[DogFoodie]

Hi Marie,

Sorry Boone is still having problems. : (

I can hear my vet at my recent visit for Sam’s yeasty ears, telling me to feed him Darwin’s full time. Is that an option? It’s not for me.

You said Boone is eating potato right now, right? I think I’d eliminate that for sure and either try Zeal full-time to see if it resolves like you mentioned or maybe try something completely different. I tell you, I was shocked and what great luck I had feeding Sam Horizon Legacy. He seems to be doing really well on Earthborn’s Great Plains Feast right now, also. He still does the occasional flap of the ears, which always gets my attention, but when I peek inside, they seem to be clear. He doesn’t show that he’s bored (though he may well be), but getting him clear and stabilized is my priority.

I believe I exacerbated Sam’s ear this most recent time with the Zymox. I used the Zymox with Bio-Active Enzymes. I used it once at night and the next day when I went to use it again, his ear was very red inside. I didn’t use it again and the vet actually said that Sam’s ear infection was limited to the outer ear canal (she said it looked like the Zymox burned his ear). I did recently pick up a bottle of Halo ~ it seems like a lot of others have mentioned that they use it [for cleaning] with good results.

I’m also hoping that the Curcu-VET he’s been taking will help resolve some of his yeast issues as well. I know you were interested in it, but I don’t recall if it was for Boone or Ginger. Here’s a link to Thorne’s product page: http://veterinary.thorne.com/articles/introducing-curcuvet.jsp

Also, what about a visit to a vet who practices TCVM, unless you already are and one of these folks happens to be your vet: http://search.tcvm.com/vetFinding.asp?qtype=state

[somebodysme]

Every food that my dog has had issue with has peas and of all the ingredients I can only find that one common ingredient. Out of desperation, I bought a bag of Natural Balance LID potato and rabbit. It has succeeded in clearing up this rash she has had on her back ever since we began trying to feed her a “healthy” dog food. When we got her, she was on Pro Plan Savor Chicken with NO rash on her back. I actually thought it was from Frontline but then it never cleared up for months after and many baths later. Just now that I switched to this basically lousy food, is the rash vanishing before my eyes!

I’d love a food that had similar but better ingredients…try as I may, I cannot find anything. I fear mostly that it will aggravate her yeast condition though.

Have any of you had a dog break out in a rash from peas? Seems odd but I can find no other ingredient in all the foods. Maybe flaxseed except that it’s in the NB rabbit that is working so it’s not flaxseed.

[InkedMarie]

Regulars may remember that Boone, who hasn’t had an ear issue in years, has had recurring ones, in the right ear, since the spring. On August 5th, I took him to the vet, who diagnosed bacterial and yeast. She put him on meds and it cleared up. Yes, I did try to fix it myself with Zymox, that worked when he was getting them as a puppy. He’s seven now. I don’t know whats causing them, food or environmental (humid up this way this summer).

So, he has another icky ear but this time it’s both ears. Whats new is adding canned into his rotation (new over the last five days is http://weruva.com/dog-cuisine-kurobuta-hero.php. It’s turkey, which he has eaten for seven years with no issues, I see nothing in there that should cause him a problem. It’s also been more humid over the last six days or so.

I’m discouraged. I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of me says to try him on The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal full time but I’d hate to have him eat that only. He has eaten Embark for years, I thought maybe stopping potato might be good but maybe I should rotate him through just THK. He also eats Darwins that he’s eaten for a year (the ear issues are new as of the spring).

Eh. Any suggestions, advice, anyone want a cute pbgv? <G>

[katrina0275]

Awesome!! Thanks to both of you! I went out today and bought him Avoderm Revolving diet dog food and Nature’s Variety dog biscuits. I’m going to try the sugar free route and see what happens. I will keep you all posted!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Switch the dog to a species-appropriate, low carbohydrate diet. A raw, home cooked, dehydrated or canned diet free of any grains or starches is ideal. If you must feed kibble look for a high protein (>30%) grain-free/white potato free kibble. If kibble is necessary, I think somebodysme made a good suggestion with Nature’s Variety Instinct.

I would also highly recommend starting the dog on a high quality, multi-strain probiotic supplement and an enzyme supplement. Probiotics are “friendly” bacteria that will help to get the body’s microflora back in balance (a yeast infection is an imbalance of microflora). Enzymes will help to rid the body of toxins that can contribute to yeast overgrowth and help the dog to more efficiently digest the food.

Yeast infections can also be caused by deficient levels of IgA and German Shepherds are prone to IgA deficiencies. If there is an IgA deficiency the probiotics and enzymes should help and you may also wish to consider an immunoglobulin supplement (such as IgG 2000 DF or colostrum) and coconut oil (the lauric acid in coconut oil is beneficial to immune function). You vet could test for an IgA deficiency.

You should also regularly disinfect the parts of his body that are yeasty. You can use a solution containing 1 gallon water, 1 C. hydrogen peroxide and 1 C. white vinegar. You can also bathe him using an herbal shampoo (such as tea tree) – avoid oatmeal shampoos as oatmeal feeds the yeast.

Good luck! 🙂

[somebodysme]

I’m in the same boat so maybe someone will pipe in. A light bulb finally came on with my dog. What I thought was all caused by food allergies are partly allergies and partly yeast. When I get her on a food that she’s not allergic to, the rash on her back clears right up but her feet flare up. The feet are yeast and the back rash is food allergies. Or at least this seems to be what we are figuring out. On a low carb food such as Nature’s Variety, the feet heal but her back flares. On an brand new meat such as lamb and/or rabbit, the back heals right up but the feet flare because the only food I tried was too high in carbs. SO now I will try lamb Nature’s Variety but the problem is that it’s not readily available and she has some stool issues with NV.

So if yeast is your only issue, I’d suggest giving Nature’s Variety LID a try. Of course, most people will suggest you need a raw or cooked diet. I haven’t crossed that bridge just yet…HA!

[shelties mom]

This sound to be a yeast problem, no. 1 thing to do is to address the diet, preferrably an anti-inflammatory raw diet with no grains. Adding a probiotic supplement will help since antibiotics destroy all good along with the bad bacteria, so these drugs often make a bad situation worse.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/05/03/eating-these-foods-can-make-your-dog-itch-like-crazy.aspx

Be sure not to over-vaccinate or over-medicate.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/08/17/stop-using-pet-steroids-until-you-read-these-disturbing-truths.aspx
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/12/23/environmental-allergies-and-your-pet.aspx

Use natural flea control products:
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/03/31/dangers-of-flea-and-tick-problems.aspx

Have you tried this product for his ears?

[katrina0275]

Hello –

I am looking to change the diet of my german shepard. He has very bad yeast issues on his skin and in his ears. I am looking for a dry and wet dog food that have no sugars, whatsoever – this means no honey, no high fructose corn syrup, no white or sweet potato, no corn, no wheat, and no rice. Can anyone help me??? I am desperate!

Thanks!

[somebodysme]

Yes, those are all the typical symptoms of food allergies, my dog has all that but my vet told me it was food allergies. I’m surprised the vet didn’t suggest that you change his food…I actually had TWO vets tell me to change my dog’s food. Also if your dog has been on antibiotics and steriods a lot, he may also be suffering from yeast. I’d add a pro-biotic each day.

Now on to what to feed…UGH this is where we are at right now. I first tried Nature’s Variety Instinct Turkey which did OK with the scratching but isn’t doing OK with her stool which it made too hard and she had issues “going”. It’s a good food but just not for my dog.

Have you gone to the review section and read the hypoallergenic food suggestion article? It will shed some light on what are the most common allergens. I would just suggest to read that and try a different food. It’s just hard to tell you what to try because all dogs are different as to what they are sensitive to. If your current food has corn in it, that would be my first course of action is to use a food that does NOT contain corn, see how that works and go from there. It’s a long drawn out ordeal finding the right food but you may get lucky and it’s simple like maybe you are feeding a low quality food and just feeding a better 4 or 5 star food will help fix it.

Here is the link to the article:
/best-dog-foods/hypoallergenic-dog-foods/

• This reply was modified 12 years, 3 months ago by somebodysme.

[puppylove]

If you’re feeding your dog a processed meat diet then enzymes are CRITICAL.

Prebiotics are not the same as PRObiotics. PREbiotics are simply the material that the bacteria feed on to grow. Careful giving your dog a prebiotic without probiotics or you could feed pathogenic bacteria (if there is a yeast or bacterial problem in the gut)

Probiotics, I am an advocate. Find one made for dogs, not humans, since humans and dogs have different systems. I like Nusentia, but there are some other suggestions on this forum that might be good too if they are made for dogs.

Fish oil? I don NOT DO WILD fish oils, like salmon, because of contaminants. They are more expensive, but get the purified fish oil from small species fish. Great source of beneficial Omega-3 without PCBs or toxins. Again, I like Nusentia’s fish oil, but I’m sure there are others that compare. In this case, you could get a human fish oil supplement since fish oil is fish oil. period.

[bkagel]

Hello again. I’m going through the brands looking for food for Gracie from the top. Here’s my question. If your dog has IBS or at the very least is super sensitive AND she’s a yeasty little thing what about all the lentils and chickpeas??

Won’t that make her gassier and even more bloated?

Just for laughs, she can’t handle a protein content higher than 32% either. That’s why back to basics gave her the runs.

[InkedMarie]

bkagel: If you go to the front page of this thread, on the top, I have a stickie with grain & potato free foods. A few things I want to point out: shopping at Pet Co isn’t always the best place to find foods. They don’t carry the best selection when you’re looking for something specific, such as grain/potato free foods. I know nothing about Pet People and can’t help you there.

Shopping online is sometimes your best place to find alot of foods that you can’t find locally. I suggest looking at wag.com, PetFlow.com, Chewy.com, for starters, for places to order from. These three offer free shipping if you spend a certain nominal amount. If you look at the stickie and find some foods you think may work, check those sites. Their websites have store locators and probably have a list of internet places that sell their products as well.

Regarding looking for samples: I don’t suggest that. It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to know if a food will work for your dog. Unless you have a dog that you know can go from one food to another without problems (yours does not sound like that), you should transition from one food to another over a 5-7 day period. Then, it can be the 2-4 weeks after that to know. Samples won’t be enough food to know, even the smallest bags (4-5 pounders) aren’t even enough, even with a Papillion.

Hopefully others can chime in on possible IBS. If it’s a yeast overload, dogs can go through a detox period where they seem to get worse, then better.

[dog34747]

So I tried NutriSource grain free and the soft stuff turned to liquid and never stopped, even with added Geneflora at each meal.

Then I tried another limited ingredient Chicken/Potato Grain Free and I chose it because any forms of potato were well down the list of ingredients, behind peas and pea starch and several other things. They should have just called it Chicken and Pea. Anyway… it also contained beet pulp and only 21% protein. Things solidified within two days! Yay! However, he then proceeded to poop about 6-8 times a day. That seems like a lot for a dog that typically has 3, even when it’s bad quality it’s usually only 3, and in the past when he’s had no digestion related food issues it’s only been 3 times a day. Six to 8 is too much right?

I’m increasingly more convinced on the beet pulp theory. So far the only foods that eliminated the terrible gas/gurgling and soft/liquid stool have contained beet pulp along with <25% protein. I just can’t find any other commonality between foods that work and the foods that do not. Nutro has a Venison and Potato around 21% protein plus beet pulp. Hills also has two that are similar with either Chicken or Salmon.

I’m really hesitant to put him back on the grain food that seemed to work so well for his stomach before because the itching, hacking, licking and yeast ear infections were so severe… by severe I mean that over the course of the past year he lost his ability to walk in a straight line, balance, chew food, walk up stairs and hear out of one ear and all the while his ear was not exhibiting any outward signs of infection other than a small amount of wax buildup and he was not indicating he had any pain or specific problem with his ear like head shaking or pawing at it and so, despite the fact that I continually asked about the discharge, three different Vets said it was nothing and mis-diagnosed the infection for a combination of brain tumor and a stroke, for which they prescribed him Prozac for “anxiety related to the pressure in his brain” and told me to put him down. A fourth Vet finally actually looked inside his ear when I asked and realized the severity and took action, within just a few days of proper meds he was like a brand new dog. I don’t want to feed him any food that causes that kind of allergy/yeast issue again.

Thoughts? Are any of the grain AND potato free foods out there recommended for food intolerance and digestion issues?

What is the main benefit of the enzymes vs. probiotics? The Geneflora seems to do little to nothing to help him.

[bkagel]

Hi all. I have been using dog food advisor for quite some time. Here’s the deal. I have an 8 year old pap and I think she has ibs. She’s sensitive when it comes to grains and overly processed foods. The last dry food she was on was Merrick’s grain free buffalo. She was doing okay on that kibble but she get’s seasonal allergies. She was one yeasty dog! I slowly took her off the Merrick and put her back on her raw food diet. With a lot of baths, and her adjustment to her old raw food diet I thought we were good to go. Unfortunately she started having serious diarrhea, so she just ate cooked chicken with pro- biotics from Nature’s Farmacy. I cooked her a low residue food and then I started adding 1 tablespoon of acana per meal thinking I could switch her to acana. No way. I thought I was going to pass out from her second poop. Talk about foul smelling!!

She does well with a protein ratio of 28-32% and a carb ratio the same or lower level. I really liked brother’s complete, but realistically, I can’t afford it. I have two fur babies and while they are small I don’t know if I could afford them. At least with a 50 lb bag of Acana, I would be set for a good 4-5 months.

This is what I’ve tried over the years that hasn’t worked or I didn’t like:
back to basics-diarrhea city too much protein
Evo, Innova, California Naturals-she didn’t do so well on those as a puppy. Ibs flare ups etc.

Having written all of that, is there some grain free, potato free (or at least low potato) food I can get my dogs that I can get a sample packet(s) I can afford. It used to be that the stores would give you a sample packet. Pet people charged me $10.00 for a sample packet.

I live in Columbus Ohio. I usually go to Petco or Pet People because they tend to have the better foods in stock.
Please tell me there is help for this situation. She’s on the prescribed low resolution and she’s taking “their” probiotics. It’s only a matter of time 2-3 days until she’ll be back to normal. I have NO clue what to give her that I can afford for both of them.

[somebodysme]

OH yes, sounds just exactly like my dog with allergies too. She’s a “lab mix”…AKA no one knows!

The vet did the same thing. What I did was go with a limited ingredient diet. I have her on Nature’s Variety LID Turkey which is doing an adequate job of keeping it under control. Remember that everything he consumes can contribute, not just their dog food. Treats and rawhide etc. even vitamins and supplements. People food…it can all cause problems.

Really the antiboitics help heal it up but then it just will come right back because they are killing the dog’s immune system.

I chose the NV food because it had the least amount of ingredients and not potatoes of any kind. I don’t even want her on sweet potatoes either.

Does he stink like strong cheese? If so that is yeast too so you don’t want a food with too many carbs or it will get worse. You’d also want to give a probiotic.

Just out of curiosity, what are you feeding him now?

[Colorado huntress]

Yes, I agree w/Patty, definitely sounds like allergies. My lab was a little itchy & also her ears were a little yeasty – as soon as I took her off of her kibble that had white potatoes, w/in a week all her problems went away. She seems fine w/sweet potatoes. Also, are you feeding out of a stainless steel bowl? Ceramic can make bumps on their chins & my vet said that it can change nose color to some degree! Plastic is not good to feed out of either – & I always use hot water to wash their bowls after every feeding.

[Josiesmom]

@Patty My vet seems a little unsure or even kind of flippant about yeast issues. Though let me just say, he has been very open minded about some of this (like food changes), I do feel like his ultimate answer is to take her to the specialist b/c he thinks it’s IBS and get her scoped, etc. He said that may not provide an answer, etc. though. So I’ll spend thousands…for to what end? I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help her. IF it will help her.
She does chew on her feet, has had a recent ear infection which we got cleared up, etc. Someone said allergies (which makes me leary of different foods), someone else said that’s definitely yeast (which I’m still learning what to do/not to do). Ach!! It’s really enough to make a worried dog mom throw her hands up. SO confusing but I really appreciate any input. I think I’ll stick with Brothers for now and pray that the Fruitables on top of the Beef doesn’t make her hate it. 🙁
I hear they are coming out with a new formula in a month or so that may work better for her…

[theBCnut]

As far as Nature’s Logic being plant based, it is only by a very small percentage. Unless you are dealing with yeast issues, that would not be a deal breaker for me.

Regarding allergy tests, they are notorious for giving false positives as well as fasle negatives, so while they may be a little helpful, they are not completely reliable.

[beagleowner]

Hi Hound Dog Mom. Need some input. Still making Henry’s food. We switched to ground turkey and read that the ratio between protein and vegetables should be 2 to 1. We are mixing ground turkey, carrots, sweet potatoes, frozen peas, kale 3 eggs with shells, apples and spinach, baking it in a slow oven for 90 minutes. We make enough for 3 was and freeze weekly amounts. We do the 2 parts turkey to 1 part combined vegetables, feed 1capsule of Aller G-3 bought and suggested by our vet. It is 1000 mg fish oil, o.1moisture, 400 iu vitamin A, 100 iu vitamin D3, 4 iu Vitamin E. we feed 2 cups a day, estimating caloric intake of 750 to 800 cal/day. We also give him 2 Gkucosamine chewables a day which provides 500 mg Glucosamine, 200 mg Chondrotin Sulfate, 100 mg MSM, 50 mg Vitamin C, and 5 mg Manganese. It does have inactive ingredients Brewers dried yeast, diacalcium phosphate, glycerin,iron oxide, magnesium sterate, silicon dioxide and steric acid.

Henry has lost 3 lbs over the past 5 mos. we weigh him at the vet every month. he is now at 45 lb and the vet would like to see him close to 40.

Henry has one very large lipoma which I had mentioned in a previous post (about melon size) and another smaller (baseball) one. I discovered a site called Pawhealer out of California and their product Dissolve made with various herbs. They also on my next order created a Custom Dissolve. He got 3/4 tsp twice a day. The vet measured his lipomas when we started the herbs. When he measured them at our last visit they were slightly smaller and they are now a soft mass. The vet said that something was working, either the Dissolve, or the food, or a combination of both. He is not on Dissolve any longer because Pawhealer suggested discontinuing the Dissolve for now and suggested a kidney formula. My husband didn’t feel comfortable with this and so we did not order.

Bottom line. Henry is losing weight, and the lipomas are decreasing very gradually. But I am wondering if I should again begin the herbs. You are so very knowledgeable I wanted to get your thoughts and opinion. There are so many sites that address diet and lipomas it makes your head spin. Sorry for this looooong post but I wanted to give a full history so you could offer feedback. Thanks for all your knowledge.

[shilodakotamom]

I think I finally pinpointed the ingredient that has caused my chihuahua to itch severely at night. Well I think it is rosemary. Instinct Raw has this added to it, and she was itching, I discontinued it cause I thought it might be the yeast. She has been eating three varieties of Castor & Pollux ultra mix, indulgent mix, and when I fed her one particular flavor she started the scratching again. Well I realized that the common ingredient was the rosemary. Anyone else notice this with rosemary? No rosemary tonight, so far no itching!

[Hound Dog Mom]

Nupro isn’t a bad supplement however I wouldn’t discontinue the fish oil. The omega 3’s in Nupro come from flaxseed. Plant-based omega 3’s (with the exception of algae and yeast derived omega 3’s) are in the form of alpha linolenic acid (ALA) which is a short-chain omega 3. In order to be utilized by the body the short-chain omega 3’s need to be converted into long chain omega 3’s – docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The conversion process from short-chain to long-chain is very inefficient – I’ve read some sources that state the conversion rate is less then 5%. Animal sources of omega 3’s (cage free eggs and fatty fish or fish oil) and omega 3’s derived from algae or yeast are already in the form of DHA and EPA and don’t need to be converted. Nupro also, unfortunately, only contains 1 strain of probiotic – lactobacillus acidophilus. I do the like inclusion of whole foods in Nupro though. Personally, I think you could do better and likely for cheaper. I would suggest picking either a high quality fish oil or feeding tinned sardines, a multi-strain probiotic (Swanson’s sells some very high quality, reasonably priced probiotic supplements check out https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-probiotics-dr-stephen-langers-ultimate-15-strain-probiotic-fos-60-veg-caps or https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-soil-based-organisms-90-caps) and mixing up a “super food” supplement. I purchase ingredients in 1 lb. bags from Swanson’s and mix them myself, I store them in giant jars in the fridge. Doing it this way is so much cheaper per pound than pre-blended supplements and it allows you to customize the ingredients. The current blend I’m using is 1 part spirulina, 1 part kelp, 1 part alfalfa, 1 part wheatgrass and 1 part bee pollen. I do switch up ingredients occasionally for variety.

[NectarMom]

Zymox works like nothing I have ever used on yeasty ears. The rinse is also very good.
http://www.healthypets.com/zymox.html

[InkedMarie]

Betsy: is it humid where you are? Boone has been fine, ear wise, for years, til this year. Now, he’s had an ongoing ear infection, bacteria & yeast. Pretty sure it’s from the humidity.

Good luck on the raw! Steve ometimes has to feed the dogs & he thinks Hare is a pain, lol. It’s easier to flip a Darwin’s into the bowl.

[somebodysme]

Emily, is you dog having problems on the BB? If not, then just keep feeding it. I >think< the no potato issue is mostly with allergies and yeast problems. If he doesn’t have problems then a potato formula should be OK. It’s just high in carbs/sugar so it bothers dogs with yeast problems.

[dog34747]

The cheese smell, aka “Frito Feet”, is from yeast overgrowth on the skin. If you google it, you’ll see it’s very common side effect of excess yeast on the skin. My current dog does not have this, though he does have yeast allergies and gets ear infections. However, my previous dog had severe yeast/cheese/Frito smell all over his body, not just the feet and he bit, gnawed, scratched and itched almost non-stop, all day, every day. The vet said it was caused by allergies. He recommended bathing him 3 times a week to help relieve the overgrowth. That did help, the smell went away temporarily and he was less itchy but it always returned within a few days. A daily dose of Claritan or generic, really helped. Do not use the “D” formula that has a decongestant in it and is usually kept behind the pharmacy counter. He was about 50 lbs and I gave him one pill per day, it gave him some relief but 2 pills per day were too strong and he seemed drowsy, probably should not exceed 10 mg per 50lbs. Also putting about 1 to 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in the water bowl every day helped him too, he was a little less smelly and itchy.

Really, that dog should have been on a grain-free food but I couldn’t convince my ex to do it. Technically the dog was his, so I could only do so much to provide relief.

[InkedMarie]

It’s hard to know what works for each dog. People say, myself included, to try grain/potato free. Then, my friend with the frenchie had luck with Aqualuk so who knows? My Boone is yeasty, I think. He does paw lick, alot & only once has he caused any damage by licking. My problem is his ears. I can live with paw licking because it could be behavioral but not ear infections.

So, to know whether it would work for your dog, who knows? I just know it worked or my friends dog. I’d think the food would be the same for all size bags, unless they had an ingredient change.

[somebodysme]

I keep hearing good things about Annamaet Aqualuk or the brand in general. Would this work for a yeasty dog? At this point I really don’t know what she’s allergic to. She had been on the Zign. for two weeks with absolutely no signs of allergies as far as scratching goes and it’s a lamb based food but it contains fruits and vegetables. On the NV LID Turkey she still scratches a little bit but her paws were fine on that and it has pretty much nothing but turkey, peas and tapioca and vitamins. Usually I can tell immediately if something is bothering her because she will begin to claw at her sides like when I gave her a rawhide to test, that happened in two days so I knew.

Another weird thing is she seems to do good until I buy a large bag of food but is fine on the tiny bags. Could there be some difference in the kibble used in large bags? I was thinking that maybe they package them somewhere different OR they may use more preservatives for the food that goes into a large bag? When I bought a large bag of NV, there was a definite difference in the appearance of the kibble..I will attest to that much! It also had a lot of “dust” (ground up bottom of the barrel kibble) in with the food which I was kind of miffed over.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.

[InkedMarie]

Freehold: I just looked, it’s a testimonial on the Natures Logic website!

My Boone can’t have chicken as a protein but I’m going to try one of the NL that has chicken somethingorother, see if it brings on ear issues. There’s brewers yeast in something, unsure if that’ll set him off but going to try. He does great on turkey stuff.

[Max2Tucker]

I have a three yr old Anatolian with severe allergies. I recently had blood test done for food allergies. It came back with sensitivity to potato = 245, milk = 233, barley = 188, beef = 163, brewers yeast = 143, rice = 120, chicken = 118, lamb = 112. It has been a challenge to locate dog food products that do not include these products. I am currently using Blue Buffalo Basic grain free mixed with a can of the same product. She is on daily 10 mg of prednisone as well as antihistamine, lanoline rise and twice monthly bathing. I have read as much as I can get my hands on. I would appreciate any new ideas or a new approach.

[somebodysme]

Just white vinegar or do I need the Bragg’s stuff? I assume you just leave that on right?

OH yeah well my last dog we got back around 1990 so I don’t even know if any good dog foods existed back then. I can remember trying to put him on some Iams stuff and he hated it, back then, as far as I know, that was the “good stuff”. We’d never even conceived of the idea of Internet back then. Ya know, how did we find out anything back then? HAHA! Grapevine?

I forgot to mention that when we first got her she smelled really bad of that stinky cheese smell and the rescue people told me to spray her with that Nature’s Miracle odor stuff…GAH! Even people that are involved in dog rescue are clueless about yeast and the effects of too many antibiotics.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by somebodysme.

[theBCnut]

Yikes!! OK, do you rinse her feet off when she comes in due to contact allergies? Try adding a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water for rinsing her feet and you can use this on her girl parts too. Yeast don’t like the acid and it also kills several bacteria that may be opportunistic in those areas where she is having the most problems.

[somebodysme]

I do have the vetericyn but it just seems like any time I use it, it irritates her skin even worse. It’s so hard with her because she has such sensitive skin. The only spray I’ve used that doesn’t seem to irritate is made my Excel Medicated antiseptic spray. Everything else I have used on this poor dog is an irritant. UGH! It could have been that her feet were wet because I rinse them off after each walk, I towel dry them but still they could have been damp and maybe I put her in her crate with wet paws? May have even been something on someone’s grass? I guess it’s hard to say but all I know is I switched her back to NV and her paws are healing up nicely…sheeeew!

I appreciate being able to talk this over with you…it helps iron things out and I’m new to all this dog allergies and yeast stuff. My last dog ate grocery store food and was fine…of course at the time I never heard of DFA! HAHA!

[theBCnut]

Get the vetericyn and use it first. Don’t do antibiotics at all if you don’t absolutely have to, it will just set her back again. The copper smell does sound like a bacterial infection, not yeast, but the smell does sound like yeast, yikes!! BTW, vaginal area and feet are areas that hold moisture, so yes, they could be prime yeast areas.

[somebodysme]

Her smell was, to me, like a stinky cheese smell…like if you opened a bag of Cheetos and took a whiff. What does that tell you? Her paws, now that they are irritated, smell like if you’d been handling pennies. I think that’s irritation/infection not yeast? But I really am only guessing. The stinky cheese smell was after I stopped the probiotic pill for a few days. After I started the probiotic back, that smell went away quickly after a couple days. Poor dog, she can’t win for losing!

The vet doesn’t know, all he just says is allergies. He doesn’t mention a word about all the antibiotics she’s been on or anything like that and needing a probiotic. All they do is stick needles in her and the sores heal up real quick and send us home with a pile of pills to take for a couple weeks and give a suggestion to some food and then I’m on my own. I do not want her to have to take more antibiotics but she can’t have infection either! So I’m d*mned if I do and d*mned if I don’t!

[theBCnut]

I’ve never heard of yeast causing pustules, so I don’t know. Usually pustules are something like a staph infestion, and they can be very localized. But if her microflora are out of balance then just because she has yeast issues doesn’t mean she can’t have other stuff going on too. I just don’t know. Yeast could definitely have the skin damaged enough to allow something else to get a foothold.

The epsom salt could have definitely caused irritation too. Have you ever gone to the beach and not been able to rinse off immediately after? Very irritating!

Do you recognize the difference in smell between yeast and seborrhea? Could the smell have been more towards rancid grease? Irritation will cause the skin glands to over produce oils, that’s why I’m asking. That can be very localized.

[somebodysme]

Yeah that makes sense, she had to wear a cone all the time so she didn’t lick but I think it also caused some irritation so I didn’t keep doing it because it didn’t help. Maybe rinsing would have stopped the irritation.

So anyway, do y’all think that yeast would cause the feet and vaginal area to be irritated but not the rest of her? Also I had stopped her probiotic to see if that caused the back rash and that also did cause her to stink like yeast…I started her back on probiotic and a few days later is when the feet broke out…thought maybe a delayed reaction to the lack of probiotic? I realize there are a lot of factors but mostly I wondered if yeast would cause the feet/vaginal stuff? At least It would make some sense and I can make decisions for her food choices. Right now I’m baffled!

[theBCnut]

You also have to throw in the possibility that since the food is agreeing with her body more that her body now has the opportunity to get rid of some of the toxin that have been accumulating in her system for so long. This detoxing can cause the exact same things you are seeing. I was fortunate that when Micah had skin eruptions it was all in one small dime sized area on his foreleg, easily treated and then gone. If the biggest problem you had with the NVI LID was constipation and bad smelling poop, I would stick with it for a while, but add a source of fiber, and of course digestive enzymes. It takes a while for yeast to die back, but she may handle the Zignature just fine later. You could throw it in the freezer and try again in a few months.

I wish I could be of more help.

[somebodysme]

I’m hoping that someone more familiar with dealing with allergies and yeast issues could make some sense of these symptoms after two different foods given. I’m just so confused!

She’s been on two different foods post vet visit where I was told that all her issues were most likely dog food allergies. Her worst problem was that her paws were full of pustules and raw and infected. She had runny/watery eyes and her ears were gunky. She was scratching her sides and gnawing her knees…etc. She had been on Pro Plan chicken. She was given antibiotics and prednisone.

1) I purchased some NV LID Turkey and things improved a lot and she was on that for 6 weeks. She still had a slight amount of eye watering and still some general scratching but much better than before. Her paws were healing up and she was not scratching them at all. No pustules on them at all but skin was still kind of pink. She was kind of having constipation and her poo was the most horrible smelling you can imagine.

2) I decided that I would try a different LID food and purchase Zignature Lamb. Similar list of ingredients but no tapioca and this time LAMB instead of TURKEY. Her constipation issues went away and her remaining scratching and eye watering totally cleared up after about a week and a half and I thought we’d found the best food for her.

HERE’S WHAT THEN HAPPENED: Almost over night, her paws erupted into a mass of pustules and she began chewing them like crazy. She was also smelling sour. BUT and this is where it gets confusing…all her other symptoms are going away. Her eye doesn’t water, her ear is clean, she’s not scratching her body and even that rash I keep talking about on her back is suddenly healing up. But her paws are HORRIBLE and FULL of blood filled blisters and pustules!

I rushed out to the store and bought a small bag of NV again and after two days her paws are already healing up and she is not gnawing them. Now of course her eye is watering…

What the heck? This is what I’m thinking has happened. Perhaps the Zignature is too high in carbs and it’s yeast on her paws? But yet Lamb is working better for the allergy aspect of it? Does this sound logical? One food is good for some symptoms and the other food is good for other symptoms just doesn’t make sense to me! GAH!

I would sure appreciate some expert input from you guys! Thanks!

[little pea]

Hi bigjake and all. I did the full panel blood allergy test; environmental, mold, food, specialty foods. My breeder and vet recommended this over the scratch test. The problems for my dog were similar, it sounds, to yours itchy skin. I have done a few steroid shots, but I think we all agree this is not a path to take that effectively manages the problem though I do think environmental allergies season is a large contributor. My dog like yours will eat just about anything set down or just spit out the ite. We have no gas or stomach issues.
There is a lot of discussion on allergies and what test to conduct and the more deeply I looked into it the more confusing and controversial. My dog’s most reactive item was yeast on the food panel, but they do not do a break out the type…. beef and dairy, lamb, potato, rice, soy etc. etc. Molds allergy also reflected yeast and molds on food.
In following things up the aspect of yeast has fascinated me.
I have feed taste of the wild pacific salmon that contains potato and sweet potato…we have a lesser allergy to sweet potato. Salmon neutral
I have recently switched to Ziwi Peak venison but it is pricey for a large dog and I am looking actively looking at many things. The ziwi was helpful with less itching. I have also introduced goat milk yogurt. I believe I briefly saw a comment on another forum about rotating dog foods to keep the gut in a good working order, this and following what foods make things better or worse. I know eliminating bread and cheese was night and day with my girl.
My vet also said all of our bodies gradually become less tolerant to specific items we are allergic to…so with a four year old dog we believe we are seeing longer and more aggravated allergy reactions as certain intolerances develop in our bodies.
Also brushing and washing the dog with a medicated shampoo is helpful. Be glad you have a short hair! Try some Alaskan salmon oil. I was also told dogs are more reactive to white fish species.

[shilodakotamom]

She had some ear itching, I had her examined and the vet found nothing at all. She was on Instinct Raw for about 3 days before and another 4 days mixed with the Darwin’s during the transition period. She has always scratched a little, but not as much as when she transitioned to Darwin’s. She gets out of bed at night to scratch quite excessively. I thought maybe it was the Instinct since it has yeast in it so hurried the transition a bit. She doesn’t eat the Darwin’s unless I put a little cheese in it and then still only eats about half a serving. Well on the bright side she doesn’t have a weight problem. Itching head, ears, base of tail, and scratches on tummy, if that helps.

[little pea]

PattyV

The leaky gut. I read about this a few days prior and was shocked. Especially because the girl’s highest allergy was to yeast. And I knew stolen loaves of bread from the counter were having some effect.
In addition in Feb/March we had one of the worst bouts of overall scratching, paw chewing and ear infection. The weather was wet and she had been recently professionally groomed. And dog loves to just stand or lay down in the rain. Primary suspect yeast infection . So began a steroid, pills, and medicated ear wash… the ears taking over 2 weeks to clear.
She looked and acted perfect in April/May.
Late May blowing coat and itching, itching and coat continues to fall well into June. Itching starts up, I don’t recall heavy paw chewing. I flew in a professional newf groomer prior to a late June show and we had long talks on coat care, drying, etc etc… and etc And a steroid shot.
I do not think we have leaky gut, but my gut says yeast is on a high watch list.
I did talk to a Holistic vet clinic and they even suggested a special Derm vet…which does scratch test as opposed to blood. I thinks it is too far to go.
The dog’s skin at this time is in perfect condition and has been since April. Yet we continue with the face, ear, and frequent scratch to those areas and a frontal paw chew. After switching to Ziwi peak venison in June red eyes and the clear discharge have pretty much been eliminated. No red eyes.

The newbie in me is digging for answers, but I feel some simple solutions are more practical.
A raw diet…with supplements. Just need to figure it all out.
Thank-you.
You seem to be, a pretty sharp cookie.

[theBCnut]

We’ve all been there!!!

ETA: You may have a “leaky gut” situation going on. It leads to increase in food intolerances and yeast overgrowth. A regular vet might not even know what I’m talking about, but a holistic vet will get her straightened out and back on the road to good health in no time.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by theBCnut.

[little pea]

I am entertaining that idea, but the more I read the more daunting the task it seems. The majority of her allergies are borderline. Beef, Yeast, Lamb, Cow’s milk, Rice and soy being positive or close enough. There is a good holistic vet I may consult. It’s overwhelming and I just had no idea, so I am very pleased to have found all the wonderful help here.

[little pea]

Thanks… I saw some of the notes where people had posted unfavorable things, but too late I had ordered it. I looked into Nature’s variety and a second choice. Will go back and check it again. I liked Primal raw but at close to $400. minimum a month it was not realistic. I appreciate the heads up and will be following the forums as in addition I am truly in need of coat growth. Since yeast came back as her highest allergy and the testing center could not break out any different strains I am afraid of all that use brewer’s yeast etc. Inflight was recommended.
Thanks again I will be checking the Great Life closely and may forgo the switch.

[little pea]

I am new to this website, to all of these discussions, but would love to get some advice as I am searching for a dog food. My Newf came back with allergies to beef, chicken, lamb, cow’s milk, eggs, potatos, sweet potatos, rice, soy, yeast was very high, carrots, shell fish mix and fish excluding salmon. Can anyone suggest an excellent food? Ziwi peak is a bit expensive for such a large girl, and contains green lip mussels. Has anyone heard of Great Life or tried it?

[little pea]

Having done an allergy test, I now can’t find a food… in addition one item that came up as positive was yeast. When I contacted the test clinic they could not give me a break out as to what kind of yeast….
Where do I go from here?

Many allergic items were borderline to borderline positive. Raw is not really an option as we are talking about a 110 lbs of dog.
I am currently using ZIWIPeak venison but this has green lip mussels… and she has a borderline allergy to shell fish mix. It too is a bit pricey.

[somebodysme]

UPDATE: I did stop giving this for four days(Aug. 1,2,3 & 4) and what happened was, she started getting yeasty and stinking so I started her back on it and the stink went away immediately, like the next day! OH and not only did the rash not improve but it actually got much worse. She’s been back on the probiotic for 3 days(Aug 5, 6 and 7) now and the rash is calming down and the pustules are gone. GAH! When I was looking up yeast information, I saw dog photos of skin infections from yeast and it looks just like what she has. So I’m guessing it’s yeast because she’s been on Anti-biotics and cortisone (also Ivermectin) so much since she was a puppy that it’s just killed all her gut flora. UGH!

[Sussieque]

Dear ORENC26,

RE: Diarrhea in Puppies

I also recently got a Cavalier King Charles puppy. She had the same problem with diarrhea (really bad). When I first got her @ 9 weeks old, the previous owner was feeding her Purina Special Blend (i think).

Anyways, we had rain here for over a week straight. Poor baby had to do her business in the rain and walk on the wet grass. I took her to the vet for her second vaccination and was told that she had a Yeast infection (in her ears which also gets in their digestive system) The vet gave me an anti-fungal med., an ear med. (Zymox is better) and a stool hardener. You can use Imodium Advance. ONLY 1/4 tablet daily and for just a 2 days!!! (go by weight of dog) Brandi was 5 lbs. then.

She (Brandi) got a little better but still had some diarrhea problems. I researched the internet and spoke with the vet & a local breeder.

They all suggested to feed her Boiled Chicken (white meat to start) with cooked white rice, mixed with some 100% Pumpkin. I fed this to her for 2 weeks. (note: adding a good vitamin may help but check the ingredients carefully!). After feeding Brandi the Chicken-rice combo for 2-3 weeks I wanted to get her back on a dry (kibble) puppy food. I chose “Orijen” Brand 80/20 Puppy dry food. Available at most Pet Stores and online.

I mixed it 50/50 with the Orijen and Purina One Beyond (White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley flavor) and 1 heaping Tablespoon of 100% Pumpkin. (NOT the pumpkin pie filling!!!) I introduced this mixture over 10 days (see the internet on how to do this). On the 10th. day she was eating just the dry kibble food with the pumpkin. At this point I added a Probiotic (you can pick up at pet stores – capsule form and read how much to add per day – goes by weight). Come to find out that the Orijen 80/20 puppy dry food has natural Pre & Pro Biotics (for GOOD bacteria for their digestive system) in their puppy food.

DIARRHEA IS COMPLETELY GONE!!!!! Thank God!

I still give her the Orijen and the Purina One Beyond with pumpkin (she is 3.5 months old now) Still NO diarrhea. : ) HAPPY MOMMY HERE.

I think I will switch to Acana Brand – Wild Prairie dry kibble soon because it is a bit less expensive and made by the same company. Plus it has less of a high protein content. Below are their websites:

Orijen: http://www.orijen.ca/
Acana: http://www.acana.com/products/regionals/wild-prairie/

These pet foods are made in Canada with only natural products (Grain Free). They have their own Processing Plant and process ONLY their dog and cat foods. BTW – My cats love their 6 Fish Dry Cat Food.

These foods are a bit more than your cheaper store-bought brands but worth getting rid of the diarrhea for good. Plus knowing she is healthy, happy and growing as she should be.

Hope this helps and good luck with your new baby cavalier. Precious, aren’t they? ; )
Sussieque

[Hound Dog Mom]

If the issue is indeed yeast the coconut oil would be very beneficial as coconut oil is comprised predominantly of Medium Chain Triglycerides – one of which is lauric acid. Lauric acid has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.

[bullterriermom]

Ok thank you very much! I took her to a vet this past weekend just for a check up before we had officially adopted her last night, and nothing was said about yeast. Is that something a vet would detect right away? Or does a test need to be done? (Also how to u get a pic for your icon?)