[gmcbogger38]

Here is my story: I currently feed ACANA and I rotate between the different varieties and all 3 of my dogs have done wonderfully on it. But after a rare bout with fleas my Saint Bernard has terrible yeasty skin with a horrid smell and my American Bulldog is starting to show signs of what I believe to be yeast issues, too. I have no idea if the fleas caused this or if it is just a coincidence, but I want to fix it soon. From my research I know raw is the way to go for the issues my dogs are facing and just plain better for them period. I am a full time college student with one more year of school, so feeding a homemade raw diet is not possible right now, but that is my goal one day. Anyway, I was thinking of feeding 50/50 raw and kibble. I wanted to feed Tucker’s Frozen Raw in the a.m. and kibble in the p.m.. I will probably switch my dogs to Orijen kibble because I know that white potato and sweet potato will feed yeast and Orijen does not contain those ingredients while ACANA does. I also will be feeding raw meaty bones once in a while. If I feed the 50/50 split will it still be beneficial to add a supplement like Nupro Silver? The people who owned my Saint before I got her did not feed her correctly as a growing pup (39 pounds underweight when I got her at 2 years old and was fed Iams), so since she has hip issues supplementing with glucosamine is something I really want to do and I figured the other natural ingredients in Nupro Silver wouldn’t hurt. If there are other supplements out there that are better please let me know. Just from my research the Nupro will be cheaper for me to give than the NuVet supplements I am giving currently. I also know that feeding duck feet is a natural source of glucosamine and I will be giving her some of those every now and then. I am just wondering if this plan sounds like a good idea or if it is stupid. I really don’t know a whole lot about raw, but I want to learn more. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

[InkedMarie]

It’s fine to feed one meal of raw and one of kibble. I want to comment on kibble. If you go to the dog food ingredients forum here, you can see a stickie I made with a list of grain & white potato free foods. Yeasty dogs do best with no grain & white potato.

[NectarMom]

I feed Raw in the morning and kibble in the evening and my dogs do fine that way. If your dog is yeasty then he would need to stay away from what Marie stated above but also any veggies and fruits in a kibble that may contain sugar, Sugar feeds yeast and even in very very small amounts if it is in the kibble you are using then that is why your dog is yeasty and not because of fleas even though he could also be allergic to fleas and then he could have flea dermatitis.

[pugmomsandy]

Chicken feet is a staple at ethnic grocery stores. They usually have pig feet too. Getting a human supplement might be cheaper per dose for joint supplements. You can also buy bulk green lipped mussel. I get Jarrow True CMO from swansonvitamins(dot)com and also use Actiflex 4000. I get the horse version because I don’t like the beef flavor in the dog version and give a very small amount. This is from folks in my local raw feeding group:

Under 25 pounds:
½ tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
¼ tsp. daily maintenance dose
>
25-50 pounds
1 tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
½ tsp. daily maintenance dose
>
50-75 pounds:
1 ½ tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
¾ tsp. daily maintenance dose
>
100 pounds
2 tsp. daily loading dose for 5 days
1 tsp. daily maintenance dose

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks everyone for the input! Very helpful!

[somebodysme]

After having been through all the self diagnosis and then taking my dog to the vet to get correct diagnosis…please don’t just assume it’s yeast because I thought my dog was yeasty and the vet told me “OH no…yeast smells a certain way and I don’t smell any yeast on her”…but to me I thought it was yeast I was smelling. They also get stinky from skin irritation which could just be from a food allergy which is what my dog has, most likely the chicken but I’m in the process of figuring that out. Anyway…my point is to take your dog to the vet and see if it really is yeast. I can’t remember what it’s called but their skin produces a secretion that stinks when they have irritated skin from allergies.

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks for your input. I know a lot of people say yeast smells like corn chips. I looked into the flea dermatitis online and I’m thinking it could be that more so than yeast now. Especially since my American Bulldog is showing the same signs and he has never (knock on wood) had allergies to any food, even when I ignorantly fed them Purina. I didn’t put them on any flea medications because I couldn’t afford what I used to use (Trifexis) and I guess maybe the fleas were left to bother them too long and it caused a reaction. They never had fleas until primarily outside dogs came to live at my house for a few months and I think they got fleas from them. I’m just afraid if I go to the vet she will want to put at least my Saint on some kind of medication, plus having to pay a fee just to have them looked at. I know that sounds horrible, but any chance I can avoid a trip to the vet I will do it lol. I figured that by at least supplementing their kibble with raw will be enough to clear up the issues they have.

[somebodysme]

If your dog does have any fleas…that is enough to make them scratch like crazy. You do need to get the fleas under control. Just a few weeks ago, my niece was worried about her dog scratching and chewing like mad and I asked her “well does she have fleas?” “OH NO!” she says. She took her to the vet and the vet showed her that not only did she have fleas, she was crawling with them! OK so I have no idea how someone cannot see fleas on a small little dog but…Oh well…You can research some flea treatments at home but always be careful to research any “holistic” treatment for possible toxicity problems with dogs! There are a lot of people on line telling us they use this and that but be careful because dogs are sensitive to some of these things! Something simple you can use is bathe them well with some flea shampoo designed for dogs and you can sprinkle your carpet with boric acid…sweep in into the carpet and leave it for a while then vacuum it back up after a few days I think. Be sure and research how long to leave it because it’s been ages since I’ve done this. This is boric acid, not borax! You can find it at the dollar store sold for roach treatment. You will probably need a few bottles. This is safe and absolutely works like a charm! Do not put it on the dog!!!!!

[theBCnut]

It is true that yeast has a particular odor and seborrhea has a different one. Seborrhea has kind of a musty, moldy, rancid fat smell to it. I have to actually get near a yeasty dog to smell it. I can smell seborrhea from across a crowded room.

[gmcbogger38]

I did bathe them in some flea shampoo I got at Walmart and I haven’t found any fleas on them lately. I will look into that boric acid, thanks. I have looked up pictures and symptoms of all kinds of skin issues and can’t really find one that fits them 100%. But my Saints ears and in between her paws are definitely yeasty and my American Bulldog has some areas on his skin where the skin is peeling, but it isn’t dry and flaky. It is kind of moist and has some yellow scabby discharge. I may just end up having to take them to the vet, but if this is diet related I want to fix it myself and not be told to buy some prescription crap from the vet.

[gmcbogger38]

I was also thinking of going with Blue Ridge Beef instead of Tucker’s because it is cheaper. The reviews I read online sounds like Blue Ridge Beef is really good for the price, but I was wondering if anybody here has fed that and liked it.

[somebodysme]

That yellow discharge could be infection and that smells nasty too. It really to me sounds like food allergies. The allergies start at the feet. I saw it explained why but of course I can’t remember now…like that’s where dogs sweat so that’s where the toxins come out? I actually had two vets tell me it was most likely food allergies and to try something without grains and without chicken. My vet had to give her an antibiotic shot for the infection in her paws…it was that bad. To me it smelled like stinky cheese…kind of like cheetoes or parmesan cheese which I thought was yeast. I just think it’s best to go at least to the vet so they can tell you if it’s yeast or not and if there’s infection…it won’t heal up without antibiotic. At least if it’s not yeast, you won’t have that to worry with. My vet suggested a venison or duck limited ingredient food and also said that fish would be ok too. If it’s yeast…one of the few dry kibbles I’ve seen that is supposed to be ok for yeast is Nutrisca. I would definitely stay away from chicken until you figure it out. My dogs symptoms were swollen infected paws, itching bald spots in various places on her body, watering eyes, pink inside to ears with some brown discharge and itching in them, just a whole lot of scratching going on all over but mostly the paws. She was having to wear a cone because she was chewing her paws. I really wasted a lot of time trying to self diagnose because believe me I am so anti-doctor it’s ridiculous. HA! If the vet tells you it’s food allergies, you do not have to buy their dog food! When I made a face at the suggestion of IAMS RX…my vet suggested a venison or duck grain free food of my liking…HAHAHA! But she had to have a shot to clear the paw infection! Believe me, I am kicking myself for not taking her to the vet sooner! It would have saved us both a lot of pain and suffering!

[theBCnut]

For yeast problems, it is important to feed the lowest carb food that you can. Sugar feeds the yeast. You have to stick with a restricted carb diet for about 8 months to allow the body time to get back in balance. It’s also very important to give digestive enzymes and probiotics at this time, because of the damage that yeast does to the gut wall.

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks guys for the info! So, if I feed Orijen grain free supplemented with Blue Ridge Beef raw, which has ground green tripe in the natural mix and add plain yogurt to that, do you think that will be a good diet? Or should I supplement with more?

[theBCnut]

BTW, the vet would probably put your dog on antibiotics but that is in essense delaying true healing, because antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria as well as the bad and right now your dogs body is only supporting the bad, so that is what will grow back, then you’ll need antibiotics again, and again, and again. The probiotics are good microflora that compete for resources with the bad ones so they help cut back the bad ones and at the same time rebalance the good ones. They also compete with yeast and help with healing there too. Just one thing to be aware of, as your dog gets better, it will probably have healing crisis along the way. These are episodes where the skin may start itching again for a couple days or there might be a short bout of diarrhea, the eyes might gunk up. These are times when the body is getting rid of some of the junk that has built up in the system. They don’t last long and they shouldn’t be as bad as original symptoms were in intensity but they can be strange. My dog had his skin go red and start inching intensely for a couple days then 2 weeks later his eyes started gooping up for a couple days. After that it was his ears, or his skin all of a sudden got seborretic, then he got a single sore on his leg that had pustules in it. That was the last one though, now as long as I keep him away from most grains and chicken, he looks like a normal dog.

[somebodysme]

You haven’t mentioned if the Orijen is the chicken formula? This could be the problem if it’s chicken allergies because it will have more chicken than an el cheapo junk dog food. That is what happened for my dog, I thought that grain free was the answer so chose a grain free chicken and that’s when she really got bad.

In my case, the paws would not heal up without an antibiotic…I had literally been treating them for months…with daily betadine soaks and they just would not heal up. They’d appear to be getting better then they would get worse and bleed…over and over until we’d had enough. Her feet were covered with pustules though. It doesn’t sound as if your dog is as severe as my girl was.

You can buy a good probiotic for humans to give them…what enzymes would you suggest patty?

[gmcbogger38]

I apologize. I forgot to mention it will not be the chicken formula. I will rotate between the Regional Red and Six Fish and she is currently eating the ACANA Grasslands and that contains no chicken. I also do not give any chicken treats. I have already soaked her paws in a water/hydrogen peroxide/white vinegar soak that I heard in a video from Dr. Becker. Her ears are worse than her paws, but I am keeping them clean almost every day. The only ear cleaner I have, though, is the convenient ear pads that Walmart sells. I think I am just going to end up buying some higher quality ear cleaner soon.

[somebodysme]

Yeah see I tried all those on line remedies…me and Dr Becker are besties…HAHAHA…LOL! Kidding of course…but I read and watched her so much….

I bought the expensive vet ear cleaner only to find out that a cotton swab soaked in witch hazel…roll it around then use a dry one and roll that around with your finger works WONDERS! Every time I’d use the vet stuff, she would shake her head like crazy. I believe I heard witch hazel from Dr. Becker. I like the flat round cotton swabs…you can roll it around with your index finger really easy. I cut my nails all off too so I would scratch her ear.

[somebodysme]

I found the Nutrisca recommended on a website that was all about yeast in dogs because that is what I believed my dog was suffering from. This might be something to try. When I was at the petfood store, a lady overheard me talking to the manager about my dog’s issues and she had to come up to me carrying a bag of Nutrisca and told me it was the greatest food EVER! She said her dog had so many skin problems and she researched until she thought her eyes were going to come out of her head and decided on Nutrisca and she said she has all her friends buying it too. She told me all her dog’s skin problems went away.

Don’t forget about stuff like raw hides too. Those and others can cause allergies too.

[somebodysme]

You know what gmc, if you look at the ingredients of Acana Grasslands, it really has a lot of “sweets” in it which would severely affect a dog that has yeast issues, if that is the problem. Have you looked at all the fruits and high carb veggies it has in it? I had thought about Acana for my dog and I’m glad I saw this. Now I’m going to go take a more thorough look at our dog food next…gah….dogs just don’t need all those “sweets”!

[theBCnut]

This enzyme supplement would do nicely
http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-premium-digestive-enzymes-180-tabs

[DieselJunki]

If you do end up going to your vet, don’t be afraid to tell him or her, no. They tried to put Moose my AmBull on Hills Science and to stop feeding raw. I told them no way, of course in a respectful manner. I also explained my reasoning a bit. My vet realizes now that if he is going to help me help my dog then he is just going to have to live with the fact that I won’t stop feeding raw. I also brought in some of my research and printed off a couple articles that HDM had posted here. Not sure if he’s read them but I think it allowed him to see I was doing my homework before attempting this.

Also just because they say, he needs this, and then that, doesn’t mean you have to take it right away. Go home and do your research. You may find that what they are suggesting isn’t all that great after all.

If all else fails and your vet is extremely pushy then I would be on the lookout for another. If I was in that situation anyways. Don’t let them push you around or pressure you into anything 🙂

[somebodysme]

I am still hung up on getting your dog to the vet asap. Unless you are really familiar with what yeast really is, you most likely will not know the difference between a smell of this and a smell of that. A lot of things can make them stink. If you are wasting time treating for yeast and it’s not even yeast, then you have wasted a lot of time and effort into some unnecessary treatment and caused your dog lots of grief. As dieseljunki said, you do not have to do or buy what the dog says. Question why they want you to do this or that. They will want to give you prednisone and all that will do is mask the itch. The reason I keep saying vet vet vet is that you need to really know if it is yeast or not and I don’t think the average joe really knows unless of course you have already had this before and it was diagnosed yeast and you are familiar with yeast. Certainly if your dog has a history of yeast then you would know if it is or not.

[InkedMarie]

An online friend has a Frenchie with yeast issues, his paws were a mess. She put him on Annamaet Aqualuk and they cleared up!

[somebodysme]

I like the ingredients of that Annamaet Aqualuk! I should see if I can buy that anywhere, I don’t believe I’ve seen it here though. What I notice is it doesn’t have all that fruit which would just serve to feed the yeast. Even if a dog doesn’t have yeast…it looks like a good recipe!

[InkedMarie]

I’ve fed it and likely will again (Annamaet) but I had to drive 40min one way to buy it. Next time, I’ll just order. This little frenchie’s feet have done a real about change. He looks ten times better in general, not just his feet.

[gmcbogger38]

Thanks guys for the information. I don’t feed rawhides anymore and haven’t for months. I buy them the antlers and I will start giving them some raw meaty bones. Any treats they have gotten lately were freeze dried liver and they got like maybe 3 total within the last couple weeks, so I’m pretty sure it isn’t from “extras”. I actually have looked into Annamaet foods and I like what I see. I will check out Nutrisca. I did get them some raw meat today and fed them a small amount to see how they liked it and they loved it. I really want to just feed raw only, but with one more year of school I won’t have the time. Thanks for the link to that enzyme. I will definitely get some of that. I will probably make an appointment with the vet for next week. Thanks, once again, for all of this information.

[dogGirl]

Blue Ridge Beef are dishonest in their communication with customers and the price is too good to be true. Think twice about feeding their product and do your homework. In my opinion, if a company won’t answer with integrity questions about their products, then I don’t want to do business with them

[Author]

Posts