribed. And yes, the derm vet was right -- too many cortisones can create medically-induced cushings. My dog has Cushing's plain and simple, as well as low thyroid, allergies, and recurring yeast and staph infections. I wonder if your dog has a) low thyroid -- yeast infections in the ear are a symptom of same; your vet should test for same and prescribe thyroid meds; and b) real Cushings' disease, which can be successfully treated with Trilostane; your dog certainly had all of the symptoms: excessive thirst, skin problems, distended belly, relentless hunger, etc.. A lot of my pets' symptoms were relieved by the Trilostane. More recently, here is what has worked, to some extent, for my dog. a) An antihistamine to temporarily relieve the itching b)A diet of lightly cooked meats (no beef,however)and/or fish, and lightly cooked vegetables. No grains, no potatoes, no starches, nothing else but a little high-quality yogurt, and some acidophilus mixed in with it. c) Some kind of anti-fungal. sounds like your dog desperately needs the ketoconazole right now for the yeast. d) filtered water and maybe some digestive enzymes with the food for a while.
Maybe the revolution, in case your dog has mites, but I would only try it for a month or two. That stuff is strong. E) No more antibiotics, no more steroids. F) FINALLY, Read up on MMS for dogs and consider trying that. I'm just starting it on my dog and I think it is already helping her ears. 1 drop MMS to 5 drops lemon or lime juice, let it sit for 3 minutes, add 1/4 cup water, then clean your dog's ears with that, twice a day, till your dog's ear infection gets better. Kills yeast and bacteria. Go to Jim Humble's website on MMS. Mary Anne M, Los angeles."04/29/2010: Tokovon from San Antonio, Tx, Usa replies: "This is my first post. I didnt' see a way to respond to Lisa about her dog. You dog is a mirror image of all the problems my poor aussie has suffered with over the past 2 years. Yes I agree that you can get exogenous cushings from steroids. Steroids are bad. They destroy what little immune system your dog has left and good luck trying to fight anything after steroids, ie yeast, bacteria, you name it. My vet actually gave my dog who had cushings ONE shot of steroids and made the dog diabetic. It was a life threatening emergency and the dog was in the hospital for 12 days. We almost lost her.. (she is only 4 years old) They said it would reverse but it never did. Now she is type one and needs insulin twice a day, sometimes more. The problem is the 3 main endocrine related diseases, ie thyroid, cushings and diabetes all have the exact same symptoms, with the exception that thyroid they tend to like to lay in warm places. I spent a lot of money at my vet for a whole lot of "nothing. This is my story. My aussie Fifer is 5 years old. She was always a big water drinker even as a pup. We always kind of joked about it. She never had anything wrong until we moved from Delaware to Texas. Here is what I learned and hopefully this will help you. I always had my dog faithfully on heartworm medication and just assumed it killed all worms. This is NOT true. They do not treat for tapeworms. So to make a long story short my dog was loosing hair. Had a big bald spot on her back side and her hair in general was start to look dull. She had gone in for knee sugery and then after being home we noticed she had a ear infections in both ears. well kept taking her to the vet and each on would just switching the antibotics. no one bothered to culture it till vist number 5 or 6 and by this time she was really sick. Also I noticed the vet was giving all the animals capstar for fleas (my dog has never had fleas ever, bathed often etc you get the point) well the ears were so bad the vet insisted she get a shot of steroids. well this killed what little immune system she had left and now he made the dog diabetic. I didnt' know steroids could do this (hubby is an ICU nurse) and he said it can. She was always a big water drinker but after the steroids I called the vet and said listen she is actually guarding her water bowl drinking over 2 gallons a day. he blew me off. well so they fax me the results of her ear infection and said I needed to come pick up this special antibotic at the compounding pharmacy. I asked for a copy of the report and turns out the dog had MRSA in both ears. (dog had teeth cleaned one week before) Humm. ok as all of you have been told. your dog has allerlgies, food allergies, your dog has anxiety issues bla bla bla. well my husband called from overseas just as I was leaving to get these drops for her ears and I told him the report came back as MRSA. He said she needs to be impatient minimum 4 to 5 days. (vet was going to sent me home with more drops) so I call say hubby insists she be admitted for iv antibotics. well now the stupid vet realizes what I was saying about her drinking so much water, and by the time I got her admitted she was in full ketoacidosis. blood sugar over 700. She was in bad shape..
My own theory. Never wormed for tapeworms. got diabetes from ONE steroid shot. ONE. Then WHILE ADMITTED they gave her some old blanket and she ended up getting flea dermititis. so I took matters into my own hands and after we got her home and after we finally got her ears cleared up, and then realizing she had never been treated for tapeworms once she was stable we did that. OH Good lord in heaven my poor dog was full of tapeworms. How many of you know that heartworm prevention does not kill tapeworms. and yes they did a fecal on my dog which was negative. that is because tapeworms unless they are shedding will always be negative on a fecal and let me tel you both of my dogs did not show one sign of tapeworms. but boy after they were wormed . ok well you get the picture. a dead give away should have been hair loss because once they microfalare migrate there will be patches where hair won't grow. So we did like whomever said and got a good fungal shampoo. I found one that has ketaconazole, and this same brand has one for every type of skin conditon and the stuff is absoutely wonderful. got it at petsmart. veterinary formula antiseptic and antifungal. I have been very please with all their brands. they do have one with chlorohexidine and lidocane for itching which is wonderful. Initially my vet told me my dog had cushings but the adrenals were normal. He said it was from elevated sex hormones. He put her on trilostane. But turns out the University of Tennessee endochronology department does not recomment trilostane for elevated sex hormones. They recommend 18 miligrams of melatonin. it is 6 bucks a bottle and flaxseed with ligans. it has to have the ligans. And you know what. we are not even sure our dog even had cushings but the melatonin and flaxseed had done wonders for my dogs hair that we keep giving it to her. and Also that trilostane (sorry) we read up on it extensively and my husband said it is very toxic and is like a chemothrapy drug. Plus with the melatonin out other aussie was starting to get this clouding in her eyes. it started as a pin drop then continued to grow. well darn if 6 months on the melatonin and flaxseed one day I said to my husband. I said is it me or is Zoes eyes getting better? and sure enough her eyes are almost fully cleared up. even the vet could not believe the labs. the one dog had high cholesterol and some high liver functions and 6 months on the melatonin and flaxseed he said all her labs looked wonderful. anyway, our theory is we are not really sure the dog ever had cushings because stress can elevate cortisol levels. and with the massive tape worm infection, flea dermatitis, yeast, MRSA. Check that blood sugar. It is crutial to keeping yeast in control. If gives the yeast a medium to grow and then they scratch and lick, so what comes next? infections.. blood sugar normal for canines is 80 to 150. Another side note. If any of you see vets who want to give you VESTULIN (doggie insulin) then find a new vet because it was pulled off the market this past fall for having problems with the mixture being too strong and dogs were dying because they were given the normal dose then going into a hypoglycemia coma. Anyway, we were told oh our dog has food allergies. allergies in general. we do give benedryl when her eyes are red. but our point is this. look at the whole picture and find a vet that is going to be proactive rather than reactive. if they just treat the symptoms they are not getting to the root cause of your dogs problems. if it is yeast in MY opinion your dog has either hypothyroid, cushings, or is diabetic. trust me in the last 2 years we got tired of shelling out one vet bill after another. finally we said enough is enough. we will do the reading and rely on our own medical training (and use some good old fashioned common sense and now our dog has made a 360 degree turn around. Granted, she is diabetic but as long as we keep her insulin well incontrol then no yeast or infections. Also keep in mind that if your dog is drinking a lot of water buy a meter. they are only 15 dollars at wal-mart. if anyone needs any help doing a 12 hour curve to see what your dogs blood sugar is within a 12 hour period I will be more than happy to help ANYONE who needs it. God help us all who have watched our poor furry friends suffer. You all have wonderful advice that I am looking forward to learning things from you all as well. A side note. one time our dog had labs and I noticed her blood sugar was flagged very low from the lab. I questioned the Vet and he goes oh its ok because its low. This is INCORRECT. A good vet told me that if you see a really low reading like that all it means is that on a diabetic dog if the test was taking either in the morning fasting or a few hours without food what happens is this: you give a meal which makes the blood sugar shoot up. then if no food is given it will go low to make up for being so high. THe same holds true if you give too much insuin. the body has what is called a rebound effect and if too much insulin is given then the body thinks is basically gonna die from not having enough glucose in the system so then it shoots up high so it can give a person a false sense that the animal is not diabetic when in fact it is. Sorry for the long post. My husband has been deployed overseas 5 tours since 04 and having a dog that has been so sick is not easy. If i could help just one family with a dog not to suffer to me this long post would be worth it. God Bless. email@example.com."06/29/2010: Becky from Worthington, Oh replies: "I have a 9 yr old long hair dachshund and battled yeast and skin infections since puppyhood. After years of steroids and antibiotics I researched and tried the yogurt and apple cider remedies but to no avail. Last year I did more research and found a site that talked of a medication Ketoconazole. I researched it and found that it didn't have the side effects of steroids so I made an appointment with my vet to talk to him about it. He said that Marcus's skin was so bad (it had turned to elephant skin all under his arms) and his whole under area was black with yeast...he smelled and was so uncomfortable. This had been going on for years. Anyway, he said that in addition to the yeast infection he also had bacterial infections in the skin folds that needed clearing up before any other medication would work. So, he was put on Cephalexin (250mg 1/2 3 times per day) and 1/2 Ketaconazole per day. He was on the Cephalexin for 30 days and on the Ketoconazole for 60 days to get the infection and yeast under control. I changed his food to California Naturals Lamb and Rice formula and stick to it..he gets nothing else. His hair has completely grown back, the black and elephant skin is gone (which the vet said most probably would never go away because he was so damaged)...he is like a new dog...after all this time and money spent on all sorts of remedies. I know this site isn't partial to medications but if you find that the natural remedies aren't working, please give this a try....Marcus is on no medications now and is loving life! I'm so happy I opened my mind up to medication again....it was for a very short term and so worth it! Please feel free to write me for pictures and proof that the medication for Marcus really worked. firstname.lastname@example.com."EC: Please see our medication side effects page re Ketoconazole - 3 Side Effects and 2 Deaths Reported: http://www.earthclinic.com/Pets/medication_side_effects.html#KETOCONAZOLE
07/01/2010: Becky from Worthington, Ohio replies: "While I appreciate you passing on warnings about medications, I also have read posts in this site warning about side effects and sometimes fatal results of an allergic reaction to the ACV remedy. You can never really know how your pet will react to ANY treatment you may consider trying, natural or otherwise. I only know what worked for Marcus - after years of his suffering, at 9 yrs of age, he's playing like a puppy again. So many posts I read are from desperate people (I was one of them) grasping for any bit of information that will produce a positive result. After trying the natural cures, enzymes, $$$ in vet bills, etc., it was finally antibiotic (to clear up the infections) and the Ketaconozole that finally cleared him up. I forgot to mention that initially, at the start of the medications, I was bathing him every other day with Malaseb. Now he gets bathed every 2 weeks and eats only limited ingredient lamb & rice dry food."EC: Hi Becky,
We don't ever recall seeing any posts on Earth Clinic detailing fatal reactions from ACV. Would you kindly provide the specific url to such a post? Thanks.
07/22/2010: Levsmom from Crane, Missouri replies: "I have been reading the posts on acidophilus and am wondering if the product acidophilus that I take for myself will work on a 70 lb., 14 month old, Golden Retriever that I am fostering right now. I have only had him in my household 3 months but already we have been to the vet several times for itchy skin that starts out as small flesh colored bumps under the skin. As Charlie begins to scratch them the trauma results in secondary infections requiring antibiotics. He also suffers from horrible ears. The other thing that got me thinking about a yeast infection(other than the ears)is his hair coat. I have owned or fostered several Goldens over the years and never have I seen one with a hair coat like this. The topline is not soft fur, but rather coarse, almost wiry hair which is curly. It also has a greasy feel to it that smells almost as bad as his ears. The sides, legs and haunches are baby soft, smooth hair with just a touch of wave to them and not much odor. (Just normal doggy smell). According to the vet records on this dog, he suffered from flea bite dermatitis ( most vet entries stated severe flea infestation)but never a mention of skin disorders. The previous owner kept his hair cut very short. He said it was to help with the flea problem, but now I am wondering if it wasn't because of recurring skin problems that he attributed to the flea dermatitis. My question is: the acidophilus has 1 billion CFU's per pill. Is that to much for a 70 lb. Dog? Also in a related question. If I use the vinegar and alcohol mixture to try on his ears, do I use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and what is the ratio of alcohol to vinegar?
When the problem first occurred I switched his food to a duck and potato food just in case it was a food allergy. The food all of my other dogs eat is lamb and rice which is what he started on when he first came to me. After reading this post I can see that if it is in fact a yeast infection the the duck and potato food is only making it worse! I am going to switch him over to a salmon based food to see if that might help. Thanks for any help you can offer! Levsmom"09/26/2010: Heavenlightly from Huntsville, Alabama replies: "My heart goes out to all of you with problems with your dogs. I did have simlar problems with my Lab and have been able to fix her problems with a change of diet. I switched to raw meat & bone like chicken, rabbit etc. Don't let people (vets) tell you Dogs / cats can't digest raw bone because they can without any problems, its the cooked bones they can't digest. My dogs and cats have been eating this way for about 4-5 years now and I never take them to the vets. My 10yr old lab acts like she is 2. She had yeast problems I believe and in her ears. I bought Zymox which is a Enzymatic Solution that kills yeast and Bacteria. This worked quickly and have not had problems since. There is lot of research and groups you can join in the raw meat bone diet. Don't give up. Most dogs/cats eat this food easily but some you have to start out slow. It was the only thing that helped my dog. I guess I starved the yeast and there was improvement within the first month. The first was their coat. Some of you who have worse conditions may take longer but hang in there and treat your animals more naturally and you will see a difference. Stay away from the vet unless it is an emergency like broken bone or something. They treat the symtoms not the real cause of the problem. Doctors don't want to even recognize yeast in us humans let alone in our animals. God Bless You All!"10/12/2010: Becky from Worthington, , Usa replies: "Dogs: Yeast Infection RemediesUpdated: 10/02/2010. IMPORTANT! When writing Earth Clinic about a yeast infection issue .... Finally I gave up and stopped giving him those shots (they didnt help anyway).... I have tried the apple cider vinegar and it made him worse so I stopped it...... Fatal results of an allergic reaction to the ACV remedy....
www.earthclinic.com/Pets/yeast_infections_dogs.html - Similar
Seems you pulled this post - I had read it when I made the comment on your site as a follow up to the treatment of Marcus."10/16/2010: Bb from Atlanta, Ga Usa replies: "You are absolutely correct. Mine eat raw chicken, beef, venison & fish. Bones, heads, guts. Some pets do need to be taught, like a toddler, how to eat, chew, chew, chew. But, it is well worth the time to convert your pet to a natural diet. Mine do not eat the same meal twice in a row & they suffer no digetive problems. The rise of diabetes, cancer, pancreas problems are due to commercial cooked to death food. Same for us, cooked food is lethal. Then the pet food industry adds God Know What! It's a toxic situation."10/26/2010: Janice from Coloma, Mi replies: "Bb.. I've switched my dog to raw food and wondered about the bones. She seems to throw a lot of them up. Also, do you feed raw vegetables?"11/19/2010: Jeff from New York, Ny replies: "My cocker is 11 years old and developed yeast infection. Vet gave me malacetic solution (with boric acid) and otomax to clean ears. Also gave me heartworm chews and antibiotoc for eyes. Lastly he gave me a 30 day oral liquid antibiotic that he said would wipe out everything. $350 later the infection is much worse. it spread to the ear flap, and to the entire side of his face and under jaw/neck. all the hair fell out in those places and he now has black elephant skin and stinks.3 days ago I started 70/30 ratio of acv/water and wash the areas 3x daily. I also will bathe every 2 or 3 days in head and shoulders shampoo. At night I rub monistat cream on the areas as well. I changed food to grain free taste of the wild and add 1-2 tbsb plain danon yogurt, 1 acidopholus pill, 1 baby aspirin (81mg), and 1 vitamin c tablet (250mg). Also, I add 2tbsb Apple Cider Vinegar to his water bowl. Too bad the vet gave me additional yeast and antibiotics. He also never advised a change in diet which I believe is the reason we're in this position in the first place. It's a rigorous process but I'm sticking to it. I'm on day 3 of the treatment and seeing slight results. I'm wondering how long it will take for the odor to go away, for the skin to heal, and for the hair to grow back. I could use some advice here if this is really going to work??"
02/14/2011: Janni from Pearl River, Ny replies: "Thank you to Brooke, from Va, regarding the Malaseb shampoo. She is lifesaver! She is correct, PetShed does have the shampoo, I ordered it yesterday and it shipped already. They are in Australia. My German Shepherd has been suffering for 3 weeks now with horrible itch, sores from biting. I have tried everything, been to a conventional vet, a holistic vet, tried Chinese herbs, steroids for a very short time, antihistimines, changed his food to raw, oatmeal baths, etc. Nothing has relieved his itch. You must build up their immune system, and I am giving him 3 billion of acidophilus, vitamin b. Do research on yeast infections, that is what I think my dog has, combined with those sarcotic mites, which I cannot figure out where he got them from. He does not socialize with other dogs in a dog park nor is he near other dogs. I got something called Candex from Vitamin Shoppe to kill yeast in the digestive system. Good luck with your pets."04/05/2011: Az from Marietta, Ga replies: "I have a 10 yr old shepherd with the same issues. Was elated to see that there were remedies. Then dashed when I discovered that the manufacturer of the Masaleb shampoo was shut down by the FDA. Very hesitant to buy products from a company that knowingly puts out altered products.http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm174880.htm"
[NAY] 04/17/2011: Gigi from Glasgow, Uk replies: "So many of you are using antibiotics. These just make the yeast run riot the same as in humans. Use them short term if there is a skin infection due to the yeast lesions but then continue with just an antifungal shampoo. I have also given my bullmastiff dog the human oral antifungal capsule Fluconazole within the last week because we were so sick of seeing him so uncomfortable, itchy and smelly. Within two days the worst of the smell was gone and there were no new skin lesions. He also gets probiotic yogurt daily and acidophilus. Steroids help the itch but again encourage the yeasts so you end up on a never ending cycle. We are also changing his diet to a grain free one. Over the last few months of this problem with Seth this is the first time we feel as if there is a real improvement but I'm sure it will take a good while to clear entirely. He is brighter and more alert and interested in life than he has been for some time so we are hopeful. We are going to give a Fluconazole capsule twice a week reducing this to one a week as things improve. In the UK we can buy these over the counter at the pharmacy. So please, think twice about using antibiotics as a first strike treatment."04/20/2011: Smiley De Beer from Caledon, South Africa Western Cape replies: "My dog, a pacement special has a dry skin and itching. My web enquiry reminded me that vinegar kills fungy - it works on humans. Drench hair and simply let it dry, repeat over time and dry skin is something of the past. I will try this cheap maybe tomorrow!"08/02/2011: Amy from Pinson, Alabama replies: "I have a yeasty dog, though not officially diagnosed by a vet, but I know without a doubt that's what it is. I've just recently started adding plain yogurt to her diet and it has helped. Can you give the enzymes and the acidophilus together? Someone told me to try enzymes, but then I've read so many things about the acidophilus. She eats chiken and rice formula dog food, but am thinking of switching her to lamb and rice, with no grain. She has really bad ears to top it off, no sores, but dry flaky skin, hairloss, and she stinks so bad. I'm going to get some antifungal shampoo and some baking soda/oatmeal shampoo and use both. It's so bad!! She's miserable and has no energy, yelps at the itching. We got her about 2 mos ago and she was on steriods for "allergies" and on benadryl 3 25mg tablets 2x's a day, I don't want to stop the benadryl because of the severe itching but it really doesn't seem to help anyway, any advice guys?"09/01/2011: Christina from Chicago, Il replies: "I have a yeasty lab/ridgeback mix as well. We were dealing with yeast and I believe mites. I eventually after trying many of the remedies switched his food from Kirkland lamb and rice to a mix of Blue Wilderness for large breed and Nutro Natural Lamb (purely for financial reasons because they are pricey and I get a coupon for Nutro on their website as a reward member). Within a month, the black skin under his belly started to look pink again and his hair grew back underneath. What I like about the mixture of food is both brands have acidophilus in it. I also cleaned the area he sleeps along with bathing him in the borax/water/peroxide mixture you may have read in various post. We still deal with an ear problem that I'm going to try again using vinegar/water but this time I'm going to try saturation with a dropper. I know the food had alot to do with it. I don't put anything extra in food. Hope this helps, this website has been a lifesaver!"10/01/2011: Becky from Worthington, Ohio replies: "Update on Marcus - almost 2 years later and he is still cleared up - no yeast or sores. The treatment I described in an earlier post worked for him completely. He is medication free and all of his hair has grown back. He's like a different dog. He eats a high protein food for his food and treat. Nothing else."10/13/2011: Kari from Flemington, Nj replies: "My dog's skin is raw and he is losing much of his hair. I think his problem is, he has Lymphoma and has been getting chemo (trust me even the holistic vet I called said that chemo was the only choice for lymphoma and usually had a good outcome... I would have chosen natural therapies if I could). Well every time, chemo lowered his white blood cell count and sometimes they gave him antibiotics for that. I truly believe this resulted in an imbalance of good/bad bacteria and this infection covering his whole body is due to their overuse. I would have tried the ACV but he has open cuts and honestly I think it would burn, even if diluted. I have been feeding him a grain-free diet for the last five or so years and now have him on probiotics.I just ordered the shampoo suggested by others here but I also want to just mention the one I tried today as I see someone said their dog had problems with MRSA or Staph. The one I tried today is called Zymox and they are all natural enzymes that kill yeast, bacteria, staph, MRSA etc. And its non-toxic. I use the final rinse on him and they say not to rinse it off and I don't have to worry about him licking it which is good. It may be something to look into.
Also there is a holistic vet named Dr. Karen Becker who suggests Povidone Iodine (another non-toxic solution! )for dogs with allergies and other problems. She says to dilute it until its the color of tea and use it as a rinse. Look her up on the internet as well, you can find the article and video. I don't know if either of these work, but I know the shampoo has great reviews on some sites that sell it. I am hopeful because my poor boy has been through the mill and it pains me to see him like this, I could cry!"
11/28/2011: M.e. from Garland, Tx replies: "Here is the link w/ Dr. Becker demonstrating foot soak for dogs: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/10/25/dog-foot-bath.aspxAnother link with Dr. Becker re. yeast infections in dogs:
[YEA] 01/16/2012: Sarah from Bradenton, Fl replies: "After years of treating my dog for "food allergies" by having her on Wellness Ocean, sweet potato as a treat, benadryl every day and treating with allergy shampoos (that contained oatmeal) on the advice of several vets and still having her suffer with constant itching and hair loss my house/pet sitter mentioned that a yeast infection may be the problem instead of a food allergy.After doing research, including on this website, I starting using Malaseb shampoo followed by a conditioning rinse with a couple of drops of tea tree oil added, gave her 1 acidophilus tablet from Kirkman a day and stopped giving her sweet potato or any startches as a treat. Within a week there was a noticeable reduction in the level of scratching and 3 weeks later her scratching has completely subsided and her coat is coming back. I cannot believe that something so simple was never recommended by any of the vets who I spent 100's, if not 1000's, of dollars visiting.
Thank you to everyone on this website for sharing your information and helping my dog. My question is, do I need to keep on giving the acidophilus indefinitely or once the "good" bacteria are restored should I wean her off?"
[YEA] 01/03/2009: Laurie from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: "Yogurt and Acidophilus works! I had a pittbull X that was on Steroids for 6 years, eventually passing away at 8 years of Liver Cancer - and she had a yeast problem till the day she died. The steroids and dandruff shampoo made it only tolerable. Now my 2 year old pitti is developing the same problem - and does she stink. I read this site and gave her about 1/4 cup yogurt with 1 capsule of acidophilus in it. Next day, almost no smell, and a lot less scratching. Three days later, it's 95% gone. If only we had known this with our other dog. Please Please try to stay away from Steroids.
Thank goodness for this site. I wish we had had this info in 2001"09/01/2009: Vicki from Atlanta, Ga replies: "Laurie! Thank you so much for posting this. My Cocker Spaniel is getting yogurt and acidophilus today!
He has been scratching, chewing and licking himself raw for 7 years now. For the first year I spent thousands of dollars at the vet, all to no avail. They had him on antibiotics, steroids, prescription dog food, medicated shampo, etc... I got so discouraged when they told me that he was probably a puppy mill dog (bought him at PetLand) and it was probably neurological because they didn't know what else to do.
I recently started him on the enzymes program and it has helped somewhat. I tried bathing him in apple cider vinegar but dang, it brought back the horrific smell. I've read that his symptoms are indicative of leaky gut syndrome (or systemic yeast infection) and that ACV feeds the yeast! So I stopped that. I also read that steroids accerbate the problem as well. Ironically, that was the only thing that gave him relief, but they had to continually increase the dosage to the point that it was no longer a safe alternative. And to think I started this dog out all natural. Refused shots, wouldn't give him the flea protection stuff becuase I was afraid it would poison him. HA! Boy have we come a long way ... in the WRONG direction!
His coat looks great and his skin is trying to heal but he wont stop chewing and scratching. I had a cone around his head for a month and it just rubbed his neck raw and ulcerated the skin. So now I have a muzzle on him and he can still lick his paws.
I will add the yogurt/acidophilus and get on my face and pray it works. Thanks for sharing."09/13/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi replies: "Laurie, thanks for the information. Did you use acidophilus from the health food store? Was it the refrigerated type? Thanks."09/13/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi replies: "Vickie, it sounds like we are in the same boat. My Lab/Newfoundland has a real yeast problem. I put her on raw food about six months ago and that has helped some and she absolutely LOVES it. I also finally found a vet (an old country guy) who looked at her and said she had a yeast problem. I wanted to kiss him because I have been to three different vets for a diagnosis and they refuse to say it's yeast. They just wanted to throw more drugs at her but said they really didn't know what she had. It's very costly and frustrating. I also put her on the enzymes and she did a little bit better but this new vet has her on a probiotic which has helped a little bit more. She does have a lot more energy. He says it will take time but that her gut is getting better (He does muscle testing). I also add some yogurt from time to time, but I think I will take Lauri's advice and add it every meal with some acidophilus. At least that's not going to hurt her. Maybe we can find something once and for all to help our pets. Let me know how it's going for you and I'll do the same. Thanks."01/22/2011: Misspriss from Vancouver, Washington replies: "I went to the vet with my 7.4 pound, 13 week old Lhasa Apso/Rat Terrier mix puppy yesterday and they told me she had a ear infection and my husband bought these ear drops and antibiotics for $54 plus the $104 for the vet visit. But today it looks like it has gotten way worse. I really wish I would have thought about googling her symptoms before the vet. Also for such a small dog would you recommend doing this regimen or not?"[YEA] 10/07/2008: Sophia from Philadelphia, PA, USA: "Acidophilus is a great way to treat yeast infections in dogs. My male shephard has kidney issues (elevated creatin levels) therefore the vet will NOT put him on any medications. ACIDOPHILUS is a dietary supplement found in any vitamin aisle/store. It balances the natural flora in your body. It also helps with immune function, digestion & elimination. I began to see a difference in the dog's yeast infection in about 2-3 days. Decrease in odor, less itching & the infected (black) areas of skin have been reduced noticeably! 2 capsules a day ... human dose is 3 daily. It's basically the same principal as yogurt but easier on those who are lactose intolerant. The capsule can even be opened & sprinkled on food."
Replies01/19/2009: Laura from Portland, Oregon USA replies: "Hey thanks for the info. I just got back from the vet with my german shepherd mix who has had a yeast issue since we adopted him from the humane society. He has been on anti biotics and steroids on and off and as soon as he finishes his problems start all over. I have changed his food and now was just told to go to a food with no grains. So $250 later, when i got home i got on line to see what i could find about yeast in dogs and up popped this web site. I just bathed him with the medicated shampoo but in a couple days i will try the vinegar rinse. I'll give him yogurt for his snack. I'll let you know how it works. I hope it does because otherwise the vet wants to put him on meds that may damage his liver. Laura"12/20/2009: Kwarner75 from Toledo, Oh replies: "I'm going to try the acidophilus.I have a Cairn terrier who has Atopy (basically allergic to the world). We have finally controlled the allergies with Atopica but she also has a recurrent yeast infection and we have given her Nizoril orally to treat it successfully but it can be harmful when given with the Atopica. We have given them together but I have to monitor her urine to make sure there is no bleeding. I use Nizoril shampoo on her but not with a lot of success. I know how helpful Acidophilus is with humans so I'm willing to try it and maybe the vinegar to see if it will help clear up her skin."01/25/2010: Barb from Manchester, Tn replies: "If you are still giving your dog Atopica, you may want to reconsider as this is very hard on their system. I had my dog on it for about a year until my old vet from Chicago told me to take her off it right away. You should ask your vet what the side effects of this are."[WARNING!] 08/06/2011: Reikiwarrior from Fair Oaks, Ca replies: "beware of the medication ATOPICA, it almost killed my dog. Go the natural route. read all the side effects in the package. Please reconsider and I know how frustrating it is cause my dog is basicly allergic to everything also. I am always trying different thing cause thing seemd to work for a little while then they dont, ( I think she builds an allergy to whatever it is shes eating) but please beware of atopica and also ketocenazole(spelled phoneticly)."Acidophilus, Yogurt, Dietary Changes
[YEA] 05/24/2012: Laura from Sacramento, Ca: "I have an all black German Shepard. 4yrs old. About 1 yr ago he started scratching and getting an odor. He was already taking frontline for fleas. I had started feeding him IAMS and Diamond brand from the feed store about four months prior. After trying all that I knew to do without taking him to a Vet. I had to take him to the Vet. I got lucky. The doctor almost knew right away that he had a yeast infection. Loss of hair and odor. He was miserable. He prescribed me Ketoconazole and an anti-fungal shampoo. It helped a lot but not entirely. I read on, I believe on this site about Acidophilus and plain yogurt. I began giving him the two doses of Ketoconazole 200mg daily, two Acidophilus capsules daily and 4 heaping tsps of plain yogurt daily. Make sure the yogurt has less than 10grams of sugar. Sugar feeds the yeast.
He was almost cured. Something still wasn't right. I read somewhere to change his food to Taste of The Wild/ Salmon flavor. I did and about 3 weeks later he looks beautiful again. His hair is almost completely back, He has stopped scratching and the odor is gone. What a ride that was. The combination really works. It took me about a year to find what combination works. This really worked for my dog. I hope it works for yours. It will save you a lot of money and time if you get it right the first time. Make sure you bathe once a week with the anti-fungal shampoo and your dog will have some peace. Good luck to all!"
ACV and Yogurt, White Vinegar and Distilled Water
02/26/2009: Stefanie from Soddy Daisy, TN/USA: "Stinky Face and Watery Eyes on my Toy Poodle, PLEASE HELP
I have two toy poodles. One is black and one is white. With that said, the black one seems to be chewing on his paws, and scratching like crazy at his face. His face stinks really bad and his eyes water non stop. I switched him to a holistic food brand and threw out all of those commercial food treats. I have looked at some yeast infection websites at the pics but he doesn't look like any of these. I think maybe this is caught in the beginning stage. He is not lethargic or anything by no means. I just need to know if and what I need to clean the face with and how much. He weighs 9 lbs. I am not sure if I need to use apple cidar vinegar or white vinegar. What kind of yogurt do I get? Do i just go to Wal Mart and buy whatever kind? Please someone help? I want to make sure I am doing the right thing for them both. They share the same water and food bowl so whatever I do for one , is it going to hurt the white one. He is only 3 lbs so he weighs considerable less and right now, only chews and licks his paws for hours sometimes....Thanks in advance for any help. And I want to thank everyone for opening my eyes to all that bad dogfood out there that I was feeding my babies....."
RepliesEC: Remedies on Epiphora (excessive tearing) page might be helpful.
05/07/2009: Diane from Elbridge, NY replies: "My dog had this same problem and I was beside myself , when it came down to where it progressed and he was pulling his hair out. Use plain or vanilla yogurt.(I would say a 1/4c would work) My dog is 80lbs and loves it -so, I give him 4-8oz at a time. Organic is the best. Sugar in the yogurt adds to the problem(feeds the yeast) I also used apple cidar vinegar in his water(2tbsp in each dish full). If possible go organic with this, as well. I also live on city water and started giving him filtered water (removing the chlorine) I can say his hair is back, the smell is gone andhe apppears to be in perfect health."07/15/2009: Lynn from Stockbridge, Wisconsin replies: "I have a pug who gets yeast infection very easily on his skin. I am going to try the yogurt & ACV treatment. I can't afford to keep taking him to the vet. He is on special food already, so this can't hurt to give it a try. I will post my results...keep your fingers crossed !!"09/18/2009: Christina from Fairfield, Ca replies: "I also have a doxie with the "black elephant skin" under her arms - she loves to burrow under blankets too which doesn't help esp when it's hot. I feed her Innova, and I don't want to put any more steroids in her so I've started with an organic, plain yogurt. She gets a table spoon two times a day, don't know if that's enough or not - but...she also gets steamed green beans and steamed carrots. No other treats (she actually likes a green bean as a treat)"10/21/2009: Maria from Raleigh, Nc replies: "My dog eats Innova also and he still has yeast infections. I'm starting to think this food is not that great because he poops way more now than when he ate just cooked ground turkey.I am going to try to switch to raw food and add some kefir or yougurt to is as well as fresh veggies.
His symptoms are not that bad and include flat black spots on his belly that itch, itchy chest and eyes, the inside corners of his eyes are red.He was on antibiotics twice already in his short life (9 months) and the infection comes back. The vets thought it was staph but I am convinced it's yeast."
05/24/2011: Lydia from Singapore replies: "Turky is bad for dogs, it can cause severe allergy reactions such as pnuemonia and encourages yeast infection. Innova and EaglePro brands should be avoided."06/21/2011: Ashley from Worcester, Ma replies: "Is there any validity to Lydia's comments? I don't believe Turkey can cause pnuemonia or yeat infections. An allergic reaction maybe to a dog that is allergic to Turkey."07/27/2011: Kris from N. Ridgeville, Ohio replies: "i have never heard anything like that about turkey. But I feed raw and have for 8 years so all I have feed is raw turkey when I have fed it. If people can not feed raw than they should make sure they feed a kibble with no grains/soy/corn and wheat and watch the fruit or veggies you feed as some (like carrots) are high in sugar and that does not help yeast. One of my dogs has horrible environmental allergies form march thru oct every year. He gets a yeast infection on his skin every year and I have yet to find anthing to get rid of it or keep it under control so I am glad I found this site. He is already on Apple Cider Vinegar for acid reflux. I was thinking of using it as a rinse for his skin also."11/29/2008: Tina from Ringgold, Georgia, USA: "I WAS GLAD I FOUND THIS WEBSITE. I AM GOING OUT OF MY MIND TRYING TO HELP MY LITTLE WIRED HAIRED DACHSUND, PUMPKIN, WITH A HORRIBLE YEAST INFECTION ON HER LEGS, PAWS AND ARMPITS. I DID START HER ON THE PLAIN LOWFAT YOGURT, BUT HAVEN'T STARTED HER ON ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE ON WHAT DOSAGE TO GIVE HER. I'VE BEEN BATHING HER IN A MILD SHAMPOO, AND SPRAYING A 50/50 MIXTURE OF WHITE VINEGAR AND WATER ON HER, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP. I HAVEN'T TRIED THE ACV YET BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO GIVE HER BY MOUTH, OR SPRAY IT ON HER. NO ONE REALLY SAYS IN THEIR COMMENTS. SHE EATS THE DOG FOOD "FIT AND TRIM". I GIVE HER BENEDRYL FOR ALLERGIES AND IT KEEPS HER FROM ITCHING AND LICKING. BUT WHEN IT WEARS OFF SHE'S BACK TO SCRATCHING AND LICKING. PLEASE HELP. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. SHE'S BEEN TO THE VET AND THE BILLS KEEP PILING UP, BUT NO CURE. THANK YOU."
Replies02/13/2009: Ashley from Dallas, Texas replies: "Tina, It is possible that the cause of your little pooch's problem is linked to her diet? Dogs can't process plants the way that humans can so instead of using it as protein, it turns into sugar creating a perfect atmophere in their intestines for yeast to grow. Once the yeast get overgrown, it will come to the surface (skin). I have heard that antibiotics and even preventative meds like heart worm prevention, etc. can feed the yeast, making the infection worse. Because dogs are carniverous, you might switching to an all meat, or at least a carb free diet. This would exclude anything that turns into sugars including, vegitables, fruits and grains."12/11/2009: Jenna from Federal Way, Wa replies: "I just thought it might be important to know that dogs are actually Omnivorous. It is cats that are strictly carnivorous."09/10/2010: Jamie from Lake Worth, Fl replies: "Tina, please stop feeding the dog that brand of food. Check out dogfoodanalysis.com. An independent website that evaluates dog food. I feed my dogs a grain free organic dog food. I bet fit and trim has corn in it, not something a dog should eat. My boyfriend thought I was out of my mind when I started talking about the dangers of grocery store dog food. Then I put him in front of the computer to read."[YEA] 03/20/2008: Maribel from Harlingen, Texas: "I want to thank Ted, Claudia, Judy, Susan and Anna for your advise. I started our five year old English Bulldog, Brutus, on ACV and plain yogurt once a day. I'm also using white vinegar and distilled water to clean the affected areas on his skin. I am so happy and proud to say that the results are amaizing. In less than a week the yeast is almost all gone. I checked him last night and the redness is all gone. He's not itching and the faul smell is gone too. The only reason I know he has a yeast problem is because the dermatologist scraped his neck, legs, paws and armpits and he was full of yeast. Brutus has been taking antibiotics, but the yeast comes back as soon as he finishes the meds. That's aside from taking his allergy shots once a week. Brutus has had skin allergies since he was a few months old. I just cannot believe it worked so fast. I will continue the ACV and yogurt and will keep you posted. Thanks a million!!!"
Replies03/23/2008: Michele from York, Pennsylvania replies: "How much ACV and vinegar is given a day and how is it given? In time will the skin that has turned black ever return to its normal color? When you say yogurt is this the yogurt bought in the grocery store? I have to westies but only one has the yeast infection. Thanking you in advance for any help you can provide."07/19/2008: Steph from Peterborough, England replies: "THIS SOUNDS GREAT,AM GOING TO TRY IT STRAIGHT AWAY BUT AM SLIGHTLY UNSURE OF WHETHER TO MIX THIS WITH FOOD OR TO RUB ON INFECTED AREA? THIS DIAGNOSIS SOUNDS VERY MUCH LIKE MANGE SYMPTOMS AND YEAST ALLERGY. I HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD BORDER COLLIE AND AM HAVING NO LUCK WITH VETS, ANY HELP AND ADVISE WOULD BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. SHE HAS HAIR LOSS, RED ITCHY SKIN AND SMELLS TERRIBLE.
THANKS AGAIN."09/30/2008: Josie from Colorado Springs, Co replies: "I have not tried a remedy - but was curious of the ratio of the vinegar,yogurt, and distilled water. I have an english bulldog - in which the vet has told me that he has a yeast infection under his chin, legs, and paws. I would like some help to get rid of it and to ease his pain. What can I do - Please help! Josie"[YEA] 10/06/2008: Clinton from Fairhaven, Ma replies: "I just recently tried a 50/50 mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and water to help with my 9 month old Weimaraner, Brody, to help what I beleive is a yeast infection. He has all the common symptoms, rash, very oily coat, and a horrible smell. I sprayed him down and brushed the mixture into his fur. The smell has gone away instantly, and oddly he doesnt smell like vinegar. I also gave him 1/2 a cup of plain yogurt, and he ate it right up. I hope this helps, if not we will be seeing the vet."11/29/2008: Tina from Ringgold, Georgia, USA replies: "I WAS GLAD I FOUND THIS WEBSITE. I AM GOING OUT OF MY MIND TRYING TO HELP MY LITTLE WIRED HAIRED DACHSUND, PUMPKIN, WITH A HORRIBLE YEAST INFECTION ON HER LEGS, PAWS AND ARMPITS. I DID START HER ON THE PLAIN LOWFAT YOGURT, BUT HAVEN'T STARTED HER ON ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE I WASN'T SURE ON WHAT DOSAGE TO GIVE HER. I'VE BEEN BATHING HER IN A MILD SHAMPOO, AND SPRAYING A 50/50 MIXTURE OF WHITE VINEGAR AND WATER ON HER, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP. I HAVEN'T TRIED THE ACV YET BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TO GIVE HER BY MOUTH, OR SPRAY IT ON HER. NO ONE REALLY SAYS IN THEIR COMMENTS. SHE EATS THE DOG FOOD "FIT AND TRIM". I GIVE HER BENEDRYL FOR ALLERGIES AND IT KEEPS HER FROM ITCHING AND LICKING. BUT WHEN IT WEARS OFF SHE'S BACK TO SCRATCHING AND LICKING. PLEASE HELP. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. SHE'S BEEN TO THE VET AND THE BILLS KEEP PILING UP, BUT NO CURE. THANK YOU."08/24/2009: David from Las Vegas, Nv replies: "Posting my email PLEASE send my names of food without grains etc. I now have 4 pugs. One is fine but licks is front paws, female has chronic vajayjay yeast (yogurt after spending 6000.00 has kept it at bay), and two new male pugs 9 and 5 I took over from a cpl moving to the upper mid west. These last two have yeast slightly on their skin but both have had it in the ears so badly it's cobblestoned. One doesn't have have an active probelm now but one came to me with drops and pills. Cleaned his ears and almost got sick. I've had dogs for 35yrs and never seen anything like it when I cleaned his ears. SD makes him sick I was told currently eating the green bag with the paw prints on it.The Yogurt about two table spoons per feeding seems to have helped loosen up their stools but the ear issue I need to find different food for them as the green bag has wheat in it.
Bought some hypo allergenic shampoo so hope that helps some. Please email me directly with solutions, types of food, supplements, and how much per pound to give. Thank you!"
09/24/2009: C. Johnson from Willow Grove, Pa replies: "Grocery store foods, especially lower end, will exacerbate yeast problems. they are far too high in grains/carbs. you want to choose dog foods that have meat in at least the top 2-3 ingredients. i have a 13 pound frenchie and she gets two tbps PLAIN lowfat yogurt on her food. ACV we are gradually mixing that in. we shampoo with the Miconazole Nitrate and Chlorhexidine Gluconate (antifungal shampoo) twice a week the first week, cutting back to once a week after that. dont want to dry out the skin any more than necessary, causes even more itching. google those ingredients and it will take you to the shampoo. adding fish oil capsules can really help, omega 3 & 6 fatty acids are very important. my best advice, go with a grain free food, or the least possible grains you can afford. ask at your local pet supply for options or again, try google. no more table scraps other than meat/veggies. no carbs/starch/sugar. that feeds the yeast. as for cleaning ears, id google antifungal ear dog. the same brand as the above shampoo makes an ear cleaner with the same name, works very well. do this every 3 days if you can. dont give up hope, it sometimes gets worse before it gets better. this can all take up to 30 days for you to notice changes. the body must detox."12/31/2012: Nina from Fernandina Beach , Florida replies: "Fish oil capsules at one per 10lbs of body weight per day for skin, and joint issues. ACV/WATER 50/50 to flush ears.I do death row fostering/hospice animals I hold my vets to the home remedy solutions. This works. My dogs get several cans of Mackerel daily."
Apple Cider Vinegar
05/18/2013: Rayrmjaj from Bancroft, Idaho: "My dog's yeast infection is in her vaginal area. And she has a lot of hair. I have never shaved a dog in that area. Where can I get some help on how to do this. I don't believe I can get the vinegar and water to where it needs to be unless I do this. Can you use people medicine on her for the same ailment? The dog food I feed her is low fat low ash "Pride"."
Replies05/18/2013: Gena from Pasadena, California replies: "Hi, I would be careful shaving that area. Only a professional should do it. I think that if you bathed her first that would be sufficient. Make sure the ACV is well diluted... More than 50% water may be necessary. More important is to put ACV in her food, also mixed in with water. My dogs don't like ACV, but they will eat it after it's been mixed with water and soaked in their kibble for a few minutes. Probiotics may also help the dog's issue, but if it it is caused by the food, which it sounds like it might be, you will need to find another brand. Please let us know how she is doing!"[YEA] 01/14/2013: Lilli from Kenmore, Wa, Usa: "I read all the great posts here about ACV and the various uses in caring for a dog who has a yeast infection. I just had to write and share my success story.
My adopted pal, whose breed is prone to severe skin problems, developed a bad skin yeast infection. His legs and parts of his torso turned black and lost fur. He scratched 24/7 and we had to watch him constantly or he would scratch and bite until he bled. Eventually, we had to keep him in onsies and a plastic cone.
When he lived with his previous family, we think he was given too much prednisone and too many anti-biotics which ruined his immune system. Every vet we took him too wanted to prescribe the same meds including atopica. IMHO I would never give these things to him again! Prednisone shuts down the adrenal glands which stops the itching but causes severe medical problems down the road.
We were at the end of our rope watching our poor guy suffer. Here's what worked for us:
We finally found a naturopathic vet who has been allergy testing and giving him Chinese herbs and tinctures which attacks the yeast internally but takes time to work. We changed his diet to a commercial brand of frozen raw meat with some veggies. (I would not recommend dry kibble of any kind because it is still processed and most have binders, starches, and grain products. ) He lost the extra weight, that he gained due to the prednisone, and was much livelier, but still scratching.
The single most amazing change in him occurred when I started spraying him with ACV/distilled water, 50/50. (I use organic ACV which has the "mother" in it. ) I sprayed the hot spots and black areas of his skin and rubbed the vinegar in. I kept him standing or moving until he air dried. (Do not spray it on open wounds and sores) Then I put him back in a cotton onsie. It is important to keep them from scratching and re-irritating the skin. I did this in the morning, after feeding, and the evening before bed. It reduced his scratching 75% in two days! I also mixed a little ACV in his food. (I would not recommend giving ACV on an empty stomach)
About every three days I mix a lotion of pure aloe vera with pure vegetable glycerin and distilled water and rub it on the troubled areas and let dry. (Do not use straight glycerin on skin because it traps moisture and may cause blistering) After a day or two, the lotion dries the surface yeast and it sloughs off. I clean the areas and new pink skin is underneath.
We are at day four of using this system. My dog is calmer, scratches less, and sleeps better. His skin is pinking up and I do not have to keep an eye on him all day.
(One word of caution: Talk to your naturopathic vet before starting any new remedy. Dogs can have a reaction to most anything whether it is natural or not. Start on a small patch of skin as a test before using any product on your dog.)
Thank you to everyone who posted ACV suggestions. After years of frustrating vet visits, many $$$'s spent, bad drug reactions, and the arrogance of Western medicine, a little $3.00 bottle of ACV did the trick!"
[SIDE EFFECTS] 01/10/2013: Danielle from Elyria, Ohio: "apple cider vinager for ear infection/ yeast infection. I tried the apple cider viner water mixture and my dog started going crazy!!! She started scratching to death!! Help!! Will it help in the long run???"
Replies01/13/2013: Bw from Bellevue, Wa replies: "Hope you didn't apply it full-strength. That would have hurt badly and he's probably scratching from pain. Did you read the other posts on this site about the amount of dilution to apply? You should see what the vet can find from looking into the ear, then you would know what kind of remedy to try."03/26/2012: Amanda from Sagadahoc County, Maine: "I believe my 11 month old lab/chessie mix has a yeast infection. I have begun spraying him with Apple Cider Vinegar and water solution 3 times a day. How long should it take for his bald patches to begin to grow back? I am also giving him plain yogurt with his meals."
02/17/2012: Samantha from East Haven, Ct: "I have 2 English Bulldogs, a male and a female! My male has no problems at all. My female on the other hand has had ear, feet and wrinkle problems for about a year. My vet said it is probably an allergy. Well I have been usiong the Zymox on her ears which helps alot!
My question is, can I use the apple cider vinegar on her face, (wrinkles) and if so how much?? I purchased acidopholus pills today, so I will be starting that with plain yogurt tonight! Does anyone have any tips for the folds of her face?? also I just switched her food to Wellness core Oceanfish."
Replies02/22/2012: Samantha from East Haven, Ct replies: "Does anyone have any info on if it is harmful to use ACV on her face??"12/31/2012: Nina from Fernandina Beach, Florida replies: "My vet in Fernandina Beach florida told me ACV/water 50/50 to flush the ears weekly to restore the PH balance. If I don't... the lab smells. I just took a Mastiff to foster for adoption for Mastiff Rescue of Florida--will start the ACV and go for yogurt today."[YEA] 11/02/2011: Mons from Chattanooga, Tn: "I have a 6 yr old daschund and he has been having a horrible time with yeast infections in his ears and all over his body. I just found this site yesterday looking for a home remedy because we just can not afford the vet bills. We gave him a bath last night and right before we got him out we poured a little ACV diluted with water over this back but did not rinse him after that. He did not itch at all for the rest of the night, it was amazing. However he did wake up in the middle of the night itching again, I know it takes awhile to completely clear up so we are gonna continue this for a few weeks and hope it continues to give him relief. Also, wanted to put some ACV drops in his ears but was not sure how much. I think I will just try to put a couple of drops in each ear tonight and see if that helps. Thanks so much for this site, this has helped answer a lot of my questions."
Replies11/11/2011: Jan from Denver, Colorado Usa replies: "I would suggest you feed a dog with yeast issues a grain free/potato free food such as nature's variety instinct or great life grain free. Also make sure any treats do not contain any grains or potatoes... Yes, they are expensive but compared to vet bills and meds it is actually cheaper. Find a shampoo that does not contain any grains such as oatmeal.... Tea tree or neem works... It has been my experience that most vets do not have much knowledge of nutrition or using food to heal. Google yeast free diets for dogs. I now have a foster golden with this issue and am using the foods above...."10/03/2012: Chase from Reading, Pa replies: "I've tried a grain free diet and it has seemed to work. I heard their raw diet works well too. I have an English bulldog who constantly gets ear infections."02/20/2013: Lilly from Pompano Beach, Florida replies: "Please know that after years of searching for a remedy for my dog's itching, scratching and allergy to fleas. I read (in one of my many searches) that if your dog has allergies and or licks their feet. They have candida albacan (spelling may be off). You need to take her or him off all carbs, to starve the yeast. So I took my dog off of all dog food, bought some beef liver, heart, and ground beef. She gets one patty (ground beef), one liver and one slice of heart for breakfast and dinner, nothing else. I also give her activated charcoal and diatomaceous earth to help get rid of the yeast. It's only been one day but I think this will detox her from the yeast and any other allergies she may have. Good luck. BTW, she is a 70lb pit bull."02/20/2013: Monika from Cooroy, Queensland, Australia replies: "hi, my dog a west highlander has a very bad yeast infection. I'll start tomorrow with the ACV treatment and yoghourt. I use for a short time the shampoo and conditioner Pet Esthe. It is 100% natural. The ingrediens are from bamboo and charcol. After the first wash my dog my dog didn't scrached at all for two days. I hope with the vinegar I get rid of the yest."10/18/2013: Irishsilk from Georgia replies: "I have a 14 week old blue pit bull pup named Bella, she's a rescue dog and I got her at only 4 weeks old. Needless to say she had not been weaned so I weaned her on Purina Puppy Chow and a weaning formula from PetSmart. She was not infested with fleas thank goodness but I very quickly noticed she was scratching and itching a lot. I kept her on the basic puppy chow and formula until she was 6 weeks old, at that point her itching was getting much worse and I could see her skin, which is very pink on her belly looked red and felt hot to the touch, so I took her completely off the puppy chow and started her on Pedigree Healthy Digestion (canned) and One Beyond kibble by Purina. She's a very active and rambunctious little gal with loads of energy, I caught her rolling and tumbling in poision ivy. Seemed like she was drawn to it for some reason, my husband went to the point of fencing the area with the posion ivy off, anyway I beleive she is allergic to it just as most human's are. At this point I know I am dealing with allegies and that she also has yeast. Thanks for all the great information on yeast infections! I am using tea tree oil shampoo and white vinegar rinse, also started her on probiotics, fish oil and DE. I am now searching for the right food for her. I am open for suggestions, please. Blue Buffalo Wilderness has been highly reccomended as well as Precise lamb meal and rice."10/18/2013: Theresa from Mpls., Mn replies: "Hey Irish!Your baby sounds like a lil' doll-baby! [Yes, I am partial to the breed! ]
The probiotics are certainly a step in the right direction; consider this formula - DDS w/FOS - am and pm for 3 weeks as a start. After 3 weeks consider switching to a PB8 formula for an additional 3-6 weeks. Probiotics are good, but they are not all the same - the DDS w/FOS contains both acidophillus and sort of a starter medium to help get the bacteria established in the gut. The PB8 has additional strains of acidophillus and also has a bacteria 'feeder' to further help establish the 'good' bacteria in the gut.
You are right to consider a change in diet. There are so many kibbles out and the branding and advertising can make it confusing and hard to choose. The right diet is whichever one your pup thrives on. If you started on a puppy chow, at 14 weeks you should be switching to an adult forumla. The main ingredients in the diets you have been feeding is CORN. This can cause all sorts of problems as you have seen. Consider feeding a 5 or 6 star diet from the diets rated on this site:
I typically hard switch diets rather than fiddle with the gradual mixing of kibbles; to avoid loose stools simply feed a small quanity to start, and increase the portion over 2 days. If after switching fully to the new diet you see loose stools it may be due to feeding too large a portion, so reduce the portion size; this is particularly true for high protien/mostly meat based diets such as Orijen.
Be on the lookout for yeasty gunky ears and urinary tract infections; if you notice frequent urination keep an eye out, as high corn diets are thought to contribute to UTIs and now that your girly is heading down the road to puppy puberty changes in her vulva may also create an environment for a UTI to take hold.
Ahh - pibble puppy breath! I can smell it from here!"
Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional medical prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your physician, pharmacist, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs or diagnose your particular medical history.