Beat Pet Yeast Infections: Raw Diet & Natural Remedies

I have been reading about your dog with my heart in my mouth. So much of your story reminds me of my own struggles with Sierra, my 12 1/2 year old dog. Sierra has always had yeasty ears ever since we got her at age 8 weeks. We had it under control until her mate King died of DM a few years ago. Then it exploded in our face. We tried everything, were at the vet's multiple times, spent thousands on meds, including steroids and antibiotics. Finally, I switched vets and came with Sierra, who was in agony from joint pain, vaginal infections and loss of hair, black skin, stink and ulcers everywhere! Her coat was matting from the oozing. I told Dr. Lynch point blank I wanted everything in the arsenal for attacking YEAST, which hadn't been done before because nobody listened. He gave me ketoconazal, an antibiotic for the infections in the ulcers and vagina, medicated anti-fungal shampoo to be used twice weekly and a drying powder for taming the ooze. He diagnosed her with severe systemic yeast infection. He also said based on her pain levels, we might have to euthanize her in a month. I came home depressed.

Later that night, I started research. I was prepared to lose my dog in any number of age releated causes. But NOT to a stupid fungus. I began with the lessons I learned from King's DM, when the vet told me when he was 8 that western medicine had gone as far as it could. I took King to an alternative vet, who gave him another 3 amazingly good years using herbs. I decided to take that approach with Sierra. It's been two weeks and the turn around in her heath, her outlook and the decrease in her pain level is nothing less than amazing.

Here's what I learned and did.:

First, food change. I got really picky, went ONLY for low glycemic no grain food. Sierra was on Wellness chicken her whole life, which I still believe to be a quality food for dogs without yeast issues. Her lifetime of good food and medical health may have saved her life (more on that later). I moved her off that and onto Hund n Flocken by Solid Gold. She only eats the can and sometimes not even that, but I believe elimination of sugar and simple carbs has helped with starving the yeast. I don't think its possible to be picky enough about her food. No more Mother Hubbard treats for Sierra. Just duck jerky, which she likes. No more bones, which will contribute to her gut issues.

She had a full set of bloodwork. I read that yeast and thyroid issues go hand in hand. Have both T3 and T4 checked. Every time she has a blood test, the Drs. call me up amazed, saying she has the bloodwork of a dog half her age. It is this organ strength that I believe allowed the Dr. to attack the yeast with his full arsenal at full strength, I gambled on her lifetime of health.

Including pain pills, Sierra is on seven pills in the morning and six at night. We give her pill pockets to get them down her. We use the drying powder three times a day for her ulcers. Only 2 persistant ones (in the armpit) of about 20 remain.

Additionally, after research, I decided to give Sierra Bovine Colostrum, the first milkings from a cow that gave birth. Colostrum is believed to assist in healing the Leaky Gut syndrome, sealing the holes in the intestinal wall and replacing the mucosal lining. I also decided to give her Black Walnut tincture, a major anti-fungal of nature.

We wash Sierra twice a week with the medicated anti-fungal shampoo.

I have two more weeks until we see the Dr. I think we've acheived nothing less than a bloody miracle. The black skin is slowly disappearing and hair I thought I'd never see again has already returned. Her joint inflamation is significantly reduced, and she goes up and down stairs better than in years. Her crusty oozing eyes have cleared completly. She's stopped licking at anything other than normal brief cleanings.

Her ears are still yeasty and likely always will be, despite the fact they are upright and they are correctly formed in the ear canal. (we had the vet look a long time ago).

Here are some other things folks might find useful, by the way, the great dane lady website is fantastic.

Natural Treatment Ideas

Use probiotics/digestive and dietary enzymes to keep the pH balance of the stomach in proper balance. This in turn helps prevent yeast overgrowth.

Use raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice - 2 teaspoons per day on food or in water, to help keep the pH balance where it should be in the gut and make an environment, which is not conducive to yeast proliferation.

1. Bathe in sulfur-based or medicated shampoo
2. Prepare a 50/50 mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar & Water
3. Rinse or wipe affected areas with 50/50 mixture daily. Note: Do not use Apple cider mixture on open lesions

For pets with itchy skin from yeast infections, use a Baking Soda rinse alone or after shampooing your pets body with the appropriate pet shampoo for fungus infections (see vet). It will be quite helpful with the overall itchiness, skin problems and inflammation. Ask your veterinarian for his recommendations.

Baking Soda Recipe:
Mix two (2) teaspoons of Baking Soda per gallon of warm water; make sure to mix it so it completely dissolves - pour over pet, do not rinse off.

A mild spray from Tea tree oil will discourage your dog from digging at the skin (because the bitter taste). Aloe Vera, Omega fatty acids, and Neem oil are effective treatments. In mild cases it already can be helpful to wash your dogs skin with apple cidre vinegar or use aloe vera.

If you are not sure about the nutritional values, and biochemical processes in the body, add a high-quality nutritional supplement to your dogs food which contains vitamin B complex, folic acid, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium, selenium, iodine, biotin, echinacea, and potassium.

Neem
The most important characteristic of Neem (neem tea, neem leaf) is, boosting both the lymphocyte and cell-mediated immune system. Neem boosts the production of T-cells, which defense your dogs body when attacks to the immune system occur.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is crucial for boosting your dogs immune system. Vitamin C has essential antiviral and antibacterial activity, but its main effect is improvement of host resistance.

Omega Fatty Acids
Omega fatty acids are important for your dogs immune system, skin and coat health. Omega fatty acids boost food utilization and energy production. Evening primrose oil is most effective (omega 6 fatty acid), followed by flaxseed oil and fish oil (omega 3 fatty acid).

Zinc
Zinc deficiency increases the risk of infection. Studies show that zinc supplements can boost the immune system, promote wound healing, and help develop white blood cells.

Dog food diet for immune system related dog skin disorders:

Dogs with skin disorders and skin rashes need a special dog food diet, low in carbohydrates.
Whole grains and fiber in the dog food are advisable, to boost the immune system on a long term basis. You can serve the same kind of meat or vegetable for 3 to 4 days, then switch if possible.

Basic dog food: Mainly oats; whole grains; barley, for variation: smashed potatoes

Meat: Mainly duck; for variation: rabbit, turkey, lamb, fish, veal

Vegetable: Garlic, parsley, carrots, watercress, alfalfa sprouts, zucchini, avocado, artichoke, celery - they are great toxin relievers for the body. For better digestion mix the raw vegetable in a blender , and add it to the dogs food.

Fruits: Chopped coconut, apple, banana

Dairy: Plain yogurt or cottage cheese to re-colonize the intestinal flora

FOODS TO AVOID FOR DOGS:

Commercial dog foods and treats which contain the following ingredients:
Meat-by-products, poultry-by-products, meat meal, wheat flour, wheat gluten, corn meal, corn gluten, rice flour, brewers rice, BHA, BHT, Ethoxyquin

- Rice, MSG, chicken, pasta, milk (because it contains lactose), bread, cookies, crackers,
- Peanuts, yams, sausage, bacon, corned beef, smoked meat and sausages.
- Onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, ketchup, grapes, raisins.
- Sugars, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, fruit juices, honey, chocolate, or maple syrup

Probiotics

Probiotics (beneficial yogurt like bacteria) keep the flora/fauna of the gut at good levels in the digestive track. When this flora/fauna is killed off due to antibiotics we must re-seed the gut with probiotics at the same time!! .

But Probiotics/Prebiotics, keep fungus/yeast at lower levels in the gut as long as it is supplied daily in your pet's diet and we can't fully depend on it on some dog foods. Once there is yeast overgrowth, probiotics alone will not push the levels back down. It requires supplements to alter the pH of the environment, kill off the yeast, remove the yeast die-off from the body, and probiotics to reseed the gut with beneficial microorganisms.

Chlorexidine at 2 to 4 percent might be effective against yeasts, 0.5 to 1 percent is not effective.

Miconazole (Dermazole ®, Resi-zole® leave on conditioner) is also effective.

Vinegar/water rinse (1/5 to 1/10) is a cheap and effective long-term maintenance treatment to prevent relapses in dogs that are predisposed (swimmers).

Colloidal silver may be administered to dogs as an oral supplement in liquid form, through IV injection, in a nebulizer cup, as a spray or topically as a liquid or cream. It may also be combined with a powder for dry application or to create a paste. It can be used to flush out wounds, as ear drops, eye drops or applied directly onto the skin of your dog. It can be applied to your dog's gums or used as a toothpaste to help eliminate bad breath and tooth decay.

Dogs: 70 to 120# canines can tolerate 1 to 2 tbsps. of colloidal silver 3x/daily during illness. If fever is present or the dog has gone off feed, we will dose a high initial loading dose and then back off to 10 to 15 cc's/day (2 tsp. to 1 tbsp).

Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera has long been used to treat skin ailments. It has many nutrients and properties beneficial to the skin. Aloe Vera is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. It also provides anti-bacterial and anti-fungal aid. Once again, going straight to the source will provide a more potent treatment. Apply the gel from a leaf of the aloe vera plant directly to the skin rash. If you are not able to find one or do not wish to extract the gel yourself, you can find aloe vera extract at many stores. Apply at least 3 times a day.

Baking Powder: Rub baking powder over the skin rash. Baking powder will dry up the rash and help relieve the itching.

Olive Oil: Olive oil is recommended to soothe dry skin and restore moisture. The skin can also benefit from the healing and renewal properties of olive oil. Skin rashes can be treated by applying olive oil to the affected skin. (Me: Coconut Oil, organic, cold pressed also works well, internally and externally, its a great anti-fungal and dogs love it.)

I have a whole lot of further info. Regarding recipes for these things, if anyone is interested. I also have aromatherapy suggestions that really helped, but honestly, I think I've gone on enough! I wish everyone a safe and fantastic cure.

I have 4 Shihtzus. When one of them was a puppy, he started to become quite poorly. Took him to the Vets. Who diagnosed severe Yeast issues. They started pumping him full of steroids and antibiotics. We kept going back to the vets. He was getting worse, to the point, I thought I was going to lose him.

He was fed on commercial puppy food.

I started, doing loads of research. And, discovered that steroids and antibiotics actually 'feed' the yeast!!

So, no more Vets........ I also researched dog food. And that anything with wheat/grain in, was feeding the yeast also. That's when I changed to raw feeding. No fruit or veg for him either as there are natural sugars in many. For that reason, I don't use ACV for him. I started bathing him in a good quality anti-fungal shampoo. Rinse well. And then with a mixture of half water/half, distilled WHITE vinegar. Soak the dog in it. 'Dunk' the paws in a bowl of it. Flush out the ears also with the mixture. (As long as the ear drum is not perforated).Then leave it on the dog, to dry. DON'T rinse off. Get a spray bottle and make up a new solution. Use this every day where there are any skin issues and spray inside the ears. Clean out any 'gunk' with it. Dunk the paws daily in a new solution. Doing it, just before bed time, is the ideal time to do it. Also, after a walk etc.

The crucial thing is diet. Add some probiotic yogurt. Garlic. Good quality, Virgin coconut oil. Every day. Plus of course. Raw meat/Offal/Tripe/fish. Some bone. But, find out about raw feeding, so you know what to give. Minus, fruit and veg for a dog with yeast issues. NO treats or biscuit. Unless home made. For a dog with yeast issues. It has to be done for the lifetime of your dog.

If you need to heal any sores before you get it under control. Use a mixture of neem oil and coconut oil.

If antibiotics are needed. Use Colloidal Silver. Or, it will flare up again.

Don't give tap water to drink. Only, bottled or filtered. NO, table scraps. I now have a very healthy 5 year old.

When he has a bath, it's always with the anti-fungal shampoo, followed by the white vinegar/half water rinse. I also, always clean his ears with it. He has an issue with one ear, because his ear canal is VERY narrow. So, I also shave his ears, inside and out. So, he has no hair irritating his ear.

Steroids and antibiotics feed the yeast.

Vegetables can have natural sugars.

Stop feeding any commercial dog food and change to raw. Raw meat and raw bone.

Bathe in an antifungal shampoo. And for a final rinse use half WHITE Distilled vinegar/half water. leave on to dry.

Have a mixture of this in a spray bottle and use daily. Clean out ears also, with the same mixture.

A good probiotic yogurt every day. And fresh, garlic. Turmeric with a little black pepper. A drop of grapefruit seed extract.

Give AND use on the skin, coconut oil. If the skin is really bad, mix in some neem oil.

The most crucial in all of this, is diet. This is the route cause of most skin allergies, particularly yeast.

NO, booster vaccinations. NO chemicals in their environment.

White vinegar is great for cleaning with!!

Go right back to basics to get it under control.

I know from my own experience this works.

When my now, 5 year old, Shihtzu was a puppy, the vets nearly killed him, pumping him full of steroids and antibiotics.

That's when I started raw feeding.

I now have 4 very healthy dogs.

Making Dakin's Solution

1. Wash your hands with soap and water.
2. Measure 4 cups of water into a clean pan.
3. Boil the water for 15 minutes with the lid on the pan. Remove from heat.
4. Measure 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda into the boiled water using a sterile measuring spoon.
5. Measure bleach, based on the strength chart below, into the boiled water using a sterile cup or measuring spoon. For my dog's thinner skin, I use the 1/2 strength* recipe vs. the full strength:

Full Strength – add 3 oz bleach
*1/2 Strength – add 3 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp bleach*
1/4 Strength – add 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp bleach

1/8 Strength – add 2 1/2 tsp bleach

6. Place the solution in a sterile jar. Close it tightly with the sterile lid.

Allow to COOL before use. I shake the jar before use to ensure the baking soda is dispersed.

Store the solution at room temperature. It will keep in dark storage for a month. Once opened and exposed to air, the solution deteriorates. Throw away any unused portion 48 hours after opening -- and make a fresh batch.

Obviously don't add more bleach than what is listed. Do not use if there is an allergy to the ingredient(s). Stop using the solution if the situation worsens and get to a vet.

I hope this helps someone else and their beloved dog.

Hi, My poor dog started getting issues almost 2 years ago: flea bites became hotspots, then fungus, mites, ear infections, baldness, rashes. I changed to a homemade diet of raw meat, boiled eggs (with crushed shells for calcium), live yogurt, ACV, Coconut Oil, oregano, probiotics, tumeric (for swelling and cataracts) and other good things. It all helped a lot but the thing that finally killed the yeast was Diatomaceous Earth (DE). This is a fine silica powder that is totally non-toxic and is a great wormer, parasite and flea killer and a great nutritional supplement. It is totally safe for humans too with LOTS of benefits and incredibly cheap. Buy FOOD grade only at your local health food store. You won't regret it! Zorro got die off symptoms within a few hours but healing followed rapidly. So glad to have finally have a healthy dog again.

We then started him again on the daily dose. Went back to the vet (for shots) and again prescribed antibiotic/steroid therapy and to discontinue the atopica to clear up his skin before giving him his yearly shots. I knew this was a bad idea but as desperate as we are, we'd do whatever it took to make him well. For three weeks, everything was great. But I knew that once he was off of the therapy, his scratching would resume. It did. My next plan before stumbling upon this website was to take him to a dermatologist, but after reading so many stories, I decided to give some of the recommendation that has been put on here as one last ditch effort to combat this yeast on my own.

This is what I do for Mason:

Wysong Epigen 90 (starch/grain free) about 1/2 cup a feeding with Wysong wet food (about 1/4 can). 1 acidophilus pill, 2 benadryls, and a few squirts of anchovy oil, an about a tablespoon of virgin, unsweeteneded coconut oil. Two times a day.

I also bathe him with anti-fungal/anti-bacterial shampoo with tea tree oil until my order of Malaseb comes in as well as a vinegar/peroxide/water combo rinse and let him soak in it for at least 10 minutes. He hates being in the bathtub so it can be a little difficult keeping him still. I pat him dry, especially his paws. I'll be doing this 2 times a week.

We're on day 4 and his scratching isn't as incessant as it was. He still has a yeasty odor but he'll get another bath/rinse tonight. His stool/farts has the most awful smell ever. I'm going to assume it is from the change to his food and/or the added supplements.

I am hopeful that this will work for him. It breaks my heart to see him like this - he came from an abuse/abandoned situation before ending up at the shelter and then in my home. I promise him everyday that no matter what, if my husband and I end up in the poor house, he will be healthy and happy and itchy free.

So, start googling all over the place and read everything you can. I don't have time to go into it all here. But, a permanent diet switch to a meat based food with no starch or sugars. Also, antifungal remedies for weeks and weeks if not months as your dog will be purging his toxins through his skin and it itches something terrible. He MUST get daily supplements to rebuild a healthy level of pro-biotics in his system.

Now, move on to another 10 blogs and keep reading up!

A huge thing that no one seems to mention.. Chicken meal, which is in nearly every single dog food, is commonly the culprit. Where it comes from and what else it contains anymore it is horrid. Find a dog food without any chicken meal. Many of these problems were non existent years ago..what's the common denominator..dog food. It has greatly changed. Yes, use the remedies mentioned but also get rid of chicken meal!!

A friend told me about applying a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water to the affected areas. Also, make sure to saturate the paws because the infection gets spread to the paws when they scratch. Do this everyday for 6 days. Leave on as long as possible but at least an hour before rinsing off with warm water. On the 7th day you will shampoo the dog with tea tree shampoo. DO NOT use the vinegar and shampoo on the same day as they will cancel each other out.

When the dog is thoroughly dry, you can apply pure coconut oil to soothe the skin. NEVER USE an OATMEAL product, soap, shampoo etc. for a yeast infection as the oatmeal feeds the yeast and makes it worse. Grain free diet helps, I use Blue Buffalo Grain-Free, but it's somewhat expensive. I'm sure there are other brands but believe it or not, my canine is a finicky eater. This next info is VERY IMPORTANT to note! Don't get discouraged, but rather expect the dog to scratch like crazy and even roll around after the vinegar solution is applied for about 1 or 2 minutes. It WILL subside! The 1st couple of minutes, the vinegar is killing the yeast, the yeast spores react by exploding. When they explode there will be a surplus of the bacteria on the surface of the skin making the itching worse but PLEASE be patient as this will go away as the bacteria dies in a few minutes. This reaction will be less and less in following treatments.

The once a week tea tree shampoo part of the treatment kills the bacteria that is in the skin under the surface that the vinegar can't reach. The tea tree oil gets absorbed into the skin and kills bacteria beneath the surface. Leave shampoo lather on the dog for about 10 minutes before rinsing well with warm water. The coconut oil soothes irritation as well as smothers the bacteria from getting more oxygen to grow. Also, spray down bedding with the vinegar mixture, leave on for 10 minutes then launder.This treatment takes time and patience but it's effective for yeast infections, the dog won't be taking antibiotics which are only temporary and bad for their system, and it's a whole lot cheaper than a vet visit! Here's the summary below and good luck!

Equal parts ACV (or white vinegar) and plain water, enough to saturate affected areas. I wear gloves and apply with cotton balls but a spray bottle will also work. Every day for 6 days.

Tea tree oil shampoo on the 7th day (once a week)

Pure coconut oil with no additives. Can apply as needed to soothe the skin. This isn't a mandatory part of the treatment but will aid in your dog's skin healing and comfort

Enough of the vent.

We have tried to give him ACV on the skin. It makes the situation worse. He licks it even more and dislike the smell or taste. I guess because he licks it more, skin was always moist and therefore encourage the growth of yeasts. Then we tried to put ACV in his water and food. He eats them, but situation never improved. We also give him Yogurt along with ACV. Nothing changes. He seems to like the yogurt though.

So... this post is to report what is NOT working unfortunately :(

I just started to give him Yogurt with acidophilus. I haven't seen any improvement yet but it has only been two days. He is more gassy though.

I will also try turmeric put on his skin and see what happen.

Has anyone try to use the over-the-counter yeast infection treatment like Canesten cream?

I give my dogs all sorts of acidophillus- from the drugstore clearance bin, to the health food store refrigerated section, to natural probiotics that I make myself. Sauerkraut - home made and unpasturized - is an excellent source of probiotics and its cheap to make. Kefir is another excellent source, can be home made also. IMHO the key with giving probiotics is to mix them around so that you give your dog many strains of probiotics and not just one.

Last night my golden Bonnie had her ears hot and red and today her ears and all the areas I applied the white vinegar solution (specially the paw pads and between toes) are pink and not red like last night. Maybe it would have work the same with the ACV but the white vinegar works too. I am a believer. Bonnie and Dulce are not scratching so much today and I decided to go ahead and spray the mixture all over their bodies with a bottle to let it dry. They look so much better overall, less anxious and since they lick a little they are also ingesting some which I believe is good. As for the food I am transitioning them to Wellness Complete Health Chicken from Pedigree (thanks to the new petsmart stores in PR) and the coat improvement is noticeable already. Im going to keep using the 50-50 vinegar solution and start adding the acidophilus capsules and organic yogurt supplements today( I didn't know those could help so thanks! ). If there's improvement I will update with the results.

Take care and hope we can all solve this problem to make our furry babies feel better.

As a last resort before capitulating to a vet visit, I thought I'd try Food grade Diatomaceous Earth - after all, I thought, it can't hurt. After one week of using the recommended dosages, both dogs are VASTLY improved!!!! Together with a topical homemade spray ( 1/2 c. organic ACV + 1/2 c. steeped and cooled strong green tea + 1 c. distilled water) neither dog is biting, scratching, using the bushes as giant scratching posts and sleeping HAPPILY without frequent awakenings to 'chew' that itch." I'm fairly positive it's the FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth!

For de worming, the information suggests 30 days of use, so I'm not sure how long to continue but I will definitely continue for another week ( which will make it 2 weeks) and then review.

I am also starting them on a regimen of a bath every five days to help eliminate the skin problems. I use Vet Formula anti-fungal shampoo, which I bought on Amazon.ca. I also use ACV/water solution as a rinse. I'm just starting this and already I've seen positive results. I think this is going to take some time to fix as they were on the Blue Buffalo for over a year. By the time we became aware of the problem it was already well-established. I am more than a little annoyed that no one (2 vets ) even suggested that yeast could be a problem, not allergies! They are NOT the same thing at all!

I will provide an update in a few weeks to let you all know how things are going with this regimen.

I am so lost and just exhausted all efforts and my rescue shih tzu of two years has fought a fight that is not getting better. I do not have a clue anymore and am devastated. Long story short, just like all other stories, when we saved her, she was very sick. Steroids and antibiotics had to be administered to get better. Here we are two years later and last year I finally went holistic with our baby and STILL nothing. Feeding organic raw chicken, greek yogurt, and some organic boiled egg with a little kale. She is on acidophilus and probiotics, doing the borax, hydrogen, epsom, milk of magnesia baths. Spray this also on her. Coconut oil.

What is there left? Her ears as I write this make me want to cry. She is hurting because they are so big (4 times the size) and just look like hamburger meat. Under her eye is huge and knots and red....so red that this bath tonight had I guess a little blood oozing from it because her hair was pink. At a LOSS and PRAYING for a miracle answer here.

If this were my dog I would use Zymox Otic bought online for the ears; a frequent poster Wendy offers a home made formula for healthy ears as well. While there are steroids in these preparations I am most concerned about making the ears feel better at this point.

And while you are using the borax externally I would recommend you do Ted's borax protocol for pets - this involves dosing borax in the drinking water to combat systemic yeast.

One critical component not mentioned is diet - what are you feeding your wee beastie?

Only PLAIN probiotic yogurt must be given. Never a flavoured one.

As I said, use an antifungal shampoo.

NO steroids or antibiotics. Because they feed the yeast. IF, antibiotics ARE needed, then use Colloidal Silver.

STOP, ALL, commercial food/treats/biscuits.

And feed only raw. Even with raw, there are certain things you MUST avoid, when dealing with yeast. NO, fruit or vegetables. Because they contain, 'natural' sugars. Which will also feed the yeast. So, just RAW meat and bone to start with.

You can try adding other elements of a raw diet, once you have the situation under control. When, you can try one thing at a time, to see if there is a reaction.

You can give a multi mineral and multi vitamin. But check the ingredients. Many contain yeast!!

NO, booster vaccinations either. NO spot on flea treatments. The garlic will deal with fleas.

Do your research.