[Pitlove]

I recently brought my almost 1 year and 2 month old pitbull to the vet for what I thought was a yeast infection in his ears. He has been to this new vet 2 times prior and a different vet found a yeast infection so bad under his nails that she thought it was demodex. The old vet who has now since moved out of state to another practice, told me she felt he had a pollen/grass allergy and made no mention of a food intolerance/allergy. His allergy symptoms definitely seem to go down in the “winter time” (I live in Louisiana so we don’t really have real winters) and get worse when it starts getting to be summer. Some of you know that I do feed a rotational diet and I have not seen an improvement in his itchyness when I change foods. Only when the weather changes to cool months. The last few foods he was on that he did well on were Orijen, EVO and Fromm.

This last vet visit after she told me he had yeast in his ears, I mentioned to her that I was planning to try to get him off kibbles with high starch carbs like potatoes. She preceeded to tell me that potatoes were really good for dogs after just telling me he had yeast…I didn’t question her outloud, but that makes ZERO sense to me.

So now I’m torn. She thinks he has both seasonal and food allergies. I think he just has seasonal. I wanted to try him on California Natural Lamb and Rice since it’s just 4 ingredients and no peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes or lentils. Now I just don’t know what to do though. Do I try that food and follow what she told me to do about starting an elimination diet? Or do I go back to feeding 3-5 foods that he does well on like Fromm?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Pitlove]

I’ll also mention that he is on this food atm: http://precisepet.com/dog-formulas/precise-holistic-complete/dry/wild-at-heart-flight-line/

It is the first grain inclusive food he has ever been on, but this formula has potatoes. I feel that I need to keep him off grain free foods and only feed him foods with brown rice as the main carb source to stop the yeast. Thoughts on staying away from grain free foods as well?

[Susan]

Hi Pitlove, your vet is on the right track about the potatoes high starch diet, but she hasn’t explain it properly, I would try a hypoallergenic limited ingredient kibble without potatoes, peas, lentils, sweet potatoes etc cause what she has been eating has caused the yeasty paws, also Malaseb medicated shampoo is excellent for this.. bathed every 5-7 days, I was putting the Malaseb just on Patches paws in a empty bath & leaving it on for 5mins then rinsing off the Malaseb kills the bacteria & really helped..
here’s a link to Karen Helton Rhodes face book group called “Canine Skin Solutions group” https://www.facebook.com/groups/1563654607200747/
here is the link explaining overgrowth Malassezia from food allergies (CARF) read #4, it will explain things more..
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/6/21/why-does-my-dog-stink-7-facts-about-dog-odor-you-need-to-know
I found as soon as I put Patch on a raw elimination diet, the red paws, smelly feet, went away…this is the diet Patch was put on you need to scroll down & click on Skin Allergy diet & just pick 1 protein 2-3-veggies & 1-2- fruits, I picked broccoli, celery, carrot & apple all peeled then cut up then put thru a mini processer ..1 cup of meat & 2 spoons of the blended veggie/fruit mix.. I had to add digestive enzyme, probiotic & digestaVite Plus to balance the diet but the Naturopath said he would be Ok without the DigestaVite Plus for 1-2 months while we were doing the elimination raw diet, I wasn’t adding no organ meat yet or no bone cause of his IBD.. with yeast you need to feed green veggies, broccoli, Bok Choy, Zucchini, Celery etc & stay away from the starchy veggies if you decide to feed a raw diet … http://www.naturalanimalsolutions.com.au/natural-diet.html

[Pitlove]

Interesting, so that link about 7 facts of dog odor is saying that startch and grains have nothing to do with yeast overgrowth. Now i’m really confused because I thought they did. I can’t put my guy on raw right now. My boyfriend will not let me. Not really sure why but he’s just not ok with it. I want to try Wysong Epigen for him. Any thoughts on that?

[DogFoodie]

Wysong Epigen is good product, Pitlove. It’s worth a try, but it also quite possibly not food related.

That said, I have a Golden whose seasonal allergies became very apparent to me this spring. He was eating a particular food that he’s always done great on when seemingly out of nowhere, he had yeast infections in both ears. He does have food intolerance issues also, and in the past, when he’s reacted to foods, he’s had the same type of reaction which resulted in yeast infections in his ears – usually his right ear. But, this year, I was able to relate the timing of the onset of his symptoms to seasonal environmental changes. Looking back, it happened the same time last year. I was starting him on Springtime’s Bug Off Garlic and I attributed his ear infections to him reacting to that. I’m still not certain whether or not he’s intolerant of garlic.

One thing I did that seemed to help was to add Quercetin with Bromelain, Papain and an Omega 3 supplement to help the scratching. I could tell a difference. My dogs allergies have improved as the particular pollen season that seemed to affect him the most has decreased a bit. We’re still not in the clear, but I’m formulating my strategy for next spring.

Another thing you might consider doing is preparing a rinse of diluted white vinegar. Use it to clean his feet and wipe off his legs and belt with it every time he comes in from outside. Vacuum frequently. Keep indoor cleaning products simple and natural. The sensitivity could also be to products in your home; ie: cleaning products, new carpet, bedding, etc.

A raw diet would be great, but it’s OK if you’re able to do it currently. Since you’re interested, talk to your boyfriend and find out why he feels uneasy about it. Would he be feeding your pup at times? Maybe you could assume sole responsibility of feeding him if your boyfriend is uneasy about it. Also, half raw is better than none. Maybe you could try a commercial raw – that’s sometimes easier to stomach for queasy feeders. It’s also agreat way to be sure you’re getting balanced meals. A dehydrated food like The Honest Kitchen would also be less processed than kibble. I’d probably choose a grain free one like Zeal. Raw isn’t for everyone. My Golden isn’t a fan of raw, unless it’s tripe, which he eats eagerly. Another option would be canned food.

Allergy testing is notoriously inaccurate. I actually had a hair and saliva test recently that tests samples using biofeedback energy. The test was affordable for me, but I’m struggling to make sense of the results. My integrative vet and I were discussing another test, Dr. Jean Dodds, NutriScan test as likely being the most reliable, but still limited in scope and possibly accuracy. So, you’re better off with an elimination diet for food intolerance issues and developing a strategy for dealing with your pup’s environmental sensitivities.

There was someone here who was feeling with an issue with a food the same breed as yours and she ended up figuring out that it was a specific new detergent she was using. She stooped using the detergent and the symptoms disappeared. She had started using Gain lavender. She and her pup went through h*ll until she figured it out.

I know how frustrating it can be. There’s an awful lot of us here dealing with similar issues. You’re not alone! Good luck!

[aimee]

Hi Pitlove,

I never found there was any sound support for the “carbs feed the yeast” myth. It really makes absolutely no sense at all. Really sad to see people who should know better perpetuating such nonsense and a breath of fresh air to see someone call it out for what it is: urban legend.

[DogFoodie]

Grrr… auto-correct! It changes things just enough to be totally confusing!

[Pitlove]

Dog Foodie and Aimee thank you for your input.

Aimee- I have seen Vet’s like Dr. Becker say that carbs because they break down into sugar is what the yeast feeds off of. I’ve heard other people say that and then I’m hearing people say no it’s not that. There is so much information out there that contridicts one another that I’m finding myself stressed and confused.

Dog Foodie- I got what you were saying haha. As I said, I really disagree with my current vet that it is food related, but I am willing to try a food like Wysong to see if it makes a difference. I also think that I slacked on cleaning his ears regularly and that also contributed to the yeast build up. My current vet was saying that in her experience dogs do not start showing symptoms of allergies until 1 year of age, but down in LA she is finding they are showing them sooner because of the climate.

We are using Gain and Borox to clean his bedding. I started with the Borox because we had fleas. Those are just about gone, but they torn him up so bad he had scabs and is now missing hair in the spots that the scabs are falling off and his skin is flaky in those areas. I have an anti-funal shampoo from the vet that we have been bathing him in. When we were doing foot soaks for his yeasty feet it cleared it up very fast, but she said he has some yeast build up under his nail beds again, so we are going to re-start the foot soaks.

As for the raw, my boyfriend can be a stubborn jerk. He said to me “if you’re not going to cook for me, you’re not cooking for the dog”. Not that it would be cooking anyway more like thawing lol. Also I have yet to price it out and determine whether I would be paying more or less than what I’m currently spending on food. I am the one who feeds both him and the cat soley. He eats kibble and canned right now and the cat eats all canned. I do have some THK for him, but it’s grain-inclusive and he wasn’t super into it. He ate it, but he would walk away and come back which isn’t normal for him now.

I plan to give the Wysong a try and see if there is improvement by the time the food is gone. If not then I know it’s not the food. I’m also going to be a lot more aware of cleaning his ears and keeping up on it and soaking his feet. The yeast is not all over his body thankfully. It’s his nail beds and ears.

[DogFoodie]

Many years ago I had a black lab who had flea bite dermatitis. She was miserable. lived in the South myself (FL, GA, MS) and know fleas are highly prevalent there and impossible to get rid of. After Iput her on Sentinel, she was a new dog. What sort of flea prevention are you using?

[Pitlove]

Right now he is on an oral med called Nexgard. I really don’t like it, but it works. I just hate that it’s more chemicals. Is the Sentinel safe?

[DogFoodie]

I understand hating the chemicals. 🙁

I use the Sentinel Spectrum for heartworm protection for my dogs now. My integrative vet recommends it and uses it for her own dog. It has the added benefit of containing Lufenuron, which essentially makes adult fleas infertile, reducing the number of fleas in your environment. It offers no protection against ticks, which your Nexgard does. Nexgard kills adult fleas. My vet suggested that for a heavy infestation, both could be used together.

I recently learned about a new non-prescription product that is a spot-on for fleas and ticks called Activyl, but I know very little about it.

What are you currently using for heartworm protection?

[Anonymous]

They are all pesticides, so I use the minimum amount to be effective. Sentinel every 6 weeks for heartworm, spring through first frost, annual testing. Advantix II monthly, late spring through fall. The ticks are moderate here in NE, haven’t seen any fleas in decades. I also avoid woods and tall grass, I lost a dog to Lyme years ago, it wasn’t pretty.

It depends on the area you are in, regarding how aggressive you need to be, that being said, I am leary of the oral pesticides…..
I would defer to your vet.

BTW: Allergy testing done by a dermatologist/specialist is not inaccurate. My dog with environmental allergies is doing very well.

[DogFoodie]

Pitlove is in the Deep South, Red. From personal experience, I know that fleas are very bad where she lives.

[Pitlove]

Yes, fleas, the risk of heartworm and ticks are very real and scary here. Huge difference from where I was born and raised in Connecticut.

Currently we are using a product from Canada that my boyfriends parents order for all the dogs online called Nu-Hart. My pit just recently got his HW test and it was negative thank god! His parents outdoor dog (Rottweiler) was just diagnosed with HW and is currently being treated and being allowed to say inside.

It’s been raining a lot here lately so our pup hasnt been outside much, but we give the HW every 45 days instead of every 30 and so far it’s been working. I’ll look into the Sentinel. I don’t think my current vet has it. They have Hartguard Plus which does HW, fleas and ticks. I’m nervous to use that though as I don’t like to give flea/tick meds in the same week as HW. Any thoughts on Hartguard Plus?

[Jennifer H]

The Sentinel Spectrum doesn’t do anything against adult fleas though right? I have my dog on Advantage Multi but I hate the spot on (plus it’s very expensive and Sentinel is cheaper here), but it kills the adult fleas, but does nothing for eggs/larvae. It’s such a trade-off that I’m not sure which way to go. I wonder if it would be easier to control the adult fleas through natural means.
I’m also finding a lot of flea dirt on my dog between baths, but only ever 1 or 2 dying fleas. It’s really irritating that I pay so much for this medication and he’s still getting all this flea dirt. I live in FL btw, so the fleas and mosquitoes are rampant year round here. :/ Already had to fight an infestation once this year.

And what is the difference between Sentinel and Sentinel Spectrum, just that the Spectrum kills tapeworms?

Sorry for hijacking!

EDIT: I also don’t have much of a tick problem thank goodness, at least in my immediate area. Which I am forever grateful for as ticks freak me out completely.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 9 months ago by Jennifer H.

[Anonymous]

Sentinel Spectrum is not available in the US, ingredients are slightly different. They use it in Australia. You can purchase it online….but beware, a lot of counterfeit/damaged stuff out there. I am not familiar with Advantage multi.

Sentinel is for heartworm, Advantix II for flea/tick, Frontline for flea/tick

I have heard that Frontline works best for fleas and Advantix II works best for ticks. I am not familiar with Advantage multi.
Check with your vet as to what would be best for your dog….don’t use multiple products at the same time.

[Anonymous]

I see, maybe it is available in the US now……a few years ago it wasn’t

Sentinel Spectrum Chews, recently approved by FDA in 2012, is an enhanced version on the traditional Sentinel Flavor Tabs. The new product adds the anthelmintic praziquantel to the existing Sentinel formula, allowing for treatment and control of tapeworms.

[Anonymous]

I might have Sentinel Scectrum confused with Interceptor and Interceptor Spectrum, similar products….

[weezerweeks]

Pit love Heartgard plus does not have anything in it for fleas and ticks just for heartworms and other intestinal worms.

[Pitlove]

Whoops! you’re right I was thinking Trifexis.

[Author]

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