[quafferj]

Oh my goodness, I stumbled across this thread but reading it was like a lightbulb coming on! My pitbulls mix has always been a VERY gassy dog with lots of allergies, food and environmental. I finally found Natures Variety instinct, and the first month or two was brutal. She could make guys who try to impress each other with the nastiest gas leave the room gagging. Since then she cleared but to virtually no gas at all, for her. Her food allergies include potatoes, barley, and peas, the minute she eats something she shouldn’t her ears smell yeasty and get infected, before her allergy shots her paws would be red, irritated, and yeasty smelling, and one of her environmental allergies is malessezia, a yeast found on the body of all humans and animals. Yet I never even thought of a yeast allergy! Duh!

[dogluver95828]

i have a blue nose pit and have been dealing with a horrible rash all on his stomach in the armpit area. i have tried everything, and i mean everything! I love to reasearch and will not stop until i find my answer. And i finally did. I kept treating his rash externally. The whole time it was an internal problem. He has the inbalanced ph or yeast infection in his intestines, i started giving him 2 t of lemon juice a day and it was gone in one week, i use to wash his skin every day with oatmeal soaps, even used dermalogica a few times, aloe vera i mean i did it all. i dont have to wash him anymore and he his rash was completely gone in 1 week. He is almost 100 lbs and i give him 2 t of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and that was all he needed. try it, what do you have to loose? I have tried yougurt too and that didnt work for him. I am so happy this is resolved that i joined this forum just to share this with all of you dog lovers out there. look it up on the internet, do your research. there are things you can buy to treat this also but why do that? look up yeast infection in dog intestines. Try it…. Oh yeah, about washing too… i heard from a vet/trainer to use just regular clear antibacterial hand soap and half vinegar, WORKS FANTASTIC AND CHEAP! it gets rid of the dog smell and your dogs coat will be the softest and the shiniest it has ever been. Again,, what do you have to loose? From one dog luver to another. I hope this helps as many dogs as possible

[Giles123]

Hi Sue this is Kelly. Just read your post and we are having similar trouble with our dogs. We finally had testing done for food allergy as along with bloody diarrhea they get yeast and bacteria in their stomachs constantly and we could find no reason as to why. The vet had initially put them on hills ID for sensitive stomach however since troubles continued and they actually would turn a little pink a short while after eating we did the allergy test. It’s just a blood test that they do and then see if their blood shows positive reaction to certain foods. Came back that they are actually allergic to corn, soy and potato. Apparently if your pet is allergic to something in their food or environment it can cause an allergic reaction that makes an overgrowth of yeast and bacteria in their stomach. Not sure if this will fix your babies troubles but if nothing is working maybe an allergy test might help to determine if their food is causing the problem. Best of luck to you I know how hard it can be seeing your baby struggle

[theBCnut]

Yeasty ears are a common sign of an adverse food reaction, so if all you did was add DinOvite to the same kibble that your dog was reacting to, then you have covered the problem, but not removed the problem, if this is indeed a reaction to an ingredient in the food. Now it’s showing up in a different way. You may need to try their Yeast Starvation Diet or you may need to switch to a kibble that has different protein and starch sources that the kibble you are currently using.

[doxiesx3]

I have very mixed feelings about DinoVite. First off, let me say that all 3 of my dogs responded very well to the DinoVite with no side effects at all. No diarrhea and no vomiting. On one hand it completely cleared my WH Dachshund’s “yeasty” ears. He suffered terribly with this condition and we tried everything…you name it. After about 30 days on the DinoVite, I noticed a huge difference and after about 60 days, his ears were completely clear. He ( and my other 2 dogs) have been on the DinoVite for about 9 months now. So, that’s wonderful, but on the other hand, he…along with my smooth coat Dachshund have recently developed flaky bumps on their backs. Weird. I believe it is similar to seborrheic dermatitis. The scabby bumps that flake off when you scratch them. I have never tried a homemade diet for my dogs. The get their DinoVite on their kibble (Blue Buffalo-Wilderness-Weight Management). So, this raises a question… do I take them off of the DinoVite at the risk of Sam getting his “yeasty ears” back? I have been looking into the Total-Zymes and was wondering what is the difference between that and the DinoVite? To me, it seems that both products are doing almost the same thing for dog. Am I wrong?

[Kmsharp]

I’ve had shih tzus for 30 years and have tried all diets (we eat organic ourselves). Watch out for yeast if problems with dry skin or itching, may be also related to stomach issues. It looks like you can find lots of foods with high ratings here. We sometimes cook for our dogs – ground turkey, oatmeal, some veggies, olive oil. Make a large batch & freeze some – we do this to use all organic products. My dogs also do fine on a high quality dry food & wet food mix. I mix it up, add a bit of eggs when we eat them. One dog was allergic to beef. With a small dog like a shih tzu it’s easy to give them bits of healthy (fish, meat, sweet potato, cheese) leftovers too as a supplement (though some people never spoil their dogs like this!)

Good luck – these are fabulous, loyal, loving dogs!

[USA]

Hi GizmoMom,

The reason fish have Omega 3’s is because they eat algae that is high in Omega 3’s. There are now Omega 3 supplements made from Algae. Search online for omega 3 algae oil and go from there. It is the same forms of Omega 3 (EPA and DHA) as the different fish oils so it will be well absorbed and it is not from fish!

Coconut oil is good for it’s antifungal qualities and dogs usually like the taste of it. I think that EPA and DHA Omega 3’s are the best supplement for a dogs skin, coat and brain as well as having anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant effects. Coconut oi is a great supplement for a dog with yeasty fungally skin.

Omega 6’s like Olive and other Vegetable oils are usually plentiful in a dog’s diet, so as long as you rotate Meats, Fish, Poultry, Veggies and Fruits you should be fine in the Omega 6 category.

Good Luck!!!

[Shasta220]

Sorry, it’s not about my dog.

I’m wondering what the key ingredients are in a cat food that make them worthy of being called “hairball” or “indoor” formula. I’ve always been skeptical of the indoor foods, assuming they’d be full of more fillers and fewer fats/proteins/calories. Then I took a can of Natural Balance indoor and compared it to a different variety – calorie count seemed to be the same…

Our Maddy suffers from hair balls regularly (maybe 2-4 times monthly?), but I don’t want to invest in a hairball formula until #1. What ingredients qualify it as “hairball” #2. Will it really work?

Right now, Maddy is on Cat Lovers Gold dry and she gets 1-3tbsp (as much as I can get her to eat.) Natural Balance canned daily.

Should I try adding some fish oil into her canned and see if she accepts it? Right now, she gets a little brewers yeast tablet daily.

[Lori J.]

Hi,

I’m seeking out some new ideas….Currently feeding my Aussie mix Zeal (Honest Kitchen)…while we’re figuring out possible food allergies…and realized there’s egg in there…I’m looking for “simple”…not a gazillion ingredients.

Also, she’s got a yeast infection on her paws we are treating, so trying to avoid carbs now….

Ideas out there?

Thanks!

[Shasta220]

Shasta is about 6y.o. He never used to smell bad (other than an average “doggie” scent, of course!)… But the past few months, he’s had a constant odor. Bathing helps a little (I usually use Dawn mixed with some organic rosemary-mint shampoo, then follow w a conditioner so his fur doesn’t get flaky), but even if I let the shampoo sit for 5-10min, I can smell faint amounts of the foul smell. I also doubt it’s anything to do with his food, he was on dog chow back when he didn’t stink at all…now he’s on Diamond naturals and still stinks.

Are there any supplements that help with odor? We tried Brewers yeast, Fish oil, and raw eggs. None helped any.

I also can’t afford much to be honest, I already have 3 dogs, cats, a cow, a pony, chickens, and ducks to feed…not much wiggle room in the budget.

[pugmomsandy]

Poor dog!

There is some skin/yeast info at this site:

http://www.nzymes.com/store/pc/index.asp

I know some folks who have used it for their dogs and it worked, and then for some dogs, it didn’t. Also, you might consider giving an immune system supplement and feeding a mod/low carb diet (less than 40% carbs). Although, for some dogs, Natural Balance LID works for ear infections. Have you tried using Zymox ear cleanser and shampoo/conditioner?

[Jujubeez]

Wasn’t sure where, if at all, to put this but here it is anyway!

I am up at 4am with my “special needs” pitbull of 11 years, my doggy husband and third parent to my two children, Abby (7) and Daniel (11).

This poor pup has been through it all. We got him when my son was a baby from two women who found him running down a local highway in a known scummy area and traced him back to a makeshift puppymill in some a-holes backyard. He came in my house, cleaned the cats ear and rolled over at my son’s feet and that was it. That was 11 years ago this spring.

He has hip problems, skin problems, yeast/ear problems and anxiety (pitbulls, real killers, right lol? Jeez…) And then he was mauled over the summer. The dog on top of him was only two, bigger and would NOT LET GO of his head/ear/neck. His owner ended up shooting him to get him off my dog. Nemo almost bled to death, didn’t fight back and had lacerations everywhere. He couldn’t use his rear left leg for two months and his face looked like it had a garbage sack hanging off one side where the skin had been ripped from the bone and muscle.

Well, weeks of reopening wounds to keep him draining, antibiotics, tramadol and sedatives plus me sleeping on the floor with him later, and he was back to being my big baby. Sadly, since then his skin issues are just unbearable. It’s like he never fully recovered from all those (necessary) antibiotics.

So, here we are, tonight, and he sleeps in my room so there’s no putting it off till morning, looking for solutions we haven’t tried. Now, admittedly the last two weeks I’ve been an awful doggy mom. We’ve all been ill, and now his skin is the worst I’ve ever seen. All night he’s been frantically shaking his head and scratching. Upon close inspection (hey, we’re UP now!) I see that was is normally dry, flaking is thick, pasty, wax like scales coming off in piles and his ears are full of the same. Plus, he has “that smell”, you know, a side of wet dog with extra cheese? I think we could bake bread in his ears!

I have found some wonderful info on here already and look forward to reading more in the light of day and getting to know everyone!

Thank you for taking the time to read my long winded intro!

Heather

[Jujubeez]

I am up at 4am with my (non champion, rescued from a craphole as a puppy) 11 year old pitty, Nemo. I was just about to write your same post! My guy is on Blue Basics and seems to be the worst he’s ever been. He was shaking his head and crying from frustration as well. I noticed his skin is shedding thick, pasty scaled. Almost like wax. That’s new, especially on his back. I’ve given him some Benadryl and leftover ativan (from the vet!!! He was mauled over the summer and his recovery was so bad he couldn’t lay on his side to sleep 🙁 )

I am here, now trolling your post looking for some new ideas.

I’ve been off my game with two sick human kids but normally I do:

Greek Yogurt
Powdered probiotics (the kind kept in the fridge) added to the yogurt
And FISH OIL FISH OIL FISH OIL!!! I just buy caplets and he eats them like treats. You can also add it liquid style to some boiled eggs or yogurt.

Yeast is triggered when the dogs natural bacteria is thrown off, leaving no “fighter” bacteria to kill off excessive fungi. This is typical after antibiotics, induction to an allergen or sometimes just a weather change and climate. Either way, you need to get that good bacteria back in your baby to regulate the yeast.

I KNOW I need to get his routine back in order but this food is just worth its weight in crap for what it costs. Other, similar minded brands sell products of a higher overall quality.

Anyway, if anyone knows how to instantly SOOTHE the rash and scaling/ear junk while the new diet/supplements take effect, let me know! I can;t stand to see him suffer while we wait for his gut to catch up to his body 🙁

Good luck with your baby and I hope maybe one of my tricks helps!!!

[DogFoodie]

I’d definitely use a product with quinoa. Quinoa, like millet and amaranth are naturally gluten free pseudo grains and don’t have some of the same problems associated with them that cereal grains do. I also like buckwheat, which isn’t associated with wheat at all, it’s a fruit seed.

I have a yeast prone dog that had pano and he has always done great on pseudo grains.

[Jazz Lover]

There is an informative video by Dr. Karen Becker on yeasty dogs. I believe I seen it on youtube.com, but it may have been at mercola.com or ask her on FB! ~Good luck

[BlackandBlue]

IMHO, Natural Balance LID foods are good for finding what your dog is reacting to, but then move on to a higher star food. First determine which your dog shouldn’t eat: the fish or the sweet potato. If you switch to NB LID venison and sweet potato and the dog gets better then it was the fish she can’t have. If she doesn’t get better, then it’s the sweet potato. Switch around with the meat and carb types, and take notes on your dog’s reactions to each food.

[theBCnut]

All of their formulas are pretty high in carbs, which is not ideal for yeast. You should look into Nature’s Variety Instinct’s LID formulas. Antibiotics make yeast worse too.

For my dog, I used 1/2 Brother’s Complete Turkey and 1/2 raw. I added ACV, coconut oil, spirulina, probiotics, and digestive enzymes.

[kate]

I’m at my wits end trying to combat dermatitis in a foster English setter. She is greatly improved since Oct. when she came to me, but still itchy. Medicated shampoos, antibiotics, antifungals, and 2 steroid shots helped but still has skin issues. She is on Natural Balance LID fish and potato (grain free). Should I be avoiding potato? Would peas be better? I’ve read that sugars AND starches can feed yeast. Also, someone suggested adding apple cider vinegar and coconut oil to her food. Has anyone had success using natural remedies? And what bagged foods would you suggest? I’ve always fed grain free, chicken free. I’d hoped that Van Pattens would do the trick, but it hasn’t so far.

[theBCnut]

Often ear problems are associated with food intolerances, so you might want to look at ingredient lists and see if you can figure out what she is reacting to. Zymox is an enzymatic ear cleaner that really helps with yeast that you can find online.

[Georgia Rescue Mom]

Thank you all for your posts. I am just learning about yeast in dogs.. I have an older rescue that has been doing so much better on grain free but I didn’t realize that her ears were so bad, even though her coat had cleared up. What do you suggest for the ears as far as treatment? I have been reading about vinegar for them as well. Any suggestions on any other foods would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Cocker_mom]

Hi, InkedMarie! Since about April I’ve been feeding both my dogs the Iams Healthy Naturals Adult Lamb Meal and Rice dog food. They’ve both responded well to it, and it was included on the list of (literally, hundreds–at least one thousand) dog foods the allergy testing company gave me. Basically, it’s an average kibble, but it’s easily accessible in my area. Prior to that, I had my allergy prone cocker on Nature’s Recipe Grain-Free Easy to Digest Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Pumpkin dog food and my older cocker on Blue Buffalo Senior Turkey (both are considered limited ingredient foods). (I’d highly recommend both those foods; it was just a 20+ mile drive one-way every time I needed dog food.)

To put things in context, I got my allergy prone cocker in September, 2012. I was visiting the vet pretty much every two weeks and he was constantly on keto, benadryl, special shampoo for the elephant hide, and various ear medications. The shampoo improved the elephant hide somewhat, but he was still having problems with ears and itching/licking in general. Once I got him on the Nature’s Recipe, he slowly started improving (I was beginning to think we had a definite winner!), but then spring hit and his skin, eyes, ears just drove him crazy with itching, so he really didn’t enjoy a substantial change in his condition. I did the food allergy test first just because I wanted to eliminate as many of the most likely causes as possible before considering something like an allergy panel/allergy shots. After getting the results, I rid the house of any foods, treats, etc. he was allergic to and made the decision to put both dogs on the same food with my vet’s approval. There was a little adjusting of portions for my older cocker, and she definitely liked the Blue Buffalo much better (it has oats, and I didn’t want to risk my allergy prone dog getting a morsel of it), but she’s doing really well on it.

The warm months were a nightmare for the little guy. The exposed skin and the yeast and the elephant hide cleared up completely with the food adjustment but the ears were the worst I’d seen yet–literally Velveeta cheese at the worst, and medicines weren’t providing much relief. More bi-weekly vet visits, and I even participated in some trial drugs when everything else failed. Thank goodness for the first hard frost. It’s winter now, and his ears have cleared up, so I am pretty confident now the food issues have been ruled out. We’ve both gotten a much needed break from the ear agony. He looks far and away better than ever and the constant itching/licking isn’t going on now that it’s winter. That’s what convinced me to do the outdoor panel before his 2nd spring with me. The tests aren’t terribly invasive or expensive–they use only a small blood sample. I couldn’t imagine having a chronic yeast infection! I’m hoping the allergy shots will prep him for the spring allergens.

I could probably start a whole new thread about cockers and their ears, but I can tell you that having owned two cockers now, my experience with the younger dog has been COMPLETELY different than the older one. Basically, I’ve always exercised preventative care with my older cocker just because cockers are naturally prone to infections with their big floppy ears–cleaning and drying the ears once a week or so, keeping the insides or the ear shaved close, and letting them air out. She’s had maybe 3 or 4 ear infections in her 13 years, and her ears are very clean and healthy. My younger cocker’s ears are a mess–gnarly and misshapen on the inside with a lot of scar tissue particularly on the left ear and there is an ugly polyp on the left ear too. He is truly a special needs dog, and I’m thinking the product of overbreeding (resulting in a very cute but very issue-prone pup).

I know a lot of dogs do well on a food elimination diet, and I believe I truly gave that method a fair shake (the food he was on when he took the food allergy test was actually on the testing company’s approved list–although none of the prior foods I tried were), but my dog’s issues are caused by a variety of allergens that aren’t limited to just food. I spent literally thousands of dollars in vet bills for various treatments that treated only symptoms but not the true problem, and I have no regrets with the allergy tests. I truly believe we’ve reached a turning point. They might not be necessary for every dog, but if your dog is experiencing chronic allergies and a food adjustment isn’t completely alleviating the symptoms, the test is worth it.

[theBCnut]

He had food intolerance issues, so I can’t sort the symptoms into neat piles, and I got on the his issues very early, so he didn’t get really bad. He had nasty slimey diarrhea with blood, vomitting, hot itchy red skin, and a thin, patchy, dry coat. Those are common food intolerance symptoms, but some can be due to yeast. He also had the Frito smell, stinky cheese smell that is associated with yeast. And the skin on his belly was starting to turn black. He broke out in a staph infecting one day, dime size areas with pustules in them. Cutting out grains and other sugar sources made a dramatic difference and so did adding probiotics.

Have you looked at the possibility of ringworm?

Many of the dog food sites give free shipping on orders over a certain amount.

[Kcatlady]

Inked: I will check out those sites. I have shied away from buying food online in the past because of the expensive shipping costs. It’s been a while since I’ve looked though!

Patty: My dog’s skin lesions do cover his whole body except that they don’t really affect the head or legs. It’s like skin infection lesions that are circular-ish and flat and crusty and kind of oozy/scabby sometimes but they crust off in huge thick flakes. Since I’ve changed the food, his coat doesn’t seem to have that nasty smell. Not sure if it’s a yeast smell or a seborrheic smell or a bacteria smell!! What symptoms of a yeast infection did your dog have?

I think it is possible that my dog’s skin problems started about the time I switched the dogs to ProPlan (yes I know PP isn’t great, but it was the best I thought I could do at the time).

Ding, ding, ding, ding! And the light goes off! I’m going to have to give that some more serious thought on time line and see if I can correlate it………

[Cocker_mom]

I am new to this forum and mom to two cocker spaniels (ages 13 and 6), so I’ve seen my share of ear infections and whatnot. I adopted my youngest cocker a little over a year ago (September, 2012), and he had terrible elephant skin on his groin and chest and he stunk of yeast–it was all through his ears and on his little nose and paws. Just pitiful. He was a stray and his owner didn’t claim him although he was housebroken and sat on command when I got him. My vet initially suggested a “lifestyle” change–just being consistently cared for–might improve the skin. Unfortunately, it didn’t improve the near constant itching/licking, and we tried all kinds of medications on top of daily benedryl which just knocked the poor guy out. Much like spotcdb’s case, it would clear up only to come back. I tried the fancy, super expensive all natural dog foods for allergy prone dogs. We rotated foods to eliminate potential allergens. No substantial changes. It took about 5 months for me to make the decision to just test for the food allergies (about $200), and I’m so glad I did. He was VERY allergic to–surprise–OATS and SOY! Those would have been the last ingredients to be eliminated rotating the foods out. Today he is on a dog food (the company that does the testing gave me a HUGE list of foods/treats he could eat that wouldn’t trigger a reaction) that doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg but is still good for him. I just had an outdoor/indoor allergy panel done for him this week. Again, so glad I did because he was still having problems with his ears in the warm months, and it looks like he’ll need to go on allergy shots, which I’ll start before the spring to hopefully give him a head start. Never experienced anything like this with my older cocker, who I’ve had since she was 12 weeks old. Long story short, I really wish I’d done these allergy tests from the get-go, or at least in the first few months. I could have saved my little guy a lot of irritation and myself a lot of money. Incidentally, the elephant skin was completely eliminated shortly after getting him on the right food. He is SO much better, prettier, and happier than when I brought him home.

[theBCnut]

My dog has had those issues with a food intolerance. I had to take him off chicken, grains, and tomato. He also was showing signs of a systemic yeast infection from his gut being upset all the time, so I had to go low carb for quite a while to starve the yeast back into balance.

[theBCnut]

It could also be an intolerance to the type of meat protein she is getting. The intolerance irritates the lining of the gut which eventually makes it permeable and the yeast that should be in the intestinal tract gets in the bloodstream. The way to get the yeast out of the blood stream is to starve it back for 8 or 9 months. That means really low carbs, preferably low glycemic carbs. Dinovite’s yeast starvation diet can be fed long term, but you might want to use locally hunted meats for it, instead of ground beef or chicken.

[DogFoodie]

Hi spotcdb,

It sounds like your dog is still having what may very well be a food intolerance. And, it’s definitely not a good idea to have your dog on Ketoconazole three days per week indefinitely. If I were you, I’d take a look at a grain free food that is lower in carbs than what you’re feeding now and that doesn’t contain any white potato – which Annamaet does. I’d even consider feeding a raw diet.

It takes time, but the body can heal and recover from systemic yeast.

[spotcdb]

We live in remote Alaska and we have a traveling vet that comes through once a year! Our Lab, every since age 4 month old, fought with scratching her ears all the time. The traveling vet would just give her ear cream. And then later about age 2 she started chewing on her paws and butt. At age 5 I felt so sorry for I started searching the web (very slow internet) and found out about grain allergy’s ( I was feeding her Iams for 5 years) and yeast infections. We tried Dinovite and it did not work for her. So we contacted another vet in Anchorage (600 miles and $1000 plane ticket). She advised us to send in swabs of her ears, paws, and butt. Sure nuff she was eat up with yeast. She gave us 3 rounds of Ketoconazole 200mg. After each round she would clear up. And then with in 2 weeks start it all again. So I changed her diet to NO GRAINS (we like Annamaet grain free). Still after each round she would start back with all symptoms. We asked the vet for more drugs but she said no she wanted to see the dog. We were going on a vacation for a month so we took her in and boarded her for a month ($36 a day) and told the vet to make her better! So after some antibiotics and a daily dose of Ketoconazole the vet said she will need to have Ketoconazole probably the rest of her life. She is all cleared up. She is eating Annamaet and is now taking Ketoconazole 3 days a week. WE are so happy and so is she. The only thing we need help with now is her shedding hoping the Annamaet fish will help. Good luck and have the dog checked for yeast. The vet said it starts out with a little yeast in the ears and keeps going till it is coming out of skin everywhere!

[BRT]

I just wanted to post an update that I back in early Dec I switched dog foods again to Lotus Duck Grain Free and my boy is doing great! No tummy issues, and no tear (yeast) staining issues. Lotus is a little $$$ for me, but so far it’s been well worth it. Thanks everyone for your feedback.

[BlackandBlue]

My dog is currently eating half Back 2 Basics Pork and half Natural Balance LID GF Legume & Duck Meal. She is doing better than ever on this combo. A little background on my dog: she has bad reactions to chicken, fish, venison, lamb, soy, kelp, alfalfa, rice that include yeasty feet and ears. For the last couple of months I’ve been keeping a strict watch on her and nailed down her irritants. (I’ve made good use of all of the NB LID foods to test on her.) The NB LID Duck is so low in protein that I decided on the B2B Pork to add in. Amazing results. My dog is just a regular happy, calm dog now, not a scratching, licking and whimpering mess. I’m deciding on whether to phase out the NB Duck or not.

[pugmomsandy]

For the price of the latest low glycemic foods (kibble and canned like LiveFree and Orijen), you might try feeding raw food like Darwins or Instinct, Bravo, etc. You might even ask the vet about incorporating something like the Yeast Starvation Diet which only has meat, eggs, oil and a vitamin. It might be possible (cost-wise) to feed a min pin a freeze dried raw diet if frozen raw is something you don’t want to feed.

http://homemadedogfood.com/yeast-starvation-dog-food-recipe/

[DogFoodie]

I know Cyndi already bumped up your post, but I am too.

Bless your heart, you’ve really got your hands full! Just curious, has your vet checked his thyroid? Also, do you see a vet who practices traditional veterinary medicine or do you use an integrative / holistic vet? I’d visit a holistic vet; here’s a link to help you find one (it’s not all inclusive, but a good start): http://www.ahvma.org/Widgets/FindVet.html

It sounds as though, in addition to the environmental and food allergies, your little guy might have a systemic yeast infection which has evolved into a leaky gut. Someone has probably been feeding your poor little guy garbage for his entire life. I would start right away supplementing his diet with coconut oil and probiotics (you need to begin repopulating the healthy bacteria in his gut). It looks like your food allergies are: salmon, poultry mix, eggs, milk, wheat, and white potato. I’d look for something minimally processed ~ raw if possible; but if you’re choosing to feed kibble, I’d go for a grain and white potato (probably sweet potato, too) free food to switch him to as soon as possible. The first food that comes to mind is Nature’s Variety Instinct Limited Ingredient Diets.

[pfegan77]

I just learned that my 3 year old Sheltie is highly allergic to Brewer’s yeast. I’ve been checking all the labels on the Halo food, various nutritional supplements and treats. There are a lot of different yeast products. Do I need to be wary of any type of yeast, not just Brewer’s Yeast? Does Brewer’s Yeast go by any other name(s) which would be listed on the ingredients?

Thanks so much for your help!

[kwass610]

My boyfriend and I have a 4 y/o rescue yorkie-poo that is most likely from a puppy mill, and is allergic to everything. We currently have him on Natural Balance Lamb and Brown Rice food, which the vet suggested, and cyclosporine. He is doing better over the past few months that he has been on these, but not perfect – his eyes still emit a sticky, chunky discharge and he has trouble growing hair around them, and he is constantly chewing his feet and legs, often until he bleeds. Sometimes he gets a black, rough pattern on his stomach skin, which I think was ID’d by a previous vet as yeast. What more can we do? The vet he used to go to just kept giving him steroids for years, which is why we found a new vet – I want to help him, not slowly kill him. He is allergic to bluegrass, fescue grass, ragweed, lambs quarters weed, marsh elder weed, sage, russian thistle, cottonwood/aspen trees, box elder/maple trees, walnut trees, birch trees, aspergillius, penicillum, candida albicans, nigrospora, phoma (all of these are fungi), mouse epidermal, dust mites, salmon, poultry mix, eggs, milk, wheat, white potato, cotton, staph, and malassezia. This is all from an official allergy test.
We also have two larger dogs (both around 70lbs) so its tricky to feed the little guy alone. Getting food that they can all eat is important, but we can give the little one meds and topical things separate from the two bigger boys.
Any advice is welcome, I am lost and frustrated, I just want him to be comfortable. It is so hard getting him sweaters, blankets, treats, food, bedding, shampoos, medications, etc. that do not have something in them that he is allergic to! We might have to replant the yard in spring if it turns out we have a type of grass he cannot tolerate.

[kwass610]

My boyfriend and i have a 4 y/o rescue yorkie-poo dog that is most likely from a puppy mill, and is allergic to everything. We currently have him on Natural Balance Lamb and brown rice food, which the vet suggested, and cyclosporine. He is doing better over the past few months that he has been on these, but not perfect – his eyes still emit a sticky, chunky discharge and he has trouble growing hair around them, and he is constantly chewing his feet and legs, often until he bleeds. Sometimes he gets a black, rough pattern on his stomach skin, which I think was ID’d by a previous vet as yeast. What more can we do? The vet he used to go to just kept giving him steroids for years, which is why we found a new vet – I want to help him, not slowly kill him. He is allergic to: bluegrass, fescue grass, ragweed, lambs quarters weed, marsh elder weed, sage, russian thistle, cottonwood/aspen trees, box elder/maple trees, walnut trees, birch trees, aspergillius, penicillum, candida albicans, nigrospora, phoma (all of these are fungi), mouse epidermal, dust mites, salmon, poultry mix, eggs, milk, wheat, white potato, cotton, staph, and malassezia. This is all from an official allergy test.
We also have two larger dogs (both around 70lbs) so its tricky to feed the little guy alone. Getting food that they can all eat is important, but we can give the little one meds and topical things separate from the two bigger boys.
Any advice is welcome, I am lost and frustrated, I just want him to be comfortable. It is so hard getting him sweaters, blankets, treats, food, bedding, shampoos, medications, etc. that do not have something in them that he is allergic to! We might have to replant the yard in spring if it turns out we have a type of grass he cannot tolerate.

[losul]

Kms.
I’m really sorry I can’t answer many of your questions and I’m not qualified to give medical advice. I don’t know specifically what your vet prescribed the SMZ TMP for, if it was even for anything specific. It may not be effective against clostridium? I would ask questions of your vet, before carrying on.

c. difficile and c. perfingens are often culprits in humans. I think c. perfingens more often in dogs.

SMZ TMP (usage in humans) http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-64007-SMZ-TMP+DS+Oral.aspx?drugid=64007&drugname=SMZ-TMP+DS+Oral

“This medication may rarely cause a severe intestinal condition (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) due to a resistant bacteria. This condition may occur while receiving treatment or even weeks to months after treatment has stopped. Do not use anti-diarrhea products or narcotic pain medications if you have the following symptoms because these products may make them worse. Tell your doctor immediately if you develop: persistent diarrhea, abdominal or stomach pain/cramping, or blood/mucus in your stool.”

“Use of this medication for prolonged or repeated periods may result in oral thrush or a new yeast infection (oral or vaginal fungal infection). Contact your doctor if you notice white patches in your mouth, a change in vaginal discharge or other new symptoms.”

About the kaolin (pro-pectin)

Kaolin Interactions

Kaolin pectin may decrease the absorption of drugs that chelate with aluminum salts (eg, digoxin, clindamycin, lincomycin). Until more information is available, avoid taking kaolin with drugs that chelate with aluminum. It may also decrease the absorption of trimethoprim and quinidine.

http://www.drugs.com/npp/kaolin.html

It looks like as long as you separate the doses enough, it may be O.K.

Trimethoprim (Proloprim) interacts with KAOLIN
Kaolin might decrease the absorption and decrease the effectiveness of trimethoprim (Proloprim), an antibiotic. To avoid a potential interaction, separate trimethoprim (Proloprim) and kaolin doses by at least two hours.

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-44-KAOLIN.aspx?activeIngredientId=44&activeIngredientName=KAOLIN

The questions about the probiotics and enzymes- I don’t know, but me, I would be leery of using the enzymes at least for the time being.

By lightly cooked meat, I meant cooked only enough to kill pathogens that may be present. The rice cooked per package directions should be fine.

[theBCnut]

Is your dog having true allergy problems or intolerance problems? True allergies are rare in dogs, hives, anaphylactic response, facial swelling, breathing issues, and dogs that have true allergies may be much more sensitive than dogs with intolerances, which are far more common. Intolerances cause generalized itchiness, intestinal upset, body odor, greasy coat, yeast infections, ear infections. A dog with allergy/intolerance issues can have generalized reactions to all proteins from a particular source, but is is still a protein reaction. And there are other types of intolerances that are to other things like MSG or chemicals, but they aren’t “allergic reactions.”

[RVPets]

It looks like that may a be a good one to try! I don’t see anything on the ingredients list that he can’t eat. Thank you both for the recommendation! I’ll let you know how it’s going in a few weeks.

[RVPets]

Thanks! I’m going over to the website to check out the ingredients now!

[dellh]

I have 2 gsds and feed nutri source grain free large breed. My smaller shepherd has begun to gain reasonable wieght and has energy to spare. He was having digestic issues, bowel issues, until we switched food.
I recommend the food.

[Mom2Cavs]

I don’t know what his allergies are exactly, but from what I’ve read Nutrisource grain frees may be a good fit. The gf lamb and their seafood select don’t have potatoes at all, I believe. Check ’em out here nutrisourcedogfood.com.

[Susan]

Anyone one with dogs having yeast problems should at least give Nutrsource GF a try. My little doxie mix has ear and skin problems and changing to this food and simple ear cleansing after bath keeps her problems gone. My other little mix had itching and biting issues which have gone away using the GR lamb meal – no chicken, turkey & grains. In addition just tried the seafood flavor and they both love it. This is the only seafood flavor they would ever touch.
I give kudos to DFA for the help and information!

[RVPets]

We have a 7 year old German Shepherd and we have been struggling to control a systemic yeast infection for the past 9 months. Our old vet (I do mean old now) kept putting him on antibiotics, saying it was not yeast, but never doing a skin scrap. Our new vet checked first and immediately told us it was yeast. He wants him on a no carbohydrate/lo. starch diet and has suggested a more holistic approach to controling the problem. We are very pleased with the results so far. He’s grown back most of his hair and his odor has diminshed considerably.

We add Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar (with the “Mother”) to his drinking water and we wipe him down with a vinegar and water mixture (50/50) and we are cleaning his ears with the same solution daily. We have hi on a partial raw diet that we have been adding a high quality dog food too (about half raw half dog food).

My problem is that we are having a hard time finding a food that he can eat due to food allergies. Has anyone tried Canidae Grain-Free Pure Elements for dogs? It does not have anything on his “don’t eat” list, but I’m not too sure about having sweet potatoes in the top 5 list of ingredients.

Has anyone else tried this with a “yeasty dog”? Did it help or make it worse? We are trying very hard to find a solution, but we simply cannot feed an all raw diet right now.

This is a list of ingrediants:
Lamb, turkey meal, chicken meal, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peas, chicken fat, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, suncured alfalfa, natural flavor, minerals (iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite), vitamins (vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid), choline chloride, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, mixed tocopherols (a natural source of
vitamin E)

[theBCnut]

YAY!!! We love success!

[myfourmutts]

I just thought I would share an update!

My parents switched both of their beagles from Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream to NutriSource Grain-Free Seafood Select (no potatoes), and it has made all the difference in the world! The beagle with the horrible yeast problems looks like a completely new dog! Before she switched from TOTW to Nutrisource, all the fur on her chest was gone, her skin was horribly inflamed, she scratched non-stop, and she smelled horrible. After going through 2 bags of the NutriSource, the fur on her chest has grown back, she no longer scratches EVER (!!!), her energy levels are through the roof, and the yeasty smell is gone. The only change has been the food! I am amazed at the transformation. Thank you all for your helpful comments.

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by myfourmutts.

[theBCnut]

I’m saying change foods to one that is low carb and if changing foods starts messing with his stool, then have the other stuff on hand. Systemic yeast is fed by carbs in the diet, so he needs as low a carb food as you can find. I hope you are keeping ingredient lists from the foods you have tried so you can figure out what the reaction is to. I would assume you are seeing food intolerance issues.

[BRT]

The stool issues are fine now and I’m adding pure pumpkin. However, it’s the yeast issues I need advice about.

[BRT]

Here are my original threads….

/forums/topic/could-it-be-the-fromm/

I switched both dogs over to Regal Venison because my 8 year old male maltese/toy poodle was have tummy issues with Fromm Grain Free Beef. They’ve been on Regal for a couple of weeks now and his tummy issues are much better, and his poop is firm.

However, now he has terrible yeast issues. His tears stains are awful, he has staining around his mouth, and his tummy is red with yeast. He’s also started scratching a lot and licking a lot.

I have no idea what to do at this point. Do I have to sacrifice one problem with another?

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

• This topic was modified 12 years ago by BRT.

[gmcbogger38]

Sorry. I started off with ACANA (not potato free) from Nutro and that is when I started seeing issues. Thinking it was yeast, I then switched them to a grain free and potato free food. I have tried several high quality brands, and even raw, but nothing is helping. So, I wondered if the ACANA with potato could have triggered allergies and if that would even be possible? I then wondered if switching them back to a grain inclusive food would help, since they did fine before with grains. I mean my ultimate question is this: is it possible that some dogs do better on grain inclusive foods? It just seems like everyone says grains are bad.

[gmcbogger38]

I have a question, but a quick history, first. I had my two dogs, American Bulldog and Rat Terrier, on Nutro Ultra for about 2 years and never had any issues. When I got my Saint Bernard I switched them to Nutro Natural Choice and fed them that for awhile and, once again, never had any issues. I started research on foods and found that there are better foods than Nutro, so I switched my dogs to ACANA and ever since then I have fed them high quality, grain free kibbles and even fed raw for a little bit. They are now on grain free/potato free kibble, but ever since I switched to ACANA my Saint Bernard starting having, what I believe, is a yeast issue. Could it be the potato that ultimately caused the yeast because she never had it before. Anyway, that is when I switched to a grain and potato free kibble and fed raw. Her issues never stopped and now my American Bulldog is having some skin issues. The only things I have changed was their food. Now, I am thinking I need to go back to Nutro and see if it really is the food causing their new issues. Has anybody else experienced this? Is it out of the ordinary that they would do better on a grain inclusive kibble?