Beat Pet Yeast Infections: Raw Diet & Natural Remedies

The things I've read that are worth trying are the non-grain, high carb foods - that makes sense since dogs need more meat/other proteins than people, acidopholus in foods such as yogurt and maybe milks I think I've seen. I've also seen that some people say non-filtered water seems to make the problem worse because the tap water might have higher mineral content - the dogs are already getting filtered water. I also bought distilled water - both for drinking and washing her face with (when I only am cleaning the yeasty area). I saw a post from the woman in the Phillipines that made a lot of sense - making your own wash for the dogs from a small amount of vinegar and the most natural soap you can find - no perfumed, no colors - just saponin (the soapy part of soap) - I'm trying that tonight.

The other is a Golden Retriever that has a slight rash that irritates him - it's not infected yet or much - since it was not near his face I sprayed Dermoplast (in pharmacy - OTC); it is a pain relieving, antibacterial spray for humans - avoid mucous membranes with it. I sprayed it on him and he stopped biting at himself for over 12 hours so far - he immediately seemed relieved too. I also thought about Calamine or Hydrocortisone Cream - but didn't get as far as researching yet - so unproven as far as I know - but I don't see the harm as long as again not on mucous membrane areas. If the diluted ACV soapwash, changing to better food, distilled water, acidopholus and keeping the area dry don't work then I will go to the other side - items that are more base rather than acidic before even thinking about meds or vet. I also heard/saw that using blueberries is good to use around the eyes - and this makes sense since they grow best in low acid environments (more base) and red yeast likes slight acidity - so this could make the environment less conducive to the growth of the yeast. Blueberries not in sugar - I did already try it on white fur and it doesn't stain - in fact brightens it as was shown on NGC or some animal show - sorry can't remember - just sticks in my mind though. I've only had her 2 days and have no idea what food she had before - now she is getting Vitality Chx & Oats by Dogs Well - no corn, potatoes or wheat and has acidopholus, blueberries and sweet potatoes. This food makes sense to me - these are slow digesting carbs which evens out sugar in the blood stream and have high amounts of nutrients. I'll let everyone know if I have any success or failure.

So being the skeptic I am, I looked into dog skin conditions and found out about yeast. I now know that the antibiotics started her yeast problem. It killed off her natural defences to fungus and bacteria, just like in humans. I haven't tried the vinegar yet but I did some research on yeast and I have found these things to be the cure for her: Grain free food, Ketoconazole/chlorhexadine shampoo baths (weekly at first, monthly after a while). Yogurt and acidophilus in her food.

It does take patience and you have to stay on top of it, and may never cure it but you can control it. Some of the enzyme products work are a little harsh for some dogs. And the "die off" looks alarming and the dog gets so sick, so people stop the treatment before it has time to actually work, then they think it didnt work. I also couldn't afford them so tried yogurt, acidophilus and grain free food and the baths. Vets prescribing antibiotics and food with grain don't make sense if it's yeast. They just want to sell you their services and Rx meds and vet store dog food. They are a retail establishment after all. All of the foods that are not grain free just give the yeast something to feed on in the dogs gut. Look up leaky gut syndrome. And it is good also to have your dog checked for thyroid problems though just in case.

I can say our dog Lexie is now happy, energetic and healthy with a shiny coat and completely healed. But we still keep up the routine, bathing more frequently if she starts to itch again. I notice also she scratches more if we have slipped and given her any people food with carbs, but protein is ok, we give her cooked chicken or a little bite of meat sometimes.

Also check into using the grapefruit seed extract and the colodial silver.

Hope this helps.

Good luck.

So, I took matters into my own hands and got him tested for allergies using a non traditional way using frequency vial tests. Wow! That was the start to my dogs recovery. I had then started him on a grain free diet from costco. It had tomato in it and I had to get him desensitized to the tomato but now that is fixed. I also started him on products from ortho molecular. The products were Ortho biotic ( a probiotic) candicid forte, Intestinol, and Adrenall. I have given him these for 5 months or so now and his coat is nearly back to normal. My grown kids who had not seen my dog for 6 months easy could not believe the change! They wondered what I had done.

I also agree with the other writers about Malaseb shampoo. It really is the best. I went from bathing my dog 2x per week ( at 110lbs that is no easy task) to 2x per month!

I still have to give him benadryl to help with the itchys but he is so much happier and not tearing himself apart literally, ( I had blood all over my carpet on the main floor and basement from his open sores)

There is no sign of the missing hair patches any longer, all his coat is back to normal. He looks like his handsome self again.

I write this to help those of you struggling with the yeast issues to not give up and take matters into your own hands. Most vets just want to give meds and not look at anything else. One vet even told me what I was doing had no scientific validity. So I asked him if he wanted to see the pics of my dog at his worst because he was getting to see him 5 months after my treatment plan. He did not care to and we left abruptly as you can imagine.

I hope this helps someone out there.

P.S. I forgot to tell you that I also gave my lab 1/2 cup of plain yogurt 2x per day as 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.

So I did some research and decided to simply eliminate the most common food allergens - wheat, corn and soy - presto! No more ear infections. At least, not nearly as often and not as bad - there is no way to prevent all airborne allergens from getting in, but no more sudden, awful ones.

In a pinch, I buy Purina One Beyond. It has soy but no wheat or corn, and can be obtained from the grocery store.

When I can get what I prefer, I use Canidae from the feed store. It is the cheapest of the 'premium' foods, and contains no wheat, corn or soy.

When I notice that an infection might be trying to start - when she scratches and I see gunk in her ear, I use a product called Zymox. It is so much better than the two step cleaner antifungal/antibiotic from the vet. It is a gel that is easier on the ears - no alcohol to sting - and nicely travels down like you need it to. I normally only have to use that one-three days max. It also works for a full-on infection, but takes 1-2 weeks like the stuff from the vet. I buy a large bottle that lasts me a very long time and we never have to see the vet anymore.

Of course, if there is a possibility there is something in the ear canal, a vet trip is required. Otherwise any substance put in there will be very damaging, possibly fatal.

Anyway, I really encourage everyone with any type of problem possibly caused by allergies to change foods. It may not be as simple as avoiding wheat, corn, and soy, but it might be! And if not, you can do your testing further and see what you find for yourself.

Also, if she is really itchy - chewing on her paws and such, I give benadryl. be sure and look up the correct amount for the weight of your dog if you try that.

This site offers so much information it is unbelievable, and the info is very similar to what you have discovered. Please read for additional asistance, I will update you when I get thru a few weeks of the process. My dogs have always been on Solid Gold, but they are recommending Precise dog food, or Nutri Source dog food. Thanks for the info.

I went to my vet last week, and she put her on Ketoconazole, an antifungal medication. I have since pulled her off of it. She was totally off her food, and I was worried she was failing, altho, after a few days, there is definitely an improvement in her skin. I came home from the gym one day, and the other 3 pekes were at the door to greet me - she was still laying in bed, not aware I was there. I thought she was dead!

I am very seriously considering feeding her a totally raw diet. I changed her food from Eagle Holistic Fish, to Now. She is not fussy about Now. This morning I fed her ground chicken with green beans. She ate the most she has eaten since her bout with not eating and not feeling well taking the meds.

My 12 1/2 yr old Belgian Tervuren eats totally raw, and has been for the last 3 years due to itchiness, altho, he is still itchy, is on thyroid medication, but otherwise very happy. He takes Vanectyl-P every second day.

So, I am in a quandry like the rest of you, and appreciate all the information posted here. Thank you!!!

Oskar has had itchy, red, smelly ears, sores that crust and flake off his skin, oily, smelly skin and hotspots. We've been through it all! It really breaks my heart to keep seeing these issues flare up. We've been to the vet throughout his life for these issues and he's been treated with antibotics and steriods which never helped. So this is what I've been doing:

I feed a raw-food or grain-free dry food. Try and stay away from beef, because this is considered a "hot food" and can irritate the allergy. (Oskar likes duck, lamb and I know fish is a good choice as well. ) Also, a tbsp of Greek yogurt with live cultures and a tbsp of apple cider vinger with food once a day. This took two weeks to really notice much of a difference, but his ears started to open and I was able to clean them and then begin treatment for his ears.

It was recommended to me to use Zymox products, you can get them on Amazon.Com, I have yet to find them in a pet store. I use the shampoo and rinse, two times a week. Leave the shampoo on for 10mins and then you can leave the rinse (conditioner) on to dry if you want, or just do spot-treatment with it on your pet's worse itchy places. I've also used their ear products, I got the ones with the hydrocortisone in it because Oskar is constantly scratching his ears, and this has helped as well.

Recently I picked up their Topical Cream with hydrocortisone and have been using that in between baths, once a day and it's been really amazing. His hotspots on his back legs have healed up tremendously and he hasn't been chewing nearly as much. I really recommend this. But as a disclaimer, if you have a white dog it will turn the fur yellow to the areas you're applying it. The yellow does grow out and wash out though. I usually throw an old T-shirt on Oskar after applying so that way the oil from the cream doesn't get on anything and he can't lick it off.

Anyway, I hope this helps some. I'm still on the road to completely getting rid of his yeasty self, but this has really been helping!

At this point, add'l blood tests/urinalysis was done and she had a UTI as well. We started another antibiotic but could not start back on the Atopica until she was actually eating which took about 4 days. In the meantime, she has developed hot spots. I've tried Sulfadene which calms her down for a bit but they just get irritated all over again.

I plan to try some of the options that you mentioned and if you have more suggestions, I am more than interested to hear them. I don't know too much about cooking for her and what not to cook but I am willing to do so? Do foods that have gluten cause more yeast?

Also got anti fungal med, from vet after scrape was taken from rash, proved to be yeast. Oral intraclozone for three weeks. If your vet won't help, order from Canada, it only comes in tabs that have to be resplit to the weight of the dog. Dog also eats grain free food. If yeast is in nose and eyes I put collidal silver right in nose and eyes, cleared up completely. Dog has relaspes every 3 months which happens, I put a mixture of vinegar and water on rash and give him oral fungus med every 3 days to manage it. He is doing great and very happy.

Also Australian bush flower remedies you could try - Green essence and Spinifex.

Also you can put some Apple cider vinegar into the water bowl or add it straight to the food.

I am also a healer and work with animals and people and maybe you could consider using a healer too - I work distantly if you need help or maybe you could find someone local to you.

Ok best of luck

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.

Siwwy had been given every prescription anti yeast medication, every vinegar drop method, every borax based method, all manners of homeopathic cures and things that cost so much money I was wondering if I would go broke. And all of the doctors antibiotics and creams to cure the secondary infections.

As yeast depends on moisture, I decided to go there with MOM. I painted it on rubbed it in, held him until it dried and in a month his ears were completely healed and no scars even remain. Thanks RuPauls Drag Race my dog loves a drag queen now! This is no joke, try it it works!

After an internet search I found all this good information on earth clinic. Seemed like his problem fit the yeast infection so I started him on 1 per day acidophilus, 2 small garlic softgels, cod liver oil. This seemed to start to turn the tide back to better health. About then my sister bought him some Sulfodene skin medication. I think this came from box mart. That stuff gave him some imediate relief from the itchiness. So why not get a little bit of MSM in him? So I added about 1/4 of the tiny scoop of Jarrow MSM sulfer powder to his breakfast. He started getting better fast. After about 3 weeks I took him off the the daily MSM and just give it once a week along with the other stuff daily to make sure the yeast doesn't come back. Also try to keep him off of bread and feed him a meal of decent raw meat when I can afford it. 6 mo. later he is healthy and frisky as he can be. Don't know how this would effect another dog but this worked for my britt.

I am at the end of my rope, I've tried every OTC product available in stores. From athletes foot creams to vaginal yeast infection treatments. They all worked at first, but the fungi soon returned within a week or so.

So if anyone has any ideas about what can be done to end this itchy situation... Please reply.