[Jillian B]

So my Australian Cattle Dog is a 3 year old male. For the past year or so his has smelled just awful, at first I thought it was a skunk but it’s just him. I know he shouldn’t smell that way. Even after a bath the smell remains. My mom feeds him gravy train. Yes I know it’s horrible and I’ve been telling her not to for quite a while but we come from a very low income area where people are uneducated and she’s older so it’s difficult, so please be nice. Now I’m wondering could the food have something to do with the smell? And does anybody have a suggestion for a food that would be good for him to maybe help with the smell?

[Freddy w]

My guess would be a yeast infection
The only way to control that is by getting antibiotics from your veterinarian
Those antibiotics are not expensive

http://pets.thenest.com/dog-stink-after-bath-8962.html

[Jillian B]

Thanks! I didn’t realize a yeast infection could make them smell so bad, I’ll definitely check with my vet.

[Bobby dog]

Hi Jillian:
Yes, I agree with Freddy w a visit with your Vet is a good place to start. My dog was diagnosed with a yeast overgrowth several years ago, it’s quite a distinct odor. Food has nothing to do with Malassezia Dermatitis. If your dog is diagnosed with a yeast infection of the skin here are some sites I often refer to for information:
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/blog/2015/9/8/facts-myths-about-yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs?rq=yeast

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=466&S=0&EVetID=3001644

Check out the resources and blog for more info:
http://www.healthyskin4dogs.com/home

Here’s a great article written by Dr. Sagman about choosing pet foods:/choosing-dog-food/brand-guidelines/

If you would like some suggestions for food post what the budget would be and where you plan on shopping, pet stores, on-line, price club, feed/hardware stores, grocery etc.

Edit: My dog eats a variety of foods without issue homecooked, commercial raw, kibble, canned, grain inclusive, grain free, you name it. Bathing him a few times a month, more if needed, I believe is most helpful for him. He has been symptom free for a few years. There is light at the end of the tunnel!!

[Pitlove]

Hi Jillian-

My pitbull had Malassezia yeast overgrowth as well, due to his food allergies. It was so bad they thought he had demodex mange. Yeast is naturally occuring on the body, however when the immune system is suppressed (as it is with food allergies), the yeast overpopulate because the body is too out of wack to keep it under control. Since doing a food trial through the vet and getting him on a fish and grain based diet, his yeast is gone. I would definitely have a skin scrape done at the vet to determine if it is infact yeast that is causing the smell. Then you need to figure out the primary cause. Each case is individual to the dog and what works for one may not work for another.

[DieselJunki]

My dog has been skin scrapped so many times and nothing ever comes of it but some bacteria, which we all know if they test a raw spot of course there would be bacteria, bacteria is all over our skin. I always decline anti-biotics and just treat the area at home myself. I believe my dog has more environmental allergies as apposed to food allergies because we did raw for nearly 2 years, just recently switched back to kibble and he has always been itchy. Spring is his worst enemy, and go figure, I just moved to Cali! He usually smells as well but it’s because he is constantly peeing on his darn legs, boy dogs are the worst sometimes. I bathe once a week with Zymox Shampoo and do the Creme Rinse (which I leave on). Throughout the week I will wet a cloth, put some of the Zymox Creme Rinse on and rub him down with it. It has a pleasant smell. I’m lucky though as I have a dog with a short coat, you’d have to really work to get the Zymox shampoo and Creme rinse in there. Zymox shampoo is enzymatic and I have had good success with it so far in helping to keep the irritants at bay for my dog. If you read the reviews online others with yeasty dogs it has helped greatly as well. There is another brand called Derma-Soothe Shampoo and Derma-Soothe Cream Rinse. I just bought them and have yet to use it so can’t say whether they are good but the reviews online are decent, I plan to use the Derma-Soothe when he’s really having a melt down, last week was pretty bad here for him but we made it. What I can’t stress enough is to follow the directions on the bottle, if it says leave the shampoo on for 10 minutes after you’re done lathering the dog up, leave it for 10, or even 20, then rinse, there is a reason for said directions.

+1 to going to the vet and having a skin scrap done to see if it’s really yeast but if you can’t afford it try to google how others treat yeast infections in their home. I hear a white distilled vinegar rinse after a bath and leaving it in (lightly drying but not fully) is a good way to help control yeast. But this may have to be a weekly or multiple day a week occurrence where you bathe and do the vinegar rinse to get the yeast under control.

In the mean time can we help you find a comparable priced dog food that is a bit better in the ingredient list? Maybe you can persuade her if the cost is about the same.

[Susan]

Hi yes the smelly yeast smell would be from his food/diet he’s eating, he needs to be bathed in Malaseb medicated shampoo to kill the bacteria on his skin weekly every 5-7days & for his stomach/bowel, he needs a low carb diet, can he eat what is being cooked for dinner, do you have mash potatoes & veggies & he have a beef mince or chicken mince for him, then a 3 star kibble for breakfast…. I know you probably cant afford to see a vet, the vet will only recommend a vet prescription diet & he’ll probably offer antibiotics & steroids which compromise the immune system & as soon as they stop taking the antibiotics & steroids your back to square one with a smelly stinky dog again…Post a post for a 3 star kibble, that is low in carbs & a good price with limited ingredients & get the money your mum spends for the gravy train & add the rest for the better food then show your mum look he doesn’t need to eat as much cause its a better quality kibble & he doesn’t smell as bad as before now he’s eating the new food but he will still need to be bathed in an antibacterial shampoo, I once saw a lady post about a really good antibacterial shampoo sold in Walmart that’s like the Malaseb medicated shampoo & is cheap but I cant remember the name just make sure it says antibacterial shampoo… Walmart sells the Racheal Ray kibbles the Just 6 Lamb & Rice or the grain free kibbles the Just 6, Lamb & Rice has the least ingredients.. http://nutrish.rachaelray.com/

[Pitlove]

Just to correct something…Malassezia yeast does NOT feed off of carbs as is rumored around the internet, so simply feeding a low carb diet will not achieve anything. Bobby Dog was correct in that way when she said food has nothing to do with yeast. The only role food plays in a yeasty dog is if the yeast is due to a food allergy. As I said my dog is eating a food with roughly 40% carbs with grain in it and his yeast has completely gone away because I’m no longer feeding any of his allergen triggers. I also bathe him in Malaseb shampoo which kills the yeast.

[Author]

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