[myfourmutts]

My parents have an 11 year-old beagle that has had a persistent and ongoing yeast infection of the skin and ears for about the past 3 years. They have taken her to the vet countless times and have tried multiple steroids, sprays, and medications. They have been feeding her (and their other beagle) Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream formula at the recommendation of their vet. Nothing has seemed to help her, and she is miserable. She scratches and shakes her heads all day long, and the skin on her chest and legs is constantly red and inflamed.

Is there a food that y’all have fed your dogs that you think might help this sweet girl? My parents are good pet owners; they really try their best. They’ve come a long way from feeding the dogs Purina and giving them Milkbones. However, they’re not “crazy dog people” like I know a lot of us are, and they simply don’t have the time to do a lot of trial and error. My dad is the pastor of a large church, and my mom is an English teacher and newspaper advisor. They’re extremely active outside of the home, and their priorities are divided in many different directions. I am hoping that something as simple as a food change might make a difference for their dog. The other beagle has no food or allergy concerns, so I think she’d eat whatever they gave her.

I would really appreciate any advice or help you could give me to pass along to them. We all hate to see her so uncomfortable, but we just don’t know what to do to make it better. The vet just keeps prescribing medications that don’t seem to help, either. I live 12 hours away. Otherwise, I would be available to be a little more hands-on with the situation. Thanks, y’all.

[theBCnut]

Read homemadedogfood dot com to understand the issues with chronic yeast infections and read the Brother’s Document at brotherscomplete dot com

There is not a cheap food fix for this, but expensive food is still cheaper than all the vet bills and medications.

[Oceantide2121]

This is what I have done and it works for me On my male German Shepherd. I bought Braggs apple cider. I put 2 teaspoons in his water daily. I bought a grain free sweet potatoes food. I give slightly less than the required amount, I had plain Greek yogurt that has live enzymes. I add to his food a probiotic and digestive enzymes. I also add biotin, Cranberry capsules, I have a boiled egg, And about 2 tablespoons of a mixture of vegetables That I previously steamed and then put into a blender since dogs have trouble digestingwhole vegetables. A common mix that I will do is green beans peas k lol maybe a little bit of spinach very very small amount of garlic with one to two apples. Another thing that I will do with him daily is I will take a container and I had one tablespoon of borax, about one thir and the same amount of apple cider vinegar and I will take a paper towel or soft cloth and wipe that over the areas of the yeast infection. It honestly does workd cup of warm water

[Oceantide2121]

I apologize for the inaccuracies of typos in my post replying to the yeast infections. But I had difficulty in making the entry from the device I was using.

[InkedMarie]

Take a look at the dog food ingredients forum here; I have a stickie at the top of grain/ white potato free foods. I suggest steering clear of chicken, probably beef as well.

[Marvins mom]

All i can say is Dinovites and a really good grain free dog food – i have recently becoma an avid believer in the stuff!……..along with some of the apple cider vinegar/H20, if the dog will drink it – as it helps my stomache problems as well! BUT it has to have “the mother” in it. Braggs is a good one!

[BlackandBlue]

Oceantide2121- Interesting comments about how you combat yeast in your dog. I never heard about using borax with AVC and warm water for yeast. Can I ask what grain free sweet potato dog food brand you buy?

[betsycam]

My sister has an older dog with the same kinds of problems and I suspect he has had a chronic systemic yeast infection for years. She feeds Taste of the Wild and the dog has not gotten better.

My dog is raw fed but he is old and he developed a systemic yeast infection for while. I started him on the Nzymes.com skin program, and took note of their food recommendations. Since sugar feeds yeast and carbs/starch are sugar, it is very important to eliminate those carbs! I discovered that one of the Bravo Blend formulas I had been feeding my dog contained sweet potatoes, and Nzymes discourages feeding grain-free foods that use sweet potatoes or even potatoes as an alternative carb source. I cut out that formula and fed a raw diet with no grain or starchy veggies, and he cleared up!

The other thing I did was give him a thyroid med that includes T3 in it (dessicated pork thyroid gland). This is trickier to do since vets will usually prescribe thyroxine which is just T4. My dog’s thyroid had been tested by hemovet.com’s lab (Dr. Jean Dodds) and his T4 was normal and his T3 was at the very low end of normal. The vets said he wasn’t hypothyroid, but I went ahead and used an over the counter porcine thyroid pill which I believe also made a huge difference. I would have this dog’s thyroid tested at any rate.

Go over Nzymes.com’s recommended food list for their skin program – they do recommend some diets that aren’t as difficult as feeding raw!

[myfourmutts]

I just thought I would share an update!

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

• This reply was modified 11 years ago by myfourmutts.

[theBCnut]

YAY!!! We love success!

[Susan]

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

[Georgia Rescue Mom]

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

[theBCnut]

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

[Jazz Lover]

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

[Heather H]

Thank you all for advice!!! I recently switched to nutrisource select grain free thanks to all of you who recommended it.. My dog has been on for two months now and he looks wonderful.. Skin used to be dark and smelly with crusty ears.. He is a completely new dog thanks to all your posts..

[Johanna A]

I know that this is an older thread, but I’m just wondering if everyone is still continuing to have success with NutriSource. We have a 3-year-old black Labrador that has been battling chronic yeast skin issues for a while now. Our previous vet had been misdiagnosing him for over a year as just having allergies and kept putting him on prednisone, which only masked the symptoms and didn’t actually treat the problem. We just saw a new vet today who said it’s definitely yeast and recommended we try NutriSource. I ordered the seafood formula off Amazon and we are going to start adding low-fat plain yogurt to his diet.

[Taek K]

My beagle became allergic to everything a little after the age of 1. I knew of the consequences of feeding him cheap kibbles and bits so I started him off with Orijen then blue buffalo, etc…basically, anything that’s grain free, high in protein, etc…but at the end, it didn’t matter. It couldn’t have been couple of months after the age of 1 when constant itching, scratching, ear infection, eye infection, skin infection, etc started to plague my poor baby. Like most, I took him to vets after vets. Went to an allergist/dermatologist and paid over $700 for testing and allergy shots. I even got him testing for food allergies!!! Thank God I got him pet insurance, otherwise, I probably would have had to fork over over 10k out of pocket within the first year.

I’m just going to assume your dogs problem is associated with food and nothing more. My dog not only suffers from environmental allergies but also yeast infection. But I’ll just give you the run down for food. Otherwise, this post would be too long.

The best thing you can do for your dog is feed him REAL food. I don’t care how great a bagged dog food is made. At the end of the day, it’s all processed. Think of it this way. When Purnia, Pedigree, Blue buffalo, etc type of food companies didn’t exist, what did we feed our dogs? Exactly. We fed them real food. Long story short, I’ve done years of feeding my dog this and that type of real food and I FINALLY narrowed it down to what WORKS FOR MY DOG. And now, no ear or eye infection. He does get skin infection during the super hot months but it’s more like an instance vs a prolong battle. I think last infection lasted like couple days and it went away on it’s own. When infections creeps in, I suggest giving him a bath with antifungal shampoo like 2-3 times a week. But I digress.

Cut out everything that is starchy and sweet. That in turn will starve the yeast. The problem with bag dog food is there will always be starchy fillers. This is so the food company can keep the cost down. Ziwipeak is a brand that doesn’t contain starchy veggies or fruits. But its very expensive. Whether it’s sweet potato, peas, fruits, etc..bottom line, its starchy and will feed the yeast. STARVE THE YEAST!!!

This is what I give my 45lb mixed beagle.

-Salmon/Tuna (This is his staple protein source. This never changes)
-boiled beef/organ meat (I switch this up. One week, I give him beef. The following week, I give him organ meat. All boiled.)
-non starchy vegetables (green beans, romaine lettuce, cabbage, etc)
-plain greek yogurt (read the label; less the ingredient the better)
-berries (only during colder months; I wouldn’t even give him any the first 2 years to wipe out the yeast)
-Dinovite (its a supplement, google it)
-if my dog wasn’t allergic to anything chicken, I would give him a crushed boiled egg with the shell.

Anything that’s not protein based are fillers. Protein should be the base of his food so provide enough of it. There’s going to be a lot trials to see what works best for your dog. But this will work. It just takes time. Integrate REAL food with his food slowly. Once you completely change over to real food, you’ll see huge improvements. FYI…when you start changing his food, he’ll have couple instances of infections. This is expected. Its like the yeast trying to fight back. Keep hold and I promise, it’ll get better.

The only treat your dog should eat are no filler jerky. Read the ingredients. Again, say no to starch/sweet/carb!!! I give my dog BIXBI beef liver jerky.

If anyone needs more info or have any questions, please ask. From one owner who suffered, I wish nothing but the best and will help anyway I can.

[Fiona B]

I can’t thank you enough for your post. It was extremely helpful. And I will try your menu for my dogs. I have a chocolate lab who has been allergic since the day he was born. Like you I have visited my vet, run the allergy tests and started him on Atopica once a day. It has helped but hasn’t eliminated the problem.
Like you I went to a protein based food. I shows Merrick’s Whole earth. It has pork beef and lamb in it. He seems to be sensitive to chicken as well. I want to get him off the Atopica because he has been on it for five years. He is very sedentary and I wonder if the Atopica might be part of the reason.
Recently I found Dinovite. They suggest waiting at least a month before looking for improvements. I have to say that after a month and a half he is really doing well. I weaned him from the atopica in that period of time.
Costs and concerns about dog food ingredients and fillers being what they are I feel Your menu is eminently healthier than the dog food. And Dinovite is not cheap either.
Thank you very much.

[Taek K]

That’s GREAT NEWS!!! I’m so happy for you.

Here are some other things you can do. After you take your dog outside, wipe him down with a wet towel. That will remove some pollen, dust, etc…Also, smell his paws during the allergy season. If it smells like corn chips aka frito paws, it mean he has yeast infection. This is supposed to be super itchy and your dog will try to eat his paws. Make a solution of vinegar and water and sink his paws in it. Keep up with the food program and these home remedies and it’ll clear up. First instance will take long to clear up. The second instance will be shorter. Then shorter. Then shorter.

On a side note, when it comes to vaccine don’t over do it. Instead of getting booster shots, ask for vaccine tither. This test will show if your baby needs booster on certain vaccines. Obviously, you’ll have to follow the rabies shot protocol but rabies shot can last at least 2 years.

Good luck.

[Marvins mom]

Glad to hear you are using Dinovites! Yes it’s expensive, But is totally worth the cost! It does take a bit for them to kick in, but from 2 years experience of using them on my now 9 year old (black) Golden Retriever mix…his coat and skin haven’t been better. For the first 7 years we’ve had him he’d gone through MISERABLE summers to the point of looking like a patient on chemo. So sad to say that. Bathed him every day, used all the skin treatments…. We had also run the gammit of changing to grain free food and “shots” from the vet….you name it. But none for the last 2 summers – along with grain free food, he has little to no allergy season. Still has a few hot spots on legs in the summer and a scratch here and there , but no where near as bad. I mean this dog would make me cry! I just went ahead and bought the largest box available and keep it in my fridge in the basement all year – it lasted me nearly 2 years and when we ordered it we asked if it would lose it’s potency by buying such a large box for one dog. He said as long as it was refrigerated it would be fine. I wish I had know about it long before all the years he had suffered!! I am tempted one day to buy the formula for horse as I have a 28 year old gelding I think would benefit from it! That’s my plug for Dinovites!!!!! Thanks!

[Megan H]

@Taek K. I have so many questions as I’m going through something with my schnauzer/beagle. Let me know if you are still around.

[Taek K]

I’m here. I’m no vet but let me know how I can help

[Marvins mom]

Hi. I’m “Marvins mom”….I have been getting these updates also. Just wanted to say that I’ve used Dinovites on our 11 yr old golden mix for the last 4 years and it has done amazing things for him – along with grain free food. His coat is shiney, his ears don’t smell any more and the odor he used to have all year long is minimal compared to what it used to be. His whole life suffered with seasonal allergies for 6 months out of the year…now it’s for only about 2-3 months and is not nearly as bad. He used to lose so much fur he would look like – excuse my example – a chemo patient. He is sooooo much happier! I DO NOT WORK for the company. I just know it works for my dog! look up the company and it’s testimony’s.
Just a suggestion.

[Kay W]

Oceantide2121 what is the amt pf apple cider vinegar to mix with the Borax?

[Rebecca S]

This is a thank-you post to myfourmutts! What a blessing your posts have been. I was really shocked at how little information is available about yeast infections in dogs. Like your parents, I needed a simple solution; It was unrealistic to try making my dachshund’s food from scratch. I’m a single mom with little excess time,and I don’t even make my own food from scratch. After reading your two posts…. and thank you, thank you, thank you for updating your original post with what worked for you…… I immediately ordered the same Seafood Select food, along with Dinovite at my mother’s suggestion. My dachshund is already much improved, and it’s only been 4 days! The inflammation that was in her ears is receeding, and the mucus-type output appears to have stopped. The redness/inflammation on her underside is mostly gone, along with the yeasty wetness that was under her legs where the hair had fallen out. She even has increased mobility in her hind quarters, which she’d been slowly losing. She’s going to the bathroom more quickly and easily, and what comes out is healthier looking and uniform, as it should be. (I had taken her to the vet 2 months ago over the bathroom issues and sudden decreased mobility to the tune of $230, and was told she was fine, but must have strained a muscle. I was also told that the black patches on her underside were just something that some dogs get.)

I am especially thankful that you stated that they’d already taken their beagle to the vet multiple times without being able to resolve it. I’m sure your posts saved me much time, and money, and my dog much pain and suffering. I thank God for your help.

Notes: My dog is a 5yr old miniature dachshund mix. She developed the yeast infection after being on Taste of the Wild, the small breed variety for about 8 months, which I only put her on because of how well it was recommended. She was not displaying any signs of a yeast infection before that.

[myfourmutts]

Rebecca, I’m so glad this thread helped you and your dog!! Wishing you and your dog many happy, healthy, yeast-free (ha!) years together! *hugs*

[HoundMusic]

Originally posted with a rant about TOTW/Diamond, then read the entire thread… I’m very glad to hear switching this dog off that massive marketing gimmick of a food has helped. Diamond is an abominable company with terrible quality ingredients.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 8 months ago by HoundMusic.

[Susan W]

Hi!
I have a Golden who has had on-going issues with yeast. 1) Feed a good quality food and ONLY that food. My girl eats VeRUS’ Advanced Opticoat, which is a cold-water fish based food. (VeRUS will send you samples if you contact them!); 2) Do a search for Nzymes – on the surface, it looks like expesive stuff, but it’s working so it’s worth it; 3) Mix water & vinegar & treat the paws, ‘armpits,’ and genitals frequently with the mixture. I just use a washcloth and rub it in a little; 4) The DerMagic website has a LOT of great information and remedies; 5) I have a dog blog called DogsBeCause – you’ll find some help and some links there.

[J K]

Hello! I just wanted to pop in and thank everyone who contributed to this thread! I have a 5 year old Border Collie who I adopted two years ago. She has had skin infection/allergies/yeast problems since before I got her. I adopted her without knowledge of the issue, and once I found out, the foster told me it was just hot spots from skin rubbing against itself. Being a first time dog owner, I just believed her.

Anyway, problem got worse and here I am 2 years later, after spending about ~$7,000 on different medications from different vets. She did an allergy test with a dermatologist and is now on allergy vaccines, but I have a feeling that it isn’t tackling the correct problem. I think it might be yeast? She frequently tries to lick or chew her feet, gets red sores on her underside, and it often starts around her nose/lips/chin area. She has black skin on her underside as well.

This thread has given me hope after being hopeless! I just ordered NutriSource Seafood Select and am considering adding Dinovites at a later point. I started feeding her Greek yogurt a few days ago. Hopefully I can update you with good news in the future!

Taek K, if you’re still here, can I ask how you prepare the food for your dog? I’m not sure what the best way would be for the salmon or the veggies. Cooked/uncooked? Canned? Fresh?

[Taek K]

I have changed my dogs diet since my last post but the foundation is the same. No kibbles. Do your best to stay away from processed foods. Feed your baby real food.

Just to give you an idea, my dog is 45lbs and hes not too active anymore. He’ll go on a 5 mile hike with me once a week and hes done for the week. When I did feed him fish, I would give him about half a can of salmon (wild caught), handful of veggies, dynovite, organ meat, and during the winter, some berries. The berries were only after a few years of no sugar/starchy foods. The organ meat of choice was liver. Full of goodies. His treats were and still are jerky or liver. If you cant read the ingredients, dont give it to your dog. If its made in China dont give it to the dog.

The most important thing you have to assess is the dogs protein intake. Monitor her energy level and weight. If shes active, add more protein. Veggies are just healthy fillers. It takes a lot of work, but I promise you, it works. My dog is not 100% but hes closer to 100 than ever before. Bath regularly during heavy allergy season. Use gentle organic hypoallerengic shampoo. Cool baths are life savers. Let me how she turns out. Good luck!!

[J K]

My dog is also about 45 lbs. Can you tell me if this is accurate: half a can of raw, wild-caught salmon, maybe 1/3 of a can of green beans (chopped/mushed/blended), boiled ground beef or organ meat (how much and what animal?). I’ll skip the berries for now, but might include the egg.

I am using MiconaHex+Triz Shampoo for Dogs & Cats based on vet recommendation and reviews. Do you have a different recommendation? I saw that Tea Tree Oil shampoos might be good.

Thank you for your super quick reply! I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a response but seriously finding this thread is a lifesaver.

[Taek K]

Food wise, I would give her fresh veggies. I would also recommend that you give her non-starchy veggies – maybe something like cucumbers. At this point, you should try to stay away from starch or anything sweet because she could be having yeast problems. Beef liver is what my dog loves. I would boil it and cut it into edible pieces – maybe a handful (Im 5’9 so my hands aren’t big). Unfortunately, there isn’t an exact science when it comes to this feeding regime. So you’ll have to keep your eye on her weight and energy level. Per my previous post, things might get worse before it gets better but stick to the plan – real food, stay away from starch and shower regularly. Do not give up. It’s a long road and the food prep will be an annoyance but its worth it.

I used to use virbac epi-soothe per his dermatologist recommendation but once I started his new food phase, I toss that shampoo aside and went all in on the organic movement. I just feel the vet who told me to inject chemicals into my poor dog is also recommending that I wash him with more chemicals. That just didn’t sound right to me. But again, I am no vet.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Taek K.

[anonymous]

You guys are listening to the wrong people, imo.
If you have consulted with a veterinary dermatologist and did not get good results.
Find another veterinary dermatologist, that’s what I did. And it worked, my dog has been symptom free for the most part, times 5 years, treatment is lifelong.
Use the search engine here and look up “environmental allergies” see my posts.

Also, http://skeptvet.com/Blog/2015/09/naet-a-cure-for-allergies-not/comment-page-1/#comment-121032
Read the comments…..

[joanne l]

try fromm or dr gary’s best breed.

[Susan]

There is no miracle cure when a dog has skin allergies unless your dog never had envrionment allergies to begin with cause environment allergies don’t get better with time, allergies get worse as the dog ages, you can use medications, weekly baths in a medicated shampoo to wash off the allergens on the dogs skin & paws will relieve the dogs itchy skin, paws & apply creams, there’s a new drug called “Cytopoint” injections seems to work really well but you can never eliminate & fix envrionment allergies…
If the dog has food sensitivities/intolerances the owner can do an food elimination trial & work out what foods are causing itchy, yeasty paws, skin & ears gas/wind, sloppy poo’s etc once foods are removed that the dog is sensitive too then you can eliminate food intolerances, like my vet has told me, food sensitivities & environment allergies normally come together the dog normally has both & it becomes a vicious cycle, you remove all the foods your dog can’t eat & the dog is better thru colder months (Winter) then Spring comes around & the dog start to itch & reacts again from environment allergies…. as the years pass the weather is becoming warmer, some days we have 4 seasons in 1 day, more & more dogs & cats are suffering with allergies now….

There’s allergy shots or oral drops known as immunotherapy, the injections seem to take longer to work & need to be given every 3-6 months, the oral drops are given every 1-3 months & seems to work quicker then the injections, immunotherapy only reduces symptoms, immunotherapy can not eliminate symptoms… Immunotherapy is very expensive, first you need to work out what in the environment your dog is allergic too by having an Intradermal Skin test then the Hyposensitization treatment is done, so best to get pet insurance before you visit your vet to get a referal to see a Dermatologist, it’s time consuming & expensive……

I choose to use NO drugs on my boy, I have found baths given twice a week or weekly baths have relieved my boy itchy skin & paws, I had to work out what foods he was sensitive too by doing a food elimination diet & work out what was causing his yeasty itchy ears, itchy paws & smelly skin, I use creams, apply “Sudocrem” before leaving home of a morning, I apply on his paws & where his skin is itchy or red, the Sudocrem acts as a barrier & protects his paws, pink skin on head & body, then of a night I check out his whole body, I wipe him down with those baby wipes, I buy the Huggie Coconut Oil baby wipes, I wipe his body then get new wipe & wipe each paw with a new baby wipe, then a new wipe & wipe his head etc down, I do this the days I haven’t bathed him, then I use “Hydrocortisone 1%” cream where the skin is red & itchy… Once you work out what works best for your dog stick with the routine & make your dog comforable….also feed a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids, give 1-2 mussels a day I buy the “K-9 Natural” Green Lipped Mussels freeze dried treats, buy tin Sardines in olive oil or spring water, add a couple sardines to 1 of your dogs meal a day or 4 times a week or Tin Salmon add 1 spoon to 1 of your dogs meal a day… you will see a big difference in your dogs skin after doing the things I’ve have written above…..

[pugmomsandy]

Earthborn Holistic has a new Limited Ingredient kibble line called Venture.

https://www.earthbornholisticpetfood.com/dog-food-formulas/venture

[Kay W]

I had a GSD with a severe yeast infection from her throat to her privates and half way up her sides (wish I could post pics). I found a vet who was familiar with the skin conditions of GSD fr California. She treated EVERYTHING at once She was on Bravecto, Ciprofloxin, & Ketaconazole. I bathed her for 10 min with Nusaderm (to open her pores), rinsed and then mixed Ketoconazole shampoo with Malaseb shampoo left on for another 10 min 7 rinse well. I did these bathes every other day for 2 months to get her well.

I also stopped feeding her carrots (they turn into sugar, bad for yeast) & feed Holistic Select Sardines, Salmon & Anchovy.

[Author]

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