Apple Cider Vinegar and Yogurt for Dog Yeast Infections

I also was so pleased to find this site, my Jack Russell bitch had been involved in a fight with another JRT which resulted in a flesh wound under her eye which needed surgery, after surgery she needed two courses of antibiotics, which I hated giving her but the eye is too delicate to take chances with. When the infection had cleared after about a month she developed a bladder infection again we were given antibiotics by the vet, when the symptoms had subsided she suddenly had intense scratching fits, where she was digging at her skin & making it red & even in some places drawing blood. I then began to link the antibiotics with a yeast infection as we had had experience with this problem in the family, so I looked on-line & I couldn't believe how common it was. I immediately rang the vet to see if they could advise on diet etc. but they said they would have to see her, I had already paid out £300 for the op & meds - so I decided to treat her naturally.

I read the first step was to eliminate all starches & sugar & put her on a raw diet without kibbles, this seemed to calm things down, but by day 5 she had awful diarrhoea & I had read that it is not a good idea to give a senior dog raw meat at this stage in her life. I then found this page & the ACV & yoghurt diet, I was confused because I had ready dairy was not good as it feeds the yeast, but decided the good outweighed the bad.

I rinsed her daily in ACV & put a teaspoon in her food, I also alternated with a spoonful of coconut oil & a tablespoon of live yoghurt, after 4 or 5 days the improvement was amazing!!

We are now on week 4 where she just has her cooked meat & grain free kibble (Lilys Pantry)

It's so lovely to have our healthy dog back again,

I would recommend it to anyone.

Follow up on Charlie, my 7 yr old Parson Russell Terrier: It has been almost a week since I started the yogurt, twice a day and the ACV treatments. I am totally amazed, it is at least 90% cleared up. He's not scratching and the "ugly" stuff on his skin is almost gone. Changing his diet and watching what we feed him, I'm sure is helping. He is so happy, you can just see it in his face and the way he wants to play again. This is amazing. If anyone has any doubts about doing this, at least try it. It worked for Charlie.

By the way Kelso D. Vinegar is a double fermentation process where the sugar is first distilled into alcohol and then the alcohol is distilled into vinegar. There is no sugar in vinegar and white vinegar goes through the same process beginning with sugar. Your friendly neighborhood nerdy friend.

YEA!!!! I am so glad I found your site. This has been the best info I have found about yeast infections in dogs. I have a 7 year old Parson Russell Terrier who has been showing all the signs of a yeast infection and getting worse ever day. I first thought he had gotten some kind of infection from the new groomer I took him to in November, because that was when I started seeing the redness and the "pimple like" bumps on his hind quarters. I started the plain yogurt yesterday and also started spraying the 50/50 mixture of ACV and water. Although he is still scratching and that might take some time, it is greatly reduced. On the real red inflamed areas I have used a small amount of Gold Bond medicated powder, this seems to help. I also changed his diet to Precise Holistic Complete. Thank you, for this solution, he's seems happier. The question I do have is he is a rough coat dog and I have been afraid to have him groomed and he is getting quite hairy. Should I wait till this has cleared up more or can I have him cut, we normally have him shaved down with his beard area just cut? Thank you.

My Springer Dodge has battled yeasty skin for two years. After trying everything, we decided it was time to get him allergy tested. He was scratching himself raw, even while on antihistamines. Thing is, to allergy test one must remove every possible allergen from the environment and feed a prescription diet. We tried grain free and low sugar diets. Vet explained we needed to feed Dodge something he has never eaten before, EVER!

I wanted Royal Canine Kangaroo and potatoes, but had to go with rabbit and potatoes/grain free. Cannot feed anything manufactured on the same equipment as other foods. We also have to put the bag of RC in the freezer for 24 hours to kill any possible mites picked up along the way and we had to buy an air tight container to dump the food into to prevent any other bugs from getting in that may have been in the other bags of food. Then we had to have a heartworm, flea prevention tablet specially made at a pharmacy.

Turned out a year supply is only $10 more than a 6 month supply of a product we are all familiar with and you still have to buy flea prevention. Vet explained for some reason it is very rare for a dog to be allergic to peanut butter, so the heart shaped tabs are made with peanut butter. Next, I have to keep him clipped close. Moisture is trapped on the skin because of the Springer's undercoat. I bought my own clippers and have become a pro at clipping our boys! Using an antifungal shampoo (over the counter is cheaper and uses same ingredients as vet purchased) and rinsing with ACV and water (50/50) is important.

We've had an unexpected medical emergency and our income has been reduced by 2/3 of what our budget was built around, so we cannot afford the $300 allergy testing to determine exactly what it is he is allergic too. If it is fescue grasses I'm afraid all we can do is keep Dodge in a bubble! My vet approves a prescription diet request every 6 wks from Chewy.com and we have a 25 pound bag delivered right to the house.

We also order our Sam a low calorie diet and our foster, Tyger, gets grain free Taste of the Wild, Pacific Stream. We also get a 20 pound bag of catfood delivered less frequently. The cost of each of the three dog foods are significantly less at Chewy and they are delivered for free. While Dodge still has spells. We suspect it's because our cats keep shoving dry food onto the floor (we feed them on a bar counter top) and we don't catch it on time.

The strict diet, keeping his coat clipped short, once a week baths with antifungal shampoo, ACV rinses, and removing his collar to avoid moisture behind it from doggie slobber while playing, has made a huge improvement! Granted, he still smells like a frito and he still has bad flares, but overall I'd say we've done all we can for Dodge. Until our finances improve and we can have him allergy tested to "maybe" pinpoint what the allergy is, we have done everything within our means to clear him up. He's a very happy boy, so it can't be all bad! Unfortunately our vet broke the news that even allergy testing may not help, but at least we know we've done all we can. I hope this information helps you decide if you should keep your furkid clipped close as long as he's battling yeasty skin. Sorry this is so lengthy, but I felt like our two year experience with yeasty skin was worth sharing. Hope it helps someone along the way!

Ms. Debbiefudge,

While it is true that apples have sugar (a lot, actually) apple-cider vinegar (ACV) does not. There is not sugar in any vinegar, if it did; it would not be vinegar. The primary difference in white vinegar and ACV, is that ACV tends to be marketed as organic. Research the brand to make sure that is. White vinegar can be used, I am not debating that. The primary chemical reaction of the yeast to either vinegar is the same.

It is very beneficial for human's to consume ACV, as well.

As stated, white vinegar is excellent to clean with. Far more natural than most all household cleaning chemicals; white vinegar deodorizes and disinfects. It is great to use in washing machines, pour a cup to a 1.5c in and fill (med) with water, allow to soak for an hour, then finish cycle. It will prolong the life of the machine, allow it to work better and is an automatic recommendation after washing bedclothes when a family illness has been passed around. Most store bought soaps leave residues that build in water lines- the vinegar will loosen and disinfect that residue!

Hi, The most important thing with yeast issues, is to look at diet and the ingredients of what you are feeding. The best diet, is raw meat/raw bones.

• Bath in an antifungal shampoo and as a final rinse, use half water/half white vinegar. Leave on to dry. You can also use the same mixture in a spray bottle, for any 'hot spots' And to clean out 'mucky ears'
• Don't give tap water to drink, only bottled water.
• Give turmeric with a little bit of black pepper and virgin coconut oil.
• Give probiotic yogurt. Stay away from ACV because of the apples. (natural sugars).
• Give garlic everyday.
• Stay away from any chemicals. Such as 'flea drops'.
• No treats or dog biscuits. Most, yeast issues are to do with diet. Commercial dog food is full of crap.
• NO, booster vaccinations.
• Stay away from cleaning products. I use, white vinegar for everything!!

Do lots of research.

My 16 lb. , 6 year old Shih Tzu has always had yeast infections under her eyes. I put 1/4 teas. Angels Eyes in her food daily which keeps the tear stains away but not the smell. In the last six months she has been scratching, biting, licking her hind legs, lower stomach and sides of her anus. Per vet I give her 1/2 Bynedril and that helps temporarily. It was only when I noticed that the areas that were itching smelled like the yeast infection under her eyes that I began researching it on the internet. I changed her food to Purina Pro Plan for sensitive skin when I read that foods containing beets caused red yeast in some dogs (and the Kirkland dry food I was giving her did). That alone really cleared up her eyes. But, when I found this site and began giving her yogurt she quit scratching within 3 days. I am so thankful. I give her 1/2 cup of yogurt each morning and 1/2 cup dry dog food at night. I haven't needed to try the vinegar as yet. What did we do before the Internet?

I have to write and respond to this webpage/line of threads. I have a 5 yr old bulldog that we recently acquired. He came to us with a yeast infection in the fold above his nose and in the fold over his tail. I wash his face and butt every day but couldn't believe how dirty his folds would get every washing especially since he eats dry food. I ended up taking him to the vet for another little sore on his paw and asked the vet why he would get so dirty in his folds every day. I was then told it was a yeast infection. Who knew??? He was put on antibiotics which did clear up the infection only to have him break out with hot spots two days after the antibiotics were gone.

Another trip to the vet for more meds. The hot spots are almost gone but his skin is very red still. While I was washing his face again last Thursday I see the brown greasy yeast infection is back. UGH pissed. So I searched the web and found this sight, after alot of reading and searching other sites I decided to try the ACV and yoguart. 2 DAYS!!! Its gone... I can't believe it. I know I caught it early this time but still I an thrilled with the results of the yogurt and vinegar treatment. I also changed his food to a no grain "taste of the wild" I would rather spend the money on his food than at the vet.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Hi there, I am over the moon with this site and the testimonies. I have a 6 year old westie who has recently developed an allergy to yeast resulting in spots and pustules in his back chest and stomach, and incessant paw licking , his summers were torture for him him being unable to swim as it cancelled out the effects of the shampoo; he was advised to be washed with Malaseb shampoo which does briefly, calm the symptoms down but not allieviate them it also make it hard to innoculate for fleas with a topical treatment because of all the washing. He was still left with the irritation, rubbing of his behind along the floor almost permanently licking of the paws and belly, a bald patch on his back from rubbing and scratching.

Then I saw this site- absolutely amazing. Did as the previous lady mentioned- shallow filled a bath to about an inch poured neat Apple Cider Vinegar over him then sponged him and left the dilute on him he didn't scratch for the rest of the day. Am now giving him a tablespoon of yogurt twice daily which he happily licks of the spoon, am making my own now for extra goodness and money saving, and I put a small amount of Apple Cider Vinegar in his water gradually building up to additional strength, and spray him with the 50/50 solution daily.

I am only on day three and he is virtually a different dog much happier 98 per cent less itchy it is early days. I am sooo thankful to all the people on this site for their insight, so pleased I stumbled across this site by accident when I typed in cheap alternatives to malaseb, v clever. I have done some research on Apple Cider Vinegar- amazing, his coat is so glossy, apparantly it helps prevent fleas and ticks which I think someone mentioned on this site so amazing, overjoyed.

Peace out.

I believe that apple cider vinegar should not be used for yeast infections.. It should be white vinegar... Yeast needs three things to survive, sugar, heat and moisture... Apples have way too much sugar, check out the mercola website, great vet.

Hi Theresa,

My dog refuses to drink the water with bicarb in it. Any tips?

Just like others, I would like to know the amount of yogurt and ACV being put in food? I have an 8 lb yorkshire terrier, Flora. She suffers from ongoing ear issues with the scratching, head shaking, whining, etc. Some days are worse than others, and the ear wash and solution I have been using are not helping. The one time I had the vet prescribe antibiotics and wash, it cost me a mint, and the condition improved, but returned. Can't afford to pay her the monthly cost required! Please advise about amounts to add to food. THANKS!

Ok, so some feedback... I am having some success with AppleCider Vinegar (ACV) in alleviating some symptoms of systemic yeast infection in my two dogs. Two Staffordshire Terriers, about 79pounds in weight each. A Father/Son duo. The father has had what I now know to be yeast infection symptoms for YEARS... Lethargy(we thought he was "laid back"), swollen&red penis sheath with a mucous-ish dishcharge (we thought it was food allergy and tried many many foods), some ear scratching (thought it was mites), and Seizures! (We thought his brain was a little "short-circuited" or defective or epilectic). We also thought the seizures were the result of a sensitivity to chemicals, ie: yard pesticides, flea shampoos etc.

It was the incessant (recent now that hot humid Southern USA Summer is here) foot licking and then the brown waxy substance at the base of several of his nails that started my search for an answer - he had licked one pad absolutely raw - almost oozing blood. A friend and knowledgable dog person suggested it might be a yeast infection. I had no idea a dog could get a yeast infection. I found this EarthClinic site and was spellbound reading the posts.

It's been two weeks of ACV treatment and here's what I've done... One Tablespoon of ACV per dog, per day. They don't care much for it and I have to keep switching how I "trick" them into ingesting it. I've used the pill-pocket type of thing commercially available, but it doesn't hold much and the vinegar makes them go "gummy" very very quickly. I tried it in their food, but they'd turn their noses up at it and I had to stand my ground and not feed them anything else until they gave up and were hungry enough to eat it anyway (maybe a 12 hour standoff). My current, successful, "trick" is to measure out the tablespoon of ACV and slowly pour it along one half of a hotdog roll. I break each half of roll into quarters, make them Sit and their other limited tricks and give the piece as a "treat". The older dog loves bread of any kind and just gobbles it down; the younger dog is catching on that it's vinegar and turns his nose up at it until he sees his father/buddy eating the same thing - he can't stand to be left out of anything and then deigns to eat each piece. I've successfully used a soaked pretzel rod to the same end. I have begun giving them this soaked piece just after they have eaten half the normal amount of their regular food so that the full strength vinegar isn't upsetting to their stomach. They seem happier with this timing. And, by soaking each piece of bread I know that each dog got their dose of ACV for the day.

The greek yogurt... My dogs don't particularly like it. I am sticking with it because it has multiple kinds of the "good bacteria" a digestive system needs. I am, again, "tricking" them into ingesting it... I put about 2 tablespoons on top of their dry food, keeping it in a little heap - don't spread it out - , then pour over that some wet food w gravy that I know they love to eat. They eat the yogurt in the process of eating the wet food that they love. I no longer Stir the yogurt into the food (thinking that mixing it would make it more palatable) as my two dogs will turn their nose up at it and refuse to eat it at all, even when I wait 12-18 hours for them to "give in" and eat it anyway. I feed a very high quality dog food and can't afford to waste it like that. Initially I was giving each dog one-third of a cup per day for the first week. I have since backed off to the heaping tablespoon per dog per day.

Diluted vinegar in the ears: Well, I tried the 1/3 ACV to 2/3 water once in the younger dog's itchiest ear. He was so blatantly miserable and in pain that I apologized profusely as I grabbed a handlfull of cottonballs soaked them in water and flushed the vinegar out. He forgave me, but wanted to hide when he saw a cottonball and smelled the vinegar. So, I diluted the mix down to maybe 1/8 ACV and 7/8 water.(1/8 cup vinegar to 7/8 cup water). I put the mix in it's own spray bottle so it was ready to use anytime. I then thought it's be easy just to spray the mix onto their paws and/or ears. Ha - silly me. My dogs are afraid of the spraying sound and, after almost dislocating my shoulder holding them to me as I sprayed their feet, I caught on and changed tactics. I now soak a palmful of cottonballs with the spray bottle solution and then walk calmly into the room they are lounging in and very gently swab between their toes, around the base of each nail and then another clean cottonball to gently wipe the inside/underside of their ear flaps. They no longer have the discharge at the nail bases and they don't run when they see me with a cottonball!

OverTheCounter Yeast Infection ointment: I bought the version with a tube of ointment with 7 applicator tubes. You screw the applicator onto the tube and squeeze in a small amount of ointment (maybe the size of three green peas, or the size of a mini marshmallow). The applicator is smooth and sterile and slips easily into the penis sheath with no "wrestling" of the dog to comply. Press the plunger and the ointment is deposited. I used one small dose each day for 5 days.

Results so far: The older dog stopped chewing at his feet in just a few days and hasn't licked any raw spots at all, seldom licks at all now (two weeks in). His penis sheath is less than half as swollen as it was and the mucous-ish discharge has stopped. It is not longer an angry-hot red at the opening. He is not dragging his rectum on the carpet as if it itched. He had one seizure on the third day of treatment, but it was smaller and less intense than any other ever and he recovered very quickly as well. He is not itching at his ears with vigor, just the occasional, more typical, doggy itchy-scratchy of an ear. His eyes are not as red at the rims/base of eyelashes as they were and he seems to be "feeling better" and has more energy and actually plays with toys now instead of just having his head down and looking up at you with very sad eyes as if to say I Don't Feel Good.

The younger dog doesn't lick his feet anymore and the nailbed discharge/brown waxy substance is almost all gone.

And all this from a half gallon of apple cider vinegar and two large containers of greek yogurt. I think we are on to something here and it is a very pleasant surprise. I feel terrible that the older dog was in such apparent misery (Ladies - if you've had a yeast infection you KNOW what I mean! ) for so long. But, he's acting half his 9 yr age and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Moral of the story: Give it a try, the ACV and the greek yogurt(plain, no flavor), be realistic and stick to it. I didn't see any concrete proof of it working until mid way into the second week. When his discharge symptoms abate further I will lower the vinegar to half a tablespoon and the yogurt to every other day and keep it up as Preventative Maintenance.

I heard that a animal shelter for unwanted dogs was feeding the dogs canned Cat food and it worked to get rid of yeast infection in the dogs. The dogs fur is shinny and no bad odor.. there was a difference in two weeks. Also I do believe that putting flea meds on the dogs skin changed the dogs chemistry and this is what caused all these dogs yeast infection. I am going to try this on my two dogs as well.

Hey Darlene,

How bizarre to get xrays for a skin ailment. Please remember that you can say NO to any treatment you do not wish to have -and if the vet or tech pushes you can pick your dog up and leave. As to the itchy skin, the cortisone shot wears off in about 5-6 weeks. If the reason that caused your dog's itch is not remedied, the itch comes right back when the cortisone wears off. Ted's Mange Remedy can be used as a nice skin cleansing dip that can address itching and bring immediate relief. But you should look at underlying causes for your dog's recurring skin issues. Places to start would be the ingredient label on your bag of dog food. If you see grains or corn you might consider switching to a grain free diet as grains have been directly linked to skin problems in dogs. Same for any treats or chewies - do not feed your dog artificial colors or ingredients or rawhide chews. You might also consider Ted's Borax Protocol for dogs as well as alkalizing your dog's drinking water to help stop the itching from the inside out.

Isn't garlic bad for dogs??

Hey Oscar!

Yes and no.

Garlic is toxic to dogs in large amounts. If you sat your dog down and fed it 56 raw cloves of garlic, it would likely kill your dog.

If you fed your dog 1 clove your dog would likely be OK - and gain from the medicinal benefits of garlic.

There is no one blanket answer here- some are strongly opposed to feeding garlic to their dogs and some cannot count the number of benefits they find in feeding garlic to their dogs.

So go with your gut: if you find the idea unfathomable, don't feed garlic to your dog.

Hey Eadie!

You surely have been on quite the journey with Dodge! Kudos for staying the course!

I think you are doing just about all you can, however you might consider trying borax in the water to combat the yeast from the inside out.

Read up on using borax for yeast on EC:

https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/borax-for-dogs.html

Good luck!

My German shepherd has a yeast infection in both ears and hot spots. I know she is allergic to food with any chicken byproduct so I've managed that and before taking her to the vet, would like to try a safe home remedy for her ears. I saw on your discussion that ACV and yogurt seems to work the best. I know this sounds stupid, but I've never had a dog with these issues... With the ACV, do I use is as a rinse and wipe her ears out with it? If so, how often? And how much and how frequently do I give her the yogurt? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, can I use the ACV mixed with water to spray her spots after bathing her? Thank you

Hey Jen!

You can use the ACV as a rinse to flush the ears, and you can add it to your dog's food or water as well.

For the ears I find the high quality ACV is not needed and I use white vinegar. I dilute 1 part each water, vinegar and rubbing alcohol; this helps break down waxy secretions and flush them out of the ears. Flush as often as needed - twice a day or every other day as you find needed.

If the ears are red from scratching then you might consider 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water OR 1/2 cup borax powder dissolved in 1 quart water - and if they are really sore and raw then I would start with garlic infused olive oil for the first few days until the ears heal up.

If you are dealing with systemic yeast you might consider Ted's borax protocol for pets [borax in water taken internally].

You can dilute the ACV to spray on hot spots 1:10 as above. And if you are using the ACV after bathing, first rinse the entire dog in the ACV solution and then 'touch up' the hot spots afterwards.

You might also consider alkalizing with baking soda in the water - this often helps my pack when the allergy season arrives and they get itchy with hives.

As for the yogurt, you might cut to the chase and dose probiotic capsules from the health food store; this provides a more concentrated form of the probiotics without the potential of stomach upset from the dairy. I dose probiotic supplements am and pm, frequently rotating brands and strains and when all is well I hold off for a bit.

Hey Beth!

You can try making up your own anti-fungal shampoo. You can start with Dr. Bronner's Pure Castille soaps, tear free baby shampoo, or even Murphy's Original Formula Wood soap.

I would use a separate bottle and mix 1 cup of your soap/shampoo to 1 cup of water. Then add an anti-fungal like Tea Tree Oil. The purity and concentration will vary by brand - you may need 25 drops or you may only need 5; add a few drops at a time and mix and then test on your wrist and see how if feels - does it tingle? You want a tiny tingle to let you know you have the right amount of Tea Tree oil. Lavender essential oil is also another good one to add for troubled skin to help calm it. Again, depending on the brand you buy you may need 5 drops or you might need 15 drops. Rest the mixed solution in warm water and shake well before using on your dog. Allow the solution to sit on your dog and 'work' for 10 minutes and then carefully rinse off. A super weak, diluted vinegar rinse may be helpful to neutralize any soap residue - think 1 oz white vinegar to 1 gallon of water. Once she is dried I might dab the sores and scabs with OTC Neosporin, or herbal calendula cream or coconut oil mixed with a few drops of lavender to help keep the skin calm and soft and to aid in healing. Evening primrose oil - 1 pill am and pm may also help with flaky skin.

If your dog isn't much of a drinker you might have to encourage her to drink by using a syringe drip water into her mouth while her head is tilted back; I would add borax to the drinking water to help combat the yeast inside as well as out.

For such a tiny girl you might consider a home made diet - there are brands such as So-Jo's where you buy meat and add to it and make up small batches as needed -or you can simply make your own; plenty of recipes for home raw diets if you google. A home diet will ensure your girl is getting only the best groceries, and you can mix in powdered acidophillus - a more concentrated form of probiotic than the yogurt. Some people report good results by mixing diatomaceous earth into the food as well as activated charcoal; use small amounts so as not to make the food unpalatable.

Lastly, make sure all her bedding is cleaned and changed out daily to rule out parasites like mange mites and fleas.

Healing does take time - so please report back!

How much Apple Cider Vinegar did you give your dog?

I am so frustrated and saddened for my 17 yr. Old Shih-Tzu, Munchkin, who was a healthy and happy girl until approx two years ago when she developed what our vet has diagnosed as a yeast infection caused by an allergen. Munchkin's belly, between her hind legs, ears, etc., turns grayish, the skin becomes moist and swells from her licking and biting and has an unpleasant odor.

I believe the yeast has also contributed to her ongoing eye problems. I've tried the steroids, antibiotics, eye/ear drops etc. , and these so-called "remedies" only treat the symptoms but sadly do not cure the infection. After reading similar Shih-Tzu and Lhasa Apso stories, I've decided to try the ACV/yogurt treatment on Munchkin. It makes complete sense that the good bacteria contained in yogurt counteracts w/ the bad bacteria causing yeast, and the ACV helps to dry up the skin and treat the itching. Suggestions from other Shih-Tzu or Lhasa Apso "parents" is welcomed and appreciated.

Hey Linda,

Do you know *why* your rottie is getting ear infections? If you can determine the source you may be able to avoid them in the long term. Common causes are the wrong diet or a food allergy. Check out your ingredient label and if you see grains/corn/soy consider feeding a grain free diet for 6 weeks to see if you notice a difference. Avoid foods and treats with artificial colors and dyes, and avoid rawhide products entirely. You may find that by changing the diet that the ear issues are cut way down. You might also consider the Arane ear formula:

https://www.earthclinic.com/arcane-solution-ear-infection-dogs.html

Good luck and report back!

I recently tried the ACV and yogurt.... 2 weeks later my dog died from bloat :'( must have been the change in diet, if I had known I would have kept her skin and ears as they were... I loved her so much, the pain is unreal :( so my advice is dont try this it may happen to your dog.... Love them as they are like I did :(

I would think giving hot dogs, bread, and pretzels to a dog that is itchy would not be a good idea because most itchy dogs need a grain free gluten free diet. I have schnauzers with terrible skin allergies and cannot feed them anything like that. I boil chicken breast for them and feed them nature's variety Raw Boost dry dog food. If they eat anything with grain they start itching again. They have been on vet meds for the past 4 years for allergies and finally the change in food helped. Even though ACV is great for them I would think giving it in bread hot dogs or pretzels is not a good idea

Thanks everyone, great advice! I was about to take my english staffy to the vet for about the 5th time in 3 years for similar symptons, just constantly licking, scratching and red all over. The gave me macrolene on both occasions which I refuse to give to her, it completely changes her personality, temper and last time she even got out and went off on her own and I nearly lost her, she would NEVER normally do that! I am about to start these treatments tonight and will definitely let you know how I go. Thanks to you all for your input!

Dear Debbie, Hopefully clearing up his yeast will get rid of the odor. One thing you can try for all of the problems you metion is activated charcoal. You can get the powder at a health food store. I use it for my children and pets and farm animals and it is very safe and effective and inexpensive. You can mix 1 t. In his food (careful, it stains) This will help with odor, even now. I would do this once or twice a day. If he seems constipated, give less. You can take 1 t. Of the charcoal powder and mix it in 1/2 cup of water. Shake it up and then strain the powder out through a coffee filter. The filtered charcoal water can be used as eye drops and ear drops. A drop or two in the eyes and/or ears twice a day. I wouldn't have believed it, but it has cleared up all kinds of problems for my family and animals. I hope you dog is better soon!

~Mama to Many~

Hello, my fiance and I adopted a valley bulldog and she has a severe ear infection and we want to try the ACV method. Was your dog's ears canal swollen shut? Ours is and I'm wondering if it will still help it.

ACV and Yogurt. IT WORKS!

Our experience. My dog Willow is a 20lb terrier mix, current age 2 1/2, fixed female. We rescued her at age 5 mo. She is the best dog I have ever had the pleasure of living with. From day one she has been a no issue pup, except... Allergies. At approx. 9 mo. old she had an eye infection. The Vet gave antibiotic eye meds and cleared right up. 3 mo. later, same thing. Same meds again, cleared up again. At 1 1/2 years old she started licking her paws to the point of no hair on the paw. Vet gave some antibiotic spray, Seemed to clear up. Approx 3 mos later she started loosing all her fur on her back legs and around her rear. Vet said, Allergies. Gave steroid shot and she was fine, fur grew back. 1 mo later same thing except now all four legs and all paws. Vet suggested steroid pills, we tried them for about 2 weeks and she was not getting much better, but the steroid pills made her a zombie dog. I stopped the meds and went in search of a vet that might be able to help. After 4 vets, all suggesting the same thing, I found a great vet that was willing to work with us. After much trail and error and little success, we discovered a med called Atopica. This once a day pill isnt a steroid, so no side effects. Willow responded very well, 80-90% of fur grew back and no noticeable itching/scratching. Then i stumbled onto this site. Even with the Atopica, Willow would get small patches of what the vet said was a skin yeast infection. 2 wks ago i started the ACV/Yogurt treatment. Within 3 days i saw noticeable improvement. Now she has fur gowing fur where i didnt know she grew it! No yeast spots on skin. Absolutely no itching/scratching. Wow! I also had an allergy test done on her 6 wks ago. She was slightly allergic of turkey/chicken. Of course I was feeding her Orijen kibble mixed with Wellness Core kibble, both turkey/chicken. So for the last month she has been on Wellness Core Fish kibble, with a 1/4 can of canned salmon in the morn. I also stopped the Atopica when I started the ACV/Yogurt. In the morn i have been putting 2 teaspoons of ACV on her canned fish along with 2 squirts of high omega fish oil. At lunch she gets a 1/4 cup of plain Yogurt. 1 cup of Grain free Wellness Core kibble, which she eats over the day. Thats it. I guess it could be the new food, but i didnt notice much difference till we started the ACV/Yogurt. I am going to keep this up. I did use white vinegar, 50/50 w/water on her yeast spots and they cleared up in a few days. They havent returned and fur has grown over the spots. We have our little furry pup back! She is so comfortable now. Its so nice seeing her with no discomfort. Thanks so much for this info. I will keep posting to let everyone know if this treatment is lasting. It sure seems to have worked for us. After 4 vets and hundreds dollors, if not more, this is a blessing. Thanks Again!!!

When I got my little guy, he had been on allergy meds forever. His name is Houdini and he's a shih tzu. Very inbred, lots of problems, sweetest and cutest dog ever. I got him when he was 5. He's now 11. I've taken him off of the allergy meds and given him Orijen foods for several years and am currently trying a raw/dehydrated food. Over time I've learned of his allergies (chicken, wheat, cinnamon, red dyes, venison, etc. ) and eliminated all of them - finding food he can eat has proven difficult at times. Chicken is in EVERYTHING!! Also, funny thing, the allergy meds were pink... And it's common for some dogs, specifically shih tzus, to have problems with red dyes!! Tell me how that was going to help anything?? plus, red dyes are sooo toxic!! He is extremely yeasty and over time, has developed an OCD of licking. This licking is the worst thing ever!! If I could get him to stop, everything would be perfect. Basically what happens is that he licks and keeps his chin (or his leg) moist. Yeast grows. He injests the yeast (thinks it smells yummy) AND spreads it with his saliva. And the vicious cycle keeps going. I've managed to mostly keep him from his legs and ears by using a cone. Poor guy lives in his "hat" most of the time. Right now it's his chin that I'm having problems with. I'm working on that, but I just wanted to leave a few comments for people having problems with ears... What I've figured out is exactly what I described above. Obviously you can get water into a dog's ear when bathing him, but I've also found another reason. A dog normally itches his ear and then cleans off his toes afterwards by licking them. Sometimes he'll scratch his ear again... Putting saliva into his ear. If conditions are right, yeast can grow. More itching ear. More licking toes. If there's yeast in the ear, he's now injesting it when he licks off his toes. I've found that using a cone has kept my little one's ears clean for over a year since he cannot scratch them. Since he's an obsessive licker and will soak his feet, it's guaranteed that they'll reinfect if he has the chance. (one ear or the other was pretty much infected since I had him... I was always treating them with drops). I'm not saying to leave your pup in the cone forever, but maybe until the ears clear up and the scratching stops. Also, as horrible as it may sound, I've found the best treatment for my little guy for hot spots has been head and shoulders shampoo. I've tried every other medicated shampoo out there and spent a lot of money. Nothing every worked. Some helped a little, but he'd still flare up. Now, if he's managed to lick an area to yeast, all I have to do is give him a shampoo every two days for a week and he's good to go. I only use it when it's necessary, but, since it's currently the ONLY thing helping him, head and shoulders is what I use. (i find it works best if you use both shampoo and conditioner. ) Now if I could only get him to stop licking until his chin is soaked. THEN I could really get his system yeast free!!

For Taimi: I thought about how your baby licks his feet. I had a yorkie who was allergic to grass. Every time we took her out and back in we had to wipe off her feet with a damp rag. Its worse when there is dew on the grass. Never tried it but can you put baby or doll socks on his feet? Maybe if you put coconut oil on then socks he wouldnt lick so much or only socks when he goes out. I give my yorkies one teaspoon of organic coconut oil in their food everyday. No more yeast or any skin problems. As a bonus they stopped spitting up that yellow foam once or twice a month. Good luck

i have a nine month old german shephard and have spend thousands on him in vet bills due to asumed food allergies, meds you name it hes been on them. well i took matters into my own hands due to nothing else working and running out of money and patience.he had parvo when we got him and has been on all kinds of medications therafter and i read up on line and it clicked the meds were making him worse the itching, scratching,chewing i thought yeast infection makes perfect sense.i give him 1 table spoon of organic yoghurt, watch the sugar content, with a probiotic mixed in. use apple cidar vinegar in his water 1 to 2 tablespoons and spray the affected areas with 50/50 white vinegar and distilled water. its a slow process ita been 7 days he is not itching and his fur is deffinatly growing back wow all from me reading on this site and best of all no vet bills !!!!

I have a six year old American Pitbull named Bleu. He weighs 100lbs(yes, heavy I know for a pit) he has been suffering from what I recently discovered through this site was yeast infections on his skin. This was confirmed by yet another $150.00 trip to the vet. I have started him on the yogurt and ACV. I mix the yogurt with 1/2lb of cooked 70/30 burger, 1 cup of plain yogurt, 2 raw eggs, 1 Tbls of ACV and a dash of garlic powder and he loves it. I also switched his regular food to an all natural one with the main ingrediant being salmon. So far so good. I spray him once a day with 50/50 water and distilled white vineger. I never thought I could get that smell to go away, but it's gone. No more cheese whiz, dirty sneakers, make my eyes water smell. I would like to thank everyone on this site for their advice. I didn't want to put him down, he is my best friend. My son's got him for me before they left on thier first tours of Iraq and has been my constant companion ever since. Thanks for help saving my Baby Bleu.

Mary

I read on here and another web site that potatoe is bad for this problem..We just started our shih tzu's on this yogurt and ACV today.Good luck with your dog! I hope this helps em.

I have done a lot of reading on what will work for yeast infections in dogs. Our Bichon / English Bull Dog has suffered from yeast infections his whole life. We have tried many medications /remedies some worked temporarily, but nothing has been as effective as ACV and yogurt and Melaleuca honey. I am including just one site that talks about the benefits of Melaleuca honey but if you google "Melaleuca honey for dogs" you will see that it is a popular, accepted and beneficial treatment for bacteria /fungus treatment along with AVC and yogurt.

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/manuka-honey-for-your-dog

How often are you meant to use the apple cider vinegar 50/50 spray on your dog? I've just started this today.

I was very glad to find this site and read everyone's amazing testimonials. I have two German Shepherd dogs. My male is much more severe at this point and after many failed vet diagnoses (from environmental allergies to food allergies, etc.) to being on antibiotics and allergy medicine I found myself searching for my own answers. I am very confident that what we are dealing with is a yeast infection from everything I have read. I started giving ACV and yogurt several days ago but am not seeing much difference in my male yet. He is scared to death of a spray bottle so I will have to soak a wash cloth with the solution. With the double coat on them I gave to try to get it down to their skin so that could be a challenge. I am also starting them on DinOvite which is an enzyme that will help with what is going on in their gut along with the ACV and yogurt.

Hello Lori,

Please also consider your dogs diet; grain based diets have been linked to skin issues in dogs. If the food your feed contains corn or grain, a switch to a grain free diet is needed. Also consider alkalizing your dogs drinking water and Ted's Borax Protocol for dogs to help fight the yeast from the inside out.

Hi, did you bath your dog in the water with some added acv? Also put it in their food daily? Both my dogs are covered in a yeast infection. They are on a raw food diet and grain free kibble. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hey Alison,

You might try dipping both of your dogs in Ted's Mange Remedy or Ted's Antifungal/Antistaph solution - this to knock down the yeast population on the surface of your dogs skin. You might also follow up with Ted's Borax protocol for dogs and also alkalizing the drinking water so you can fight the yeast from the inside out. Also consider adding probiotics to your dogs diet - you can vary the brand and type by buying a different product when the first bottle runs out, ie rotate the various strains and products so you give your dogs a variety and not just one type of probiotic.

My Yorkie has the same thing. I thought allergies and as he was scratching so hard all one night he was bleeding so he ended up getting Xrays? and antibiotics and cortisone. So about a few weeks later he is eating his paws and scratching again. I have tried everything. I can't go the the vet all the time and pay about $500 as in last bill. Xrays? I am still not sure why he had those for scratching? I will be going out right away for the cider vinegar and I already have the tea tree shampoo for itching. Thanks.

Thank you! My vet gave my dog a so called rabies shot and his heart blew up three sizes in one day. Of course I had to pay for the x-rays and everything else that followed. he even offered to sell me a dog coffin-it was a nightmare and totally unnecessary. if only I had turned off the tv and read my holistic dog encyclopedia my baby would be here today...

I have a 6 year ild male neutured pitbull that I recently started him on the yogurt and ACV I was just wondering fi I spray him eith the 50/50 everyday it?

Dr. Karen Becker recommend A little garlic & also oregano, as well as rinses of water, vinegar & hydrogen peroxide. But says the peroxide will bleach a black dog, therefore use water & vinegar. Find her video at Mercola.com or YouTube on "Yeasty dogs."

What challenges me is finding a decent food, as raw is simply not affordable when your dog is 90lbs and you have 2 teenage boys. Please help!

My German shepherd has a yeast infection in both ears and hot spots. I know she is allergic to food with any chicken byproduct so I've managed that and before taking her to the vet, would like to try a safe home remedy for her ears. I saw on your discussion that ACV and yogurt seems to work the best. I know this sounds stupid, but I've never had a dog with these issues... With the ACV, do I use is as a rinse and wipe her ears out with it? If so, how often? And how much and how frequently do I give her the yogurt? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also, can I use the ACV mixed with water to spray her spots after bathing her? Thank you

Wed, 18 Feb 15 16:20:05 -0500

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