[Molly F]

Hey there, back again!
This is slightly off topic, but you all have been so helpful, thought I’d ask.
After we switched from Purina One LBP (chicken based) to Lamb and Rice, Freya’s itching did seem to decrease. I made the misteak of getting excited about home cooking and tried multiple new proteins (beef, pork, tuna) and she’s super itchy again. It’s been almost two weeks since she’s had anything but her kibble though, with the exception of some beef liver treats I made, and she’s still itchy. She did eat some chicken based cat food (in the form of cat vomit :/) and I noticed that the lamb and rice has “poultry by product meal” and I wonder if she’s sensitive the that.
She’s not really itching or chewing holes in herself and her poops seem good,so I’m aware it’s possibly not a food thing at all, but I’m going to switch her to EBH Coastal Catch, just to see if maybe she does better without grains. I don’t really have anything against grains, and I don’t really think it’s terrible for dogs to have them, but her current food has multiple and I want to figure out if maybe it’s one of those, as her symptoms seem slightly closer to a yeast issue.
Thoughts?

[anonymous]

Food allergies are rare. Food sensitivities usually result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea. Environmental allergies usually result in pruritus (itching).

Have you tried the search engine here, this subject comes up at least once a week.

Hope this helps:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

Dermatology – Common Issues

[Susan]

Hi Lazaro, it very rare for dogs to be allergic to meat/proteins & when they are they will normally suffer with stomach & bowel problems (IBS & IBD) are you sure your dog doesn’t have environment allergies, my boy has both Seasonal allergies, he starts itching, scratching & has red paws when spring starts & he also has food sensitivities, he will have sloppy poo, wind/gas pain & red paws after he eats chicken.. He’s been diagnosed with IBD. When he eats barley, corn, wheat, oats ingredients in vet diets or supermarket kibbles he starts to smell real yeasty & is real itchy but doesn’t have his sloppy poos or wind/gas problems, just become real smelly of yeast….

The only way you can be 100% positive what ingredients he is sensitive too is to do a cooked or raw elimination diet.. Its real easy, if you think he cant eat chicken then cook some chicken breast, cut into small pieces, just bring the chicken to the boil & take off stove & rinse in boiling water & its ready & also boil some sweet potato, you can freeze small meals, enough for 2 weeks..

Do not mix all the kibbles together, Why?? just scoop out of your air tight container the kibble you what to feed & when introducing a new kibble just open both kibbles & add the recommended amount over the 7 day period.. I feed 1 brand kibble for breakfast then for dinner I feed another brand kibble or a cooked meal..

Your best to feed a limited ingredient fish kibble cause the omega 3 is what is needed for the skin, fish kibbles are normally higher in omega 3 fatty acids…

Baths you should be bathing once a week to wash off any pollens & allergen on his skin & paws, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, it leaves the skin & coat feeling real soft & kills any bacteria on their skin & paws……You can bath daily with the Malaseb medicated shampoo…I walk Patch 3-4 times a day as well & sometimes he’ll come home & start itching, so on his walk a plant or grass has started to irritate his skin & paws, that’s when I have to bath him if he’s uncomfortable with itch, baths make them feel more comfortable when they are itchy,

Fleas, some dogs have Flea allergies they are allergic to the fleas salvia, 1 bite & my boy will scratch for days, so make sure your boy doesn’t have 1-2 fleas that’s causing him to itch, again weekly baths & a flea spot on will help stop any fleas..

Limited ingredient kibbles, “Wellness Simple” Salmon & Potato, “Wellness Complete Health” Grain Free.
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog-wellness.aspx

“California Natural” has kibbles with just 3 ingredients…
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[Susan W]

Hi Lazaro,
I’ve had similar issues with my dogs. I went to VeRUS Pet Foods, filled out their contact form & settled on their Advanced Opticoat formula after they sent me some really nice samples. I DID discover one of my dogs had a yeast over-growth, likely due to the food I was feeding before VeRUS (THAT food was horribly moldy). I have also tackled the yeast topically, but the Opticoat helped out a LOT.
VeRUS was given a 4 star rating here a few years ago. They have never had a food recall and their people stay on top of nutritional requirements. They are made in the US & don’t use rendered meat or Chinese products.
BTW – the Opticoat is a fish-based formula.
Do a search for VeRUS and get to their website easily. There is a lot of info there. Also, if you have additional questions, fill out the contact form and a human will email you back. Good stuff, good people.

[Bullwrinkle]

Hi Susan.I agree completely and the idiot was a total pill pusher, I don’t think she knew any better. I went thru so many foods, too many to count. She had chronic UTIs, was on antibiotics on and off until I told the idiot enough, there’s clearly a problem and ABs are not the answer. Every food gave her loose stools, even with probiotics, referred to an allergist, did the blood serum allergy, tried allergy shots which almost killed her. Not long after increasing the allergens, she went into anaphylaxis, never driven so fast in my life. Scariest 48hrs ever. Allergist/dermatologist admitted nothing of course, idiot defended derm, I was so done. Good vet found the problem at first visit: bladder stones. Again, please remember I’m dealing with 5 special needs cats and a tortoise with a deformed shell (she passed in her sleep at 8 yrs old, 9 days after I had to let my 17 yr old cat go, and Speed Bump was supposed to live for at least 80 yrs. It was a genetic defect.)

So, vet, minimally invasive to almost holistic, flushes the bladder so we can find out what kind of stone. He is a Hills Pet Science Diet guy though. At the time, I was desperate. I also had never heard of a vegetarian diet for dogs. So, we go with prescription w/d as it also has high fiber. Her stool was the most perfect it had ever been and allergy was no worse. Skin got bad as she got a little older but i got a shampoo and conditioning regiment, and she was always bathed every 7-10 days (2-3x/week as a puppy, had demodex), and that helped big. So, since I had to consider the bigger health issue of the stones w/the secondary UTIs, I removed everything else to try and keep the allergies at the manageable threshold. Like I said, the prednisone was an absolute last resort. I’d give her a different allergy pill, an extra bath, I always wiped her down with a wet rag when she came inside, I’m an overprotective mom and I hated, hated giving those things to her. But sometimes, something would get set off and she would go bonkers. And when 1 roid gave her 2-3 days of relief? And then shes past it and any reaction in her body is also relieved. I couldn’t let her suffer through that.

Was that the best food? Probably not. But the other options for stones had really bad effects. And I still researched but never found, and was never told anything about vegetarian diets (saw a different idiot in a new state at this point).

I’d never heard of Messazzia yeast til this site. I’d be interested in your allergy group. I have a little boy now and his nose fold, aye, I cannot get it to heal. I’m pretty sure he does not get along with coconut oil, I know he has allergy to fish especially salmon, probably potato, def bison, very likely Venison. He’s on Hills DermDefense. Was doing great, except his nose fold, but all of a sudden, he’s getting bumps, his eye folds are bare, I’m about to lose it. DermDefense is chicken based so I’m thinking I have to stay away from chicken. But turkey should be OK, Right? I’m thinking of doing a freeze dried or something like the Farmers Dog, anyone hear of it? I’m not really in a position to cook his meals.

Honestly, for me, Apoquel scares me to death. Maybe because of my experience with Atopica. I just want people to be informed about drugs like that. I am open to any suggestions, the ones here are always so helpful. Thank you to all

[Susan]

Hi Bullwrinkle, one question the whole time what was your dog eating?? you know yeasty smelly dogs can be cause from food sensitivities, take away those ingredients & you’ll have a yeasty, smelly, itchy free dog… 😉 No drugs are good that shut off the immune system.. I belong to a dog allergy group & a lot of people take the easy quick fix & give their dog Prednisone or the new drug of choice Apoquel. Patches vet has tried to push Apoquel a few times & then remembers, I don’t give drugs too Patch unless they’re badly needed….
I think vets need to be more accountable when they prescribe drugs that makes a pet sick then I bet they will look for other ways to treat a dog or cat, like change of diet, weekly baths more healthy ternatives…

[Donna G B]

HI Lazaro,
My name is Donna, I have 3 Yorkie’s and they all
have allergies to one degree or another. My 13 year old boy has had them the longest. I will say, I am not a DVM
Dogtor but I have been learning everyday. You see I won”t have another can or package of dogfood in my house.
I bought them the high price foods and then had to put my older on precription diet. He had blood work to find
Out about his allergies. Some people start off
With ground beef (boiled), white rice (because it’s easier to digest and some ground peas. They feed it for a month or
so, if he hasn’t gotten a reaction then add something else. When you grind vegetables and fruit they digest it better.
If it was in chunks he would’t get much nutrition. During that time get on Facebook and join the site Homemade Food for dogs. Look for Emily and she will help you. You can then begin to stay like you are OR continue to add & eliminate. If you get on that site and don’t see Emily’s name then go to the other site. It will cost you less to home cook your babies meals than to buy dog foods. Especially if you are not sure what the allergie/allergies are.
ANYWAY my older kid was on this precription dog food for
gray and look awful. and during that time he got heart murmer, then startedgoing blind, he has a leaky heart valve, he gets yeast Infection at the drop of a hat. He has High blood pressure, a growth on his Kidney etc., etc. I took a can of this GOOD FOOD to the computer room and typed in to words I didn’t know what was, 1 was a ingredient found in CARDBOARD, yes sir ree, the 2nd was SAWDUST, I Almost fell off my chair. NO CANNED OR KIBBLE IN THIS HOUSE AGAIN.
Good luck you and your little fur kid. Cooking for them is fun. OH YES, when you cook your food you need to add 800-1000 mg. of Calcium Citrate OR 1/2 tsp. egg shells all ground up. Measure out 1-lb of food add it and mix it up until you are finished with the food you made. You can double or triple your food and put it into containers and freeze it. Works GREAT!!!!

[Chandra R]

Thank you so much for the info…love the ideas!

Yeah we feed her a certain amount of ounces to make up for the dry and add certain supplements and fatty acids. She just wants her to get more protein rather than sugar bc our dog doesn’t do well with the dry–she gets bad yeast rashes.

[Susan W]

Karen C – I have two suggestions for you & your itchy pup.
1) my 2 dogs were ITCHY. I started looking for a good quality dog food I could afford. I came across VeRUS pet food on a list of 15 companies that had never had a recall. I got on the VeRUS website & read everything I could & I contacted them to see which of their foods they would recommend for my dogs. I got a live person emailing me back, asking good, sensible questions. They sent me samples of 2 types of food – we’re talking a couple of bags of these 2 types & each bag had at least a cup of kibble in it. I chose the Advanced Opticoat formula and have fed that to my dogs for several months. I noticed a HUGE/positive difference in their overall health and their itching went completely away… until about a month ago.
That brings me to suggestion #2
2) If your dog smells a little funny or has russet-colored paws (between the toes) or other patches, do a search for yeast remedies. You dog can get a yeast over-growth from poor quality/moldy dog food. If your dog is doing a lot of face rubbing/scratching, go get some food grade DE powder, put it in a sock, & powder your dogs with it. This will get rid of mites & kill fleas. This has cured the August itchies on my dogs.
BTW – I recently switched to the 2nd of the 2 foods recommended by VeRUS – their Life Advantage formula. I did this because my little dog was beginning to turn her picky little nose up. She loves the Life Advantage and they have not resumed itching.
If the DE powder doesn’t help, let me know, I might have another suggestion for the itchy dogs.

[Chandra R]

Haven’t figured it out at all. She was put on an antibiotic and ever since it has screwed up her stomach. The holistic vet she goes to does not recommend dry food bc she said the protein turns to sugar once they dry it out. Plus dry food is very hard on a dogs system–she said its like humans only eating crackers. Our dog was getting major yeast infections on dry so ever since we switched she hasn’t had one. We feed her 2-3 times a day with wet food and rice. Just trying to find a good grain free wet food. Thanks for the reply:)

[Ryan K]

My 14 year old Old English Sheepdog is pretty much at the end phase of her life and we are all heartbroken over it. She has been fairly sick over the last few weeks with a lack of appetite and her hind legs giving out. Our vet has said that she has nerve degeneration in her spine that is causing her back legs to gradually slide out from under her. With a small dog this is a bit easier to handle with carrying them and getting them around but with a 65 pound dog it’s not that easy. I wondered if there was any supplement that people have given their dogs for aiding the nerves in regenerating or getting better? I read that the mushroom Lion’s Mane is great for humans but haven’t heard how much a dog could tolerate. I would love to keep my dog going cause she’s so vibrant despite her age and these new hindrances. We love her so much and this has been a rough couple weeks with thinking the end is near. Is it a waste or stupid to try new supplements at this point? I brought her in to the vet today thinking it was the end for her after a long night of heavy panting and only eating canned food that she KNOWS has no pills in. She has suddenly become a detective with finding her meds hidden in wrapped treats and spits them out and it’s just crazy! But, he said that although she is old and not feeling well he thinks she looks good and can go a bit longer and he didn’t recommend euthanasia which was a relief. I don’t want to prolong her pain or make her stick around just to avoid that decision.

Any recommendations for senior dog supplements for the nervous system would be great. Also, she is allergic to brewers yeast so I have to avoid that ingredient. Thanks!

[anonymous]

Please consider making an appointment with a board-certified veterinary dermatologist, asap. Environmental allergies have nothing to do with the food. If you care to disclose the state/location you are in, I will do a search regarding a dermatologist. Allergies don’t go away and they get worse with age. The good news is that the condition does respond to treatment, but, it is lifelong treatment as there is no cure.

per the search engine here /forums/search/allergies/

PS: I had to change my user name to anonymous 101, formally anonymously….in case that concerns some of the regulars here.

Hope this helps:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Courtney R]

So, I’m considering switching my dogs to a raw diet and I’m inwhat I’d call a “researching” phase. Did anyone else feel totally overwhelmed when starting this process or is that just me? Lol

Short background: I have a 60 lb ACD mix that is roughly 7 (Burke) and a 12 lb Pomchi that is 5 (Miles). They’ve been on Orijen for the past couple of years and so far as stools go it seems to agree with them. However, Burke has started getting lick granulomas roughly 2x per year, Miles chronically seems “yeasty”, they’ve both had UTIs this year and we got fleas for the first time ever this summer which has been an utter nightmare. My vet of course gave antibiotics for the UTIs but seems to not be concerned about the other stuff. But to me it seems their immune systems aren’t up to snuff and diets the easiest way at it.

Currently I have 3 questions which might seem totally unrelated:
#1. Should I have a blood panel done prior to starting raw just to be certain there isn’t any reason why it’d be unhealthy to switch them to raw? Seeing as they’re both having issues I’m doubting that would be the case, but I’m a worrier 😉

#2 Admittedly the bone business freaks me out. I’m sure I’ll get over it as I get more comfortable but I’ve been looking at the (chicken) grinds from Hare Today to start with. However, I wasn’t sure about the organ. From what I’ve read you should stick to muscle and bone in the beginning and work in organs preferably after you’ve transitioned through meat sources. Should I order the ground chicken feet and just supplement with some breast or thigh meat? Or maybe someone has another simple suggestion to avoid actual bones for a bit?

#3. They already get coconut oil, yogurt or kefir, salmon oil and digestive enzymes. Could I continue these through the transition or should I hold off and give their stomachs time to adjust to raw food? Also, any supplements that they absolutely NEED to have or is this kind of just up to me?

Sorry this wasn’t as short as I’d hoped but thanks so much for any help. This forum has already been a big assistance and I can’t wait to learn more from you guys!

[frani v]

sydney did you find a cure for the yeast infection for your dog?

[anonymously]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

Hope this helps:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[frani v]

Please tell me did you find a cure for the yeast infections.
I treated my dog with a shampoo called Pyroderm
my vet also has his own shampoo recipe that uses chlorahexine and microzale
my dog smells when he has a yeast infection….do you have same symptom?
i have to use it regularly or it reoccurs
what has your vet advised?

[frani v]

in my experience the only cure for yeast infections is to bath the dog in a shampoo that is prepared by our vet, it has 4% Cholahexine and 2%Micozale and the brand i have used is Pyroderm dog shampoo available from pet stores. I lather the area affected with water and shampoo to leave it on for 5mins and only bath the dog after that using shampoo over whole body.
Have you found a remedy as yet?

[frani v]

after skin conditions, mainly scratching and inflammation we changed to raw food diet, but about 6 months later he broke out in a skin condition, we suspected that it was maybe a break in the cold chain but had no evidence. We changed him to a Scientific formula dry pellet food and after about one year his skin condition returned; we then made homecooked food

1.5 kg chicken breast
2 kg broccoli
2 kg carrots
2 kg butternut
This would last about 10days but after 7 months his skin broke out severly and it was inflamed ; the skin became flaky; cracked; like a cracked heel and skin broke open like a wound, we had a skin break out every 2months and our vet used cortisone injections….we have weaned him off cortisone and hes back on a fish/potato based scientific dry pellet food; hes on strong antibiotics; the skin biopsy revealed pyroderma; we have a specially prepared mixture of shampoo to kill yeast and bacterial infections; we changed his antibiotic after one month with no results; we now use a stronger one; we STOPPED giving him all human food; we have introduced ATOPICA which is a new drug that acts like cortisone with much less side effects – the skin condition is under his one armpit – hes an indoor dog who has cotton bedding washed with very little chemicals and no fabric softners.. ..I would appreciate all comments. thanks

[aimee]

Hi Joseph,

I’m glad to hear that you are willing to continue to learn. When you posted that you thought the authors of the link I referred you to were spewing garbage it didn’t seem to me that you were willing to consider what they had said could be true.

I don’t disagree that by researching a focused topic you can become well educated on that subject. The key is to make sure that the sources you are using are credible. It is easy to get lead astray. I use Pub med and google scholar when I first start researching a new topic.

I’d encourage you to spend some of your hours researching Malassezia reading clinical microbiology journals. Through reading those I learned that this isn’t a sugar loving yeast, as is say Candida, it is a fat loving yeast (lipophilic). For the most part it is a fat dependent yeast, meaning that it requires fat to grow. Most strains of Malassezia pachydermatis, the yeast type most often found on dogs, are not lipid dependent but some are and other lipid dependent Malassezia species have been found on dogs. The organism thrives on fats not carbs.

Houndmusic: Besides the fact that Malassezia is a fat loving yeast. The other big hole in the “carbohydrates feed yeast” mantra is that the skin is a long way away from the gut. A high carb diet will directly provide substrate for intestinal yeast to munch on if one suffers from intestinal yeast overgrowth, but on the skin???… I don’t think so.

To get carb from the gut to the skin it has to travel and the means of transport is blood. Glucose levels in the blood are tightly regulated, unless you are a diabetic. Remove all carbs from the diet and your blood glucose isn’t going to be that different from that found when eating a carb inclusive diet. In other words, a similar amount of glucose is transported to the skin on a daily basis regardless of diet.

The final problem for me is how would glucose even get to the outermost surface of the skin on a dog which is where the yeast resides? N/P in people as glucose is a component of sweat… but dogs don’t sweat, except for paw pads and nose and sebum doesn’t have any appreciable glucose in it. Hmmm Housten we have a problem…

See how this whole idea that dietary carbs feed yeast falls apart? The organism prefers and thrives with fats not carbs and I can’t come up with a mechanism that puts carbs on the outermost surface of the skin of a dog much less one in which a high carb diet would deposit higher levels of carb on the skin than a low carb diet.

But I’m open to hearing the other side. Explain to me how eating a high carb diet results in a high level of carbs on the surface of the skin leading to an overgrowth of yeast. I don’t see it. What I do see is a lipid loving organism feeding on the sebum of skin altered from a primary cause.

[InkedMarie]

For the OP, if you’re still reading, I have experience with yeast with one dog.
The only thing that ultimately worked was a raw diet with no produce. What kind of raw were you feeding? If you were feeding a premade raw, they looking at buying grinds from Hare Today, Raw Feeding Miami, My Pet Carnivore, Reel Raw…..you can also do raw from the grocery store (meat/bone/organ)

[HoundMusic]

The amount of carbs, grains, sugars, etc in the diet have nothing to do with yeast growth on skin. If your dog has a food hypersensitivity reaction (allergy) to an ingredient in the diet the adverse reaction can alter the skin and allow yeast to grow.

That is absolutely untrue. Yeast feeds off simple sugars and certain types of complex carbohydrates, and an overgrowth will often take the form of a skin rash.

[Joseph w]

Let me give u a couple examples why an article from a board certified veterinary dermatologists means absolutely nothing g to me when Uve talks to let owners who have been dealing with their dig for years and found these cures to work. Recently I went to a urologist, I got a referal from my primary because I needed a specialist. I had done probably my 3 days of research on the matter and when I was examined it was obvious I knew much much .it’s about my disease than this so called specialist who had gone to med school for 8 years. Not because he wasn’t smart but because it was my body, and I had Adamantly pursued what was wrong, what medicine I needed and what should be done from all types of sources. I then found the best specialist in the state and after speaking g with him I got another referal. Example 2- I am a computer networker I recently ran into a complex problem with my personal computer that I dint know how to fix right away. Someone who had researched this exact problem from multiple sources for 2 days could have figured out the problem- does this mean they know more than me after years of school? Example 3- The last couple months we’ve been thinking bodger had a thyroid issue and took him in to get a blood test. It turned out negative and the vet thought it was cushings disease which I’d never heard of. Before his LDDS test iiterally research for prob 6 a day for a week- forums, fb groups, Yahoo groups- (the majority of these people are pet owners who are extremely knowledgeable on the subject and have been dealing with this stuff for over a decade and probably more knowledgeable than most vets.) I read articles of all shapes and sizes, punished reports and journals, called the o my place in the country that does a pituitary tumor operation and talked to one of the best IMS on my side of the state. Anyway needless to say after a week I knew much .ore on the subject than my vet when we had his test and it came back negative she just said “ohp he’s all better nothing wrong with him” I believe it was a unique type of Cushing’s and have an appt with a ISP. Point is because your knowlegable In A subject and do it for a living In No way means your right or even have the faintest I would in a heartbeat give pet owners who have lived this day In and day out for years with their loved one just like I did when I spoke with people whos own body it was. But like I said I whole heardjust disagree but will continue ue to research what you said. I’m going g to call my IMS and the u iveristy who does the operation and a very good dermatoligist in a nearby city who I’ve already spoken with on Monday and I will post here what they say. We are also doing a skin allergy test next month and I have no knowledge of those but I was told by one person a forum they can be unreliable and when I was checking out different pet foods around town today I went to local co-op and talked to a lady who worked there who has had terrible yeast problems with her dog for years. She told me she’s spent thousands and different vets and IMS and nothing worked and she has tried dozens of foods doing tests trying g to find out what he was allergic to and the test they did to find out what he was allergic to turned out to be garbage. I kinda had 2 points there- I talked to 2 people who said the allergy tests didn’t work and 1 person who said the test of Ingredients trial and error didn’t work-study this by no means means anything though- just one person’s experience. Anyway after everything she tried she stu k with avaderm for the last couple years, a. Couple months ago she bought pre/pro biotics supplement to add to the food and within 2weeks there was a noticeable difference and within 6weeks he was perfect. Nothing changed except the addition of the final enzymes. In Case ur wondering she wasn’t trying to sell me anything – they didn’t sell the supplement there she was just telling g me her story. Anyway Im done rangting, I. Exhausted and I hope u can read this as my auto correct is going nuts. Have a good evening and I will report back.

[Joseph w]

I will respectfully disagree. I am completley open minded though and continue to read on the subject. I want my dog to get well and if that means everything I learned and I’m wrong so be it but I really, really dont believe this. I’ve talked to many professionals- IMS and dermatoligists, read many articles and most importantly talked to many, many knowlegable pet owners who have gone through years of trial and error with yeast problems and have tried for instance to removee starch, or grains or sugars or just use ACV or just probiotics, or just coconut oil, and weeks later a years long horrible problem are gone. I’m sure placebo effect right? The people I’ve talked to, myself included aren’t someone who just reads an article or talks to one person and takes it for gospel. There’s so much more supporting what I believe than what you say. What matters more, that there has been a limited number of scientific studys with incliclusive results and something hasn’t been scientifically proven or its reversed effects for thousands if dog owners who live and care for their pets and with them every second if the day and seen there lives change because of these cures. I’m getting wysong starch free kibble and a probiotic supplement for internal and outwardly using ACV and coconut oil and I firmly believe that in 3 months Bodger will be doing wonderful.

[aimee]

Hi Joseph,

I have no doubt that you could post link after link claiming that the carbohydrate level in the diet influences yeast growth on the skin, but none of your links would be to articles authored by board certified veterinary dermatologists, human dermatologists or be from published peer reviewed journals. The reason for that is because there is no link between dietary carbohydrate levels and yeast infection on the skin in people or dogs. There is a lot of misinformation on the web and unfortunately some of it is spread by people who should know better.

I understand that testimonials are compelling, bloodletting used to be the cutting edge of medicine based on the observation that “it worked”. But things that appear to work, when tested can be found not only not “to work” but to cause harm.

You came here asking for help because what you have been doing isn’t working. Be open to new information that takes you in a different direction. Malassezia is secondary to things like environmental allergies, adverse food reactions (allergy), hormonal disorders, immune suppression, parasites… focus on finding and treating the primary cause. In the mean time bathing with an effective shampoo can help your pet immensely.

Best Wishes

[pitlove]

Hi Joseph-

You may disagree with Aimee and with the article she linked, but the information she presented to you is 100% correct. We now know that Malassezia Yeast is indeed NOT fed by carbs as once believed. The only role diet plays in the control of yeast is when a food allergy is involved.

When a food allergy is present, the immune system is weakened and allows the once controlled population of yeast naturally found on the skin, to overpopulate and thus causes a yeast infection. The key to controlling yeast is to remove the allergen trigger from the diet and therefore strengthen the immune system allowing it to do its job; controlling the yeast.

I was once like you and firmly believed that the only way I could control my dogs cronic yeast infections was by limiting or removing carbs from the diet. Once I started reviewing clinical research and discussing the subject with my vet, I realized how wrong I was and why nothing I tried was working. My dog eats a grain inclusive dry kibble with about 40% carbs and is yeast free, with the exception of the summer months when his environmental allergies flare up.

Edit: Also if you believe your dog has a food allergy you will want to do an elimination trial, also called a food trial to diagnois and confirm it. Discuss how this is done with your vet.

[Joseph w]

Speaking from personal experience and many, many, articles and vets and forums, I think much from that link rubbish. if u want I could post link after link. Diet is the first and foremost important thing in ci trolling yeast out breaks. Once they have the yeast out break you need to control it topically but diet will prevent it from coming back.

[Joseph w]

Aimee, that it is not accurate, sugars starches, carbs has much to do with yeast in the skin

[Joseph w]

My dig has bad yeast infections and I’m looking for a good supplement to use with a good source of pro/pre biotics

[aimee]

Hi Joseph,

The amount of carbs, grains, sugars, etc in the diet have nothing to do with yeast growth on skin. If your dog has a food hypersensitivity reaction (allergy) to an ingredient in the diet the adverse reaction can alter the skin and allow yeast to grow.

You can find good information about yeast on skin here http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs

[Susan]

Hi Joseph, have a look at “Canidae” Pure Formulas, Pure Sea is suppose to be excellent for dogs with skin problems… http://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products
also Baths are a must, twice a week, I use Malaseb Medicated Shampoo on my yeasty, itchy, red paws boy but since he’s been eating “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb & a cooked meal for dinner, he hasn’t smelt or itch over 6 months now, but I still bath him every fortnight…. I have finally worked out what foods he’s sensitive too & don’t feed those ingredients no more…..
For dinner Patch gets, Lean Beef Rissole with broccoli, kale, parsley, Flax & Almond Meal, Turmeric powder & a whisked egg, all blended in a blender then mixed thru the lean beef mince & made into 1 cup size rissoles & baked in the oven, cool then freeze….I also boil peeled & cut up sweet potato, then cool & freeze in sections… I take out 1 rissole & a piece of sweet potato for Patches dinner, I sometimes use lean pork mince instead of the Beef Mince… I also give apple pieces as a treat, yogurt thats sugar & fat free, raw almonds 3-4 Almonds a day as a treat.. Follow Rodney Habib on Face Book he just posted a raw/cooked balanced recipe made by Dr Karen Becker & Steve Brown..

[Joseph w]

I have a 4 year old bull terrier names Bodger. He is normally 65lbs but the last year he shot up to 72lbs. We lowered his food intake to 1 cup a day but he wasn’t losing any weight so we took him in for a blood test thinking he had a thyroid issue but it turned out negative and we suspect he has iiatrogenic Cushing’s from off and in use of prednisone for use with his skin issues. Now that we can no longer use prednisone we are trying to figure out a good diet for him. We use to use homemade raw which possibly worked better than what we have him on now but if it did it was slight. Before raw his normal food was Arcana or Orijen. It is now Avaderm which is the best he’s had since raw but we are no longer able to afford raw. One if his main skin problems is yeast infections on his feet constantly, ears somewhat often and around his anus sometimes and very rarely around mouth and eyes. I need a non yeast/starch/sugar/grain/ low carb kibble, with probiotics Which I plan in supplementing with a whole slew of home remedies and iver the counter products I’ve been researching. I was looking at wellness Tru food and it meets almost all the criteria except has about 40% carbs. Any ideas?

[Juanita B]

I am feeding my dog canned Nature’s Logic only. Is it necessary to use the food fortifier for canned food when not using kibble. I am trying a high protein low carb diet because of yeast infections from other brands.

[Juanita B]

I am feeding my dog canned Nature’s Logic only. Is it necessary to use the food fortifier for canned food when not using kibble. I am trying a high protein low carb diet because of yeast infections from other brands.

[Theodore L]

I wrote to ZiwiPeaks about their food since we have a dog with IBD. The following is their email to me: Hi Theodore:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are thrilled that you are looking into feeding ZiwiPeak. We are passionate about pets, and strive to produce the best foods available for our furry friends! Many pet parents with dogs (and cats) suffering from IBS / IBD have found ZiwiPeak to be the perfect diet for their fur babies, due to the lack of fillers, preservatives, grains and other ingredients completely unsuitable to a carnivore’s digestive system. One of the ingredients that is included in ALL ZiwiPeak recipes is cold-washed green tripe. Green tripe is a powerhouse of nutrients, is extremely digestible and palatable and contains probiotics/prebiotics and digestive enzymes which help establish a healthy gut. I will be asking our Office Assistant to mail you a sample packet, and I’ve attached a guide for transitioning your dog. Please refer to the feeding calculator on our website’s homepage for the recommended daily serving. http://www.ziwipeak.com

Here’s some basic information about ZiwiPeak:

All ZiwiPeak recipes and formulas are complete and balanced as a daily diet for ALL breeds, and for ALL life stages. To determine your pet’s recommended feeding amount, please use the feeding calculator on our website’s homepage: http://www.ziwipeak.com

ZiwiPeak gives your pet the equivalent of a raw, wild prey diet and is made from over 95% raw meat and organs, including natural fat and bone. Our food contains no rendered meats or meat by-products. We add no artificial colors or flavors, no carrageenan, no chemical preservatives, no grains or potatoes, and no added salts, sugars, gelatin or glycerines or cheap filler ingredients. These ingredients cannot be efficiently utilized by a carnivore’s digestive system and can contribute to various health issues, including skin & coat problems, itchy skin and ears, yeast infections, allergies, obesity, kidney disease, IBD/IBS and diabetes. ZiwiPeak cuisine is over 95% digestible and extremely palatable to even the most finicky dogs and cats.

ZiwiPeak uses free-range, grass-fed meat raised on traceable, approved New Zealand farms, and seafood caught using ecologically-sustainable practices under New Zealand’s stringent, government-controlled, fish-management system. All meat and seafood we use must be free from added hormones, antibiotics, growth promotants and GMOs. Our added vitamins and minerals are sourced from reputable, traceable suppliers in the USA, Europe and New Zealand and Japan. We do not source any ingredients from China.

We add New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussel to all ZiwiPeak formulas to provide high levels of natural glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, and cold-washed green tripe, which provides important vitamins & minerals, digestive enzymes and probiotics needed for healthy digestion. We are relentless in our commitment to quality and care, operating under the most stringent health and safety standards. Every batch of ZiwiPeak must meet both our own in-house specifications and the highest international benchmarks. All ZiwiPeak products meet or exceed industry standards.

Please let me know if I can be of additional assistance,
Regards,
I did not write her name since I don’t have her permission. I have been transitioning one healthy guy to this food. I am not ready to do the IBD guy yet since he just had a setback and the Vet (Internist does not want any changes). I received a very fast response – I liked it!

[Susan]

Hi Kelli, I’m curious why didn’t you try the Canidae Pure Sea instead of the Pure Land? dogs with skin problems seem to do better on a fish protein then red meats, also Canidae is money back or you can change formulas, maybe change to the Pure Sea there’s also Pure Wild its Pork…
Inked Marie has suggested raw diet, Raw diet is the best to feed, start with a novel protein your boy hasn’t eaten much of or never eaten before…If your worried you can’t balance the raw diet properly then start looking a Pre-made raw diets..
Pitluv is also correct about yeast , its not the sugary carbs causing the yeast, you need to find out what food sensitivities he has & what in the environment he’s might be allergic too, that’s what causing his yeasty skin problem. Some dogs can eat rice, oats, barley, potatoes, peas chicken, beef etc & have no problems, then there’s dogs like ours that can’t eat certain starchy carbs, they start to react too whatever they’re sensitive or allergic too & start to smell like a smelly yeasty dog…
I also have a yeasty, smelly, itchy boy & I’ve finally worked out when Patch eats a kibble with barley, oats, wheat, corn, chicken there’s probably a few more foods as well, he starts to smell itch & have red paws-(chicken & wet grass), it’s sooo hard to pin point what foods are causing this when they’re eating a kibble.. Foods I thought were the problem years ago I have re-introduced this year & Patch is OK with them, your best off doing an elimination diet & not feeding a kibble unless you can get a kibble with just 2-3 ingredients, there’s “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 3 ingredients.
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

Environment Allergies is way too hard to work out but there’s a test called “Intradermal Skin Test” here’s a video showing what’s done. this test is best done after you’ve tried eliminating foods on a raw or cooked diet, bathed twice a week & if he’s still having problems then its probably environment allergies.

As time goes by you will start to have an idea, what he’s sensitive/allergic too, keep a diary & write down times, dates & months when he’s having a flare, my boy has Seasonal Environment Allergies fine thru the winter months as long as he doesn’t eat any food/ingredients he’s sensitive too & then Summer months come & he’s a mess with hive like lumps all over where his fur is white & where his fur is white the skin goes red……
Baths are the best to relieve their itch & calm down the skin, I use Malaseb medicated shampoo, it works the best for Patches yeasty itchy skin & creams, I use Hydrocortisone
1% cream when his paws are red & around mouth & chin is red.. Every night before bed I check his whole body & apply the cream…
Also start adding tin sardines in spring water/oil to his kibble add about 1 spoon a day, make sure he’s getting his omega 3 fatty acids & vitamin C is suppose to work as an anti- histamine.. http://naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/Shop/2016/03/22/skin-allergies/

[InkedMarie]

I too have a yeasty dog; paw licking & ear infections were his issues. We were ear infection free for a number of years; back they came. For my dog, the only thing that worked was a raw diet with no produce. He has had one ear infection in years two weeks ago; we think it was from the humidity but that’s just a guess on our part.

[Liz D]

Hello!

My 8 year old GSD also has extreme allergies. We had him tested so we know food and environmental triggers. He takes injections for the environmental.

We had been using Orijen for the past 2 years however, with the formula change, it is triggering a reaction again. While I’m not seeing anything odd on the ingredient list, something with the new formula isn’t working.

His major trigger is Brewer’s Yeast followed by beef, lamb, grains, venison, rice, potato, milk, kangaroo and rabbit. The fish mix (63) was below the standard for marking it an allergy but marked higher than chicken (36) or turkey (33). Pork was a zero followed by duck which is 12. (90 being the benchmark to make it an allergy)

I thought the Annamaet would work until I saw Selenium Yeast which is another name for Brewer’s Yeast. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

[pitlove]

Hi Kelli-

I’ve noticed a trend with the advice given for yeasty dogs…”no carbs because they feed yeast”. Highly incorrect and probably what is keeping you from truly being able to help your dog heal. I went through the same issue myself.

Yeast naturally grows on the dog, but when the immune system is working at its optimal potential it can keep the yeast from overpopulating. When something like allergies (food or environmental) is suppressing the dogs immune system it can’t fight off the yeast. To control the yeast the trigger causing the allergic response needs to be removed. If you believe food is the issue talk to your vet about a proper elimination diet. It is the golden standard for diagnosing food allergies.

[Kelli M]

Hi, I have a one year old mix and am desperately seeking answers. We have spent so much money on vet bills, the most recent being Monday with no answers. I have discovered all on my own that I am not only dealing with allergies but a very yeasty miserable pup. Is there a diet out there that does not have the following?

No poultry of any kind
No grains
No ingredients that break down into sugar

She is currently on candidae bison and sweet potatoes, with the sweet potatoes playing a role in this. Hoping anyone can help. Any other suggestions on how to treat gut/skin would be helpful as well. Thank you!

• This topic was modified 9 years, 3 months ago by Kelli M. Reason: Misspoke

[anonymously]

It sounds like it could be environmental allergies which would have nothing to do with the food. If it has been going on for a while and the regular vet hasn’t been helpful I would suggest making an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist and see what diagnostic testing he recommends.
Have you used the search engine here?
Example: “If the symptoms have been going on for more than 1 year/4 seasons and have not responded in a significant way to treatment by a veterinarian. Consider making an appointment with a dermatologist”.

This subject comes at least once a week. People are reluctant to go to a specialist because they are concerned about the cost, and yet they end up spending much more going back and forth to the regular vet and trying all kinds of gobbledygook remedies.

Environmental allergies.
excerpt below from: http://www.2ndchance.info/Apoquel.htm
“Food Allergies are probably over-diagnosed in dogs (they account for, perhaps 5-10%). Hypoallergenic diets are occasionally, but not frequently, helpful in canine atopy cases but you should always give them a try. Food intolerances are more common – but considerably more likely to result in digestive disturbances and diarrhea than in itching problems”.

Mail-in hair and saliva tests do not test for allergies and tend to be inaccurate. Food sensitivities fluctuate. Food allergies are rare.

Also:http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

Hope this helps:
By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian

[anonymously]

Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea is a small size kibble with limited ingredients, check reviews on Chewy.com.
Also, don’t leave food down, feed twice a day and pick up anything not eaten and store in the fridg, offer at next meal time. Make sure she is drinking water, maybe add a splash to her food.
Keep your eye on that pruritus, it could be environmental allergies which would have nothing to do with the food. Use the search engine here to search “allergies”

Hope this helps

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[zcRiley]

TOP 4 causes of Maltese facial hair discoloration:

**RED YEAST INFECTION – This is a very common health issue with certain dog breeds, including the Maltese. When the facial hairs are wet it is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.
**BLOCKED TEAR DUCTS – This health issue is present in about 10% of all Maltese dogs. This needs to be corrected with surgery.
**EAR INFECTION – How can an ear infection cause tear stains? Just about everything on a dog’s face is interconnected. To keep ear infections away, it is important to dry the inner ear very carefully after bath time. Do not allow moisture to stay inside. Excessive long hairs should be removed with a tweezers. Your dog’s veterinarian will prescribe antibiotics if your Maltese has an ear infection.
**WATER – Believe it or not, the simple element of water can cause tear staining on a Maltese if that dog is drinking water with a high mineral content. If all other possible reasons have been eliminated, it is suggested to give your dog only filtered or bottled water.

Unless his whole body’s itching, it’s not the food unless it contains artificial coloring that’s rubbing onto his hairs. See what the vet finds first.

[anonymously]

http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=raw+diet

More Nonsense from Holistic Vets about Commercial Therapeutic Diets

Regarding the allergies, consider seeing a veterinary dermatologist:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[james h]

Red Yeast Rice would be good to dog. As it can bring down the blood pressure
http://www.yameiaspartame.com/products/red-yeast-rice/

[InkedMarie]

There are many meats out there. Which of these proteins have you fed?
Chicken, turkey, duck, beef, venison, fish, bison, goat, kangaroo?
Apoquel…..please google about that. There were recently some articles out there on the harm that drug does.

I have a dog who had yeast ears & was a paw licker (no itchiness). the only thing that worked for him was a raw diet with no produce.

I just had an ah ha moment, for myself. This same dog just had his first ear infection in something like 4 years. Only thing new is the greens mix I started adding (Shawna who posted after me knows what I made). Hmm…time to stop that for him.

[Josh H]

Yeah, but isn’t yeast (like Brewer’s yeast) used in flea and tick prevention?

[Susan]

Hi, I have a dog with IBD & I’ve tried most of the vet diets Hypoallergenic & Intestinal & they were a waste of money, they made Patch itch & scratch, smell yeasty cause he’s sensitive to wheat, maize gluten, barley, corn/maize meal, beet pulp & chicken…..Royal Canine & Hills & their vet diets have chicken as the protein, they call it poultry meal which is a by product chicken…. after trying vet diets, premium kibbles grain free & grain, “Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb formula is excellent the first time in 2-3 yrs Patch is doing nice firm poos all the time not for a couple of weeks then sloppy soft poos.. its been 6 months & still doing 2 small firm poos a day. The TOTW Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb is an all stages kibble, so puppies can eat it as well.
Contact & email TOTW & ask for their formula booklet & some samples of their puppy formulas & their all life stages formulas like Sierra Mountain……
Try a grain free kibble with limited ingredients, if that doesn’t work then try a kibble with a few different ingredients to the one you just tried with a different protein, chances are the Royal Canine ur feeding has Chicken/Poultry as the protein with maize/corn & gluten or something that’s she’s sensitive tooo…..

Home

also protein I have found Fish & Lamb work the best for Patch, when I feed Patch a kibble that’s too high in a protein over 28% he gets sloppy poos as well, maybe start keeping a diary & make sure the kibbles you buy are money back guaranteed so you can get a refund…another kibble that’s pretty good for dogs with sensitive stomach/bowel is “California Natural” Lamb & Rice it has just 3 ingredients..
http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products

[anonymously]

I would make an appointment with a Board Certified Veterinary Dermatologist asap.

Have you checked the search engine here? Example, from on of my previous posts on the subject:

I believe most supplements and “natural” remedies are a scam. I tried various things…nothing worked. Do you really think I wanted to go to a specialist? I am glad I did, as nothing else worked for my dog.

BTW: ASIT (allergen specific immunotherapy) is the most natural treatment available for environmental allergies. No drugs involved. Of course steroids and antihistamine medications and frequent bathing with Malaseb (sometimes twice a week for my dog, even now) may be necessary from time to time to stop the suffering until the ASIT takes effect.
There is no cure for environmental allergies, it requires lifetime treatment. Fortunately there are effective treatments available.

I hope these articles help:
http://skeptvet.com/Blog/?s=allergies

PS: I would not put anything topically on the dog unless prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined her/him, it could make things worse. We ended up at the emergency vet after I applied witch hazel to a rash.
Do not give over the counter meds to a dog unless approved by a veterinarian that has examined the dog.

Hope this helps:

By Klaus Loft, DVM
Angell Dermatology Service

Anyone who suffers debilitating environmental allergies tied to changing seasons, pet dander or household dust mites knows first-hand the misery of a scratchy throat, itchy eyes or painful rashes.

Not everyone knows, however, that our pets can experience similar allergic reactions — and other very bothersome dermatological issues. But our pets need not suffer in silence. Modern veterinary science has evolved such that advanced, comprehensive treatments are now available to treat a range of skin conditions.

Top pet dermatological issues

Our four-legged friends suffer from some of the same skin issues as we do — and several that we do not. The most common conditions we see at Angell include:

•Parasites, such as mites, fleas and mange (scabies)
•Infectious diseases, such as Staphylococcal pyoderma (“Staph”) skin infections, yeast and fungal infections and skin fold infections
•Systemic diseases, such as autoimmune diseases
•Skin cancer, such as Squamous cell carcinoma, cutaneous lymphoma, Mast cell tumors
•Allergies, such as flea allergy dermatitis, adverse food reactions, environmental allergies, etc.

All of these conditions can become serious and, if untreated, dramatically reduce quality of life. But the tremendous strides made in veterinary innovation, however, is very good news for our pets. Specifically, the testing and treatments for allergies now rivals human healthcare in its sophistication, quality of care and long-term health outcomes.

Unlike humans, dogs and cats cannot tell us about their dermatological health issues. So we as pet owners must look for the signs. The most common indicators that a pet is suffering from some kind of allergy involve frequent episodes of ear infections, red raised or open sores on the skin, constant licking or biting of paws or groin — sometimes causing wounds that will not go away.

Allergies present a particular challenge because there can be hundreds (even thousands) of potential allergens that impact pet health, from foods to pollen from grasses, weeds, trees, dust mites and more. Today’s specialty veterinary hospitals have access to the very latest diagnostic tests to get to the bottom of what’s ailing our pet. Among these tests is the Intra Dermal Test (IDT).

IDT is generally considered the gold standard of testing for identifying allergens that cause pets to suffer from chronic skin and/or ear diseases. IDT involves injections of a series of concentrated allergens into the skin to determine which of them generate allergic reactions in a given animal. The use of fluorescein — a chemical that illuminates the inflammation caused by the injected allergens in order to visualize the strength of individual reactions — is key to accurately diagnosing pet allergies, and is just one of the many ways veterinarians use new technologies to improve care and diagnostics.

The results of IDT (as well as a review of the pet’s medical history) can then inform comprehensive immunotherapy treatments to relieve suffering. Veterinary dermatologists rely on IDT to build customized treatment plans for patients called Allergen Specific Immuno Therapy or “ASIT” for short.

ASIT involves a series of injections specifically created for the allergic animal’s skin. These injections, of diluted allergens, are designed to make a pet less sensitive to their allergens over time. In most cases these injections must be continued for life to reduce symptoms, but they are highly effective. Seventy to 90 percent of pets experience a reduction in symptoms as a result of ASIT treatment. These treatments can be delivered even more easily via droplets under the tongue, perfect for pet owners who are squeamish about giving injections to their pet.

This treatment is very new to the North American field of medicine (both human and veterinary) and underscores just how far innovation in veterinary medicine has come.

When it’s time to see the vet

Many pet owners are understandably concerned about taking their animals to the veterinarian because the cost (to say nothing of the fear some animals experience when going do the doctor) may outweigh any perceived reduction in suffering. To help pet owners know when it’s time to bring Fido to the doctor I’ve compiled my “Top Ten” list of dermatological symptoms that should never be ignored:

•Intense itching of the skin (head shaking, running the face into the carpet, furniture, etc.)
•Biting at the skin that creates red, raw crusting areas of the skin
•Multiple ear infections (head shaking, odor from ears, scratching at the ears with hind legs)
•Paw licking or chewing and frequent infections of the skin in the webbed skin of the paws
•Staining of the fur of the paws and nails on multiple feet
•Reoccurring skin infections in the groin, under the shoulders, perianal areas (on or under the tail)
•Greasy scaling skin and/or fur with odorous skin
•Hair loss, or thinning of the fur
•Dark pigmentation of the skin that is chronically infected
•Sudden depigmentation of skin

Allergies and other dermatological issues can be as frustrating for pet owners and their veterinarians as they can be for pets. I encourage any pet owner whose animal is experiencing any of these symptoms to consult with their veterinarian.

[Greg D]

Hi,
I’m new to this forum and have come
across this site as I’m researching. Im going crazy with my dogs yeast infections. I’ve read all the comments, and as everywhere on the net you always find conflicting comments, statements, opinions etc regarding causes and prevention, so I am going to simply provide some of my findings and also hope people can advise any further.
My dog, Digi, a Maltese cross has a yeast problem. Started out in the ears and the paws. This has been going on for 12 months. I started off by changing her diet to a grain free and mostly meat based diet feeding her Wellness core . She loved it at the start but the problem didn’t stop. We then changed to K9 natural freeze dried. Again, she loved it but soon stopped wanting it. The problem didn’t stop. I then started feeding her a raw diet with. I grains or carbs. The problem got worse until she actually had an allergic reaction and ended up at the vets when her face swelled up and she got a red, raised rash all over her body. This happened instantly one night after she finished eating. The vet recommended a fish based diet which against my better judgement contains brown rice, but I was desperate so we tried it. Her ears cleared up miraculously and almost instantly but she still licks her feet. She is washed in anti fungal shampoo regularly but it will not disappear. Her ears are beautiful and clean and no other part of her body seems to be affected anymore. The vet has suggested she may have an allergy to grass as well but how can I keep her inside 24/7? She would go crazy with cabin fever!
I’ve tried soaking them in hydrogen peroxide and water and tried different sprays but she continues to lick them almost constantly and they are that rusty colour. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Willing to try anything. Thank you.

[Carolyn P]

Hi Dog Obsessed,
I, also, am looking for a chicken stock/broth without onions. I just googled the ingredients on the Swanson’s unsalted cooking chicken stock and this is what I found: INGREDIENTS: CHICKEN STOCK, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED CHICKEN, NATURAL FLAVORING, CARROT JUICE CONCENTRATE, CELERIAC JUICE CONCENTRATE, CHICKEN BROTH, CHICKEN FAT, ONION EXTRACT. I know it must be a small amount and I’ll use it only in a pinch when I’ve run out of homemade chicken broth.