[nagdu] Fwd: [seeing-eye] Is Your Dog Chronically Itchy or Smelly? Could Be This... (article)

[Danielle Antoine]

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Subject: [seeing-eye] Is Your Dog Chronically Itchy or Smelly? Could
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Healthy Pets Newsletter

Is Your Dog Chronically Itchy or Smelly? Could Be This…

June 07, 2015

By Dr. Becker



Most pet owners have heard the term yeast infection, but many don't
know exactly what causes it. Sometimes a dog's family assumes their
pet is just meant

to have a bit of a stinky doggy smell, when in reality he has a
problem with yeast overgrowth.



Yeast is a spore-like type of fungi that reproduces through a process
called budding. Budding just means that portions of the organism's
cell body break

off and form whole new yeast organisms.



Yeast infections of the skin and ears are very common in dogs, and are
caused by an organism called Malassezia pachydermatis. A normal amount
of yeast

becomes an infection when the organism begins reproducing
uncontrollably. When the yeast reproduction gets out of control, the
organisms invade and colonize

areas of the dog's body and skin beyond those where they normally
live, and in higher numbers.



Yeast are opportunistic organisms. They flourish when the body isn't
healthy or in perfect balance.



Dogs Most at Risk for Yeast Infections



Most dogs with yeast infections have immune system imbalances that
inhibit the body's ability to control the yeast overgrowth. Yeast
infections often occur

during or after antibiotic therapy because the drugs have reduced the
beneficial bacterial levels necessary to maintain healthy skin
defenses.



Yeast can also be a significant problem for pets that are
immunosuppressed. This would include pets born

immunoglobulin deficient.

There are also certain drugs, like steroids and chemotherapeutic
agents, which suppress an animal's immune system and can open the door
to yeast infections.





I also see lots of yeast infections associated with allergies. An
allergy is an immune system over-reaction, and many veterinarians use

immunosuppressive steroids like prednisone,

dexamethasone, and cortisone to mute or turn off the immune response,
making it incapable of managing normal flora levels. This can lead to
yeast overgrowth.





Pets with allergies that progress to secondary bacterial skin
infections are typically given antibiotics. But antibiotics destroy
all bacteria – the bad

and the good – which can lead to yeast overgrowth. The more
antibiotics given, the worse the yeast infection tends to be. Allergic
dogs can also develop

allergies to their own yeast, making the problem even worse.



Allergy testing will sometimes show that a dog is having an allergic
response to her own natural flora, in which case things can get very
complicated.

Pets with an underactive immune system (identified by immunoglobulin A
(IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing), as
well as pets

with overactive immune systems and allergies, are both at risk for
chronic yeast infections.



Symptoms and Signs of a Yeast Infection



A yeast infection can occur anywhere on a dog's skin, including
between the toes, in the armpits, and in deep skin wrinkles and folds.
But the most common

location for a yeast infection is your dog's ears.



At a minimum, a dog with a yeast infection feels uncomfortable. The
discomfort can range from mild to terrible. Almost all dogs with a
yeast problem become

extremely and chronically itchy at the site of the infection. If it's
a problem with her paws, she won't be able to leave them alone. The
same goes for

her ears. A lot of butt scooting can also be a clue. The terrible
itching leads to desperate scratching and chewing, which can result in
significant self-induced

trauma and pain.



Another thing most pet guardians notice is the smell. Yeast has a very
distinctive odor, which has been described as similar to moldy bread,
or cheese

popcorn, or corn chips. In fact, some people refer to a yeast
infection on a dog's paws as Frito Feet. It's a pungent, musty,
unpleasant smell that at

times can be overpowering.



I'm sensitive to the smell of yeast, so when a patient enters my exam
room, the owner may not know her dog has a yeast problem, but I know
it as soon as

they come through the door. Many dogs have had a yeast problem for so
long their owners don't realize their pet is stinky. I've had dog
parents say, "I

thought she was supposed to smell like that," because they have grown
accustomed to their dog's chronic yeast problem.



Other signs of a yeast infection include areas of skin irritation,
redness, and inflammation, especially in and around the ears, around
the toes and pads

of the feet, in nasal, facial or other skin folds, around the anus,
under the armpits, on the neck, and sometimes around the tail base.
There might also

be hair loss, scaly or oily skin, or a greasy hair coat.



Sometimes in chronic, severe yeast infections there are raised scaly
patches of skin or the skin darkens and thickens. There might also be
a secondary

bacterial infection or a foul-smelling yellow-green discharge from the
ears. There can also be behavior changes caused by the itching and
pain, including

depression, loss of appetite, anxiety, and even aggression.



I've seen dogs so intensely itchy that when I try to stop them from
digging at their skin, they become aggressive because their discomfort
is so overwhelming.

It's a very sad situation.



Diagnosing a Yeast Infection



Definitive diagnosis of a yeast infection is accomplished either by
cytology (looking at a skin swab under a microscope) or by culturing
(submitting a

sterile swab of the skin to the lab where the cells are grown and
identified on a petri dish).



If there's an ear infection, either diagnosed or suspected, it's
extremely important to know whether the eardrums are still intact
before putting any liquids,

gels, cleansers, or other medications down in the ears. If one or both
eardrums have ruptured, putting products into the ear canals can
damage the middle

and inner ear.



Most dogs with a yeast infection have it in more than one spot. For
example, they can have it on all four paws, both ears, or in some
cases, over their

entire body.



Treating Your Dog's Yeast Infection: Addressing the Diet



Hands down, the most important aspect of addressing chronic yeast is
through diet. The simple fact is that we can't treat a moderate to
severe yeast infection

naturally without addressing your dog's diet. Regardless of the root
cause of the yeast infection, nutrition is the most important and
first step in treating

it.



The nutrition your dog receives either supports his immune system to
keep yeast growth under control, or it does the opposite and
exacerbates a yeast overgrowth

situation. For dogs with yeast, I recommend an anti-yeast diet, which
is also called an anti-inflammatory or

species-appropriate diet.



Yeast uses sugar as a source of energy. We know that carbs break down
into sugar, so the first thing yeasty patients (human or canine) need
to do is remove

sugar from the diet. And remember that dietary sugar isn't just the
white stuff -- it's also honey and high-fructose corn syrup listed on
the ingredients

panel. Even white and sweet potatoes can feed a yeast problem, along
with the tapioca found in

grain-free dry foods.



I recommend an entirely grain-free and carb-free diet for patients who
have yeast. This step is extremely important. It's impossible to
effectively deal

with a yeast problem without addressing your pet's diet, regardless of
how many supplements or baths you give him. Your dog's nutrition
should help keep

his normal flora levels balanced.



I also recommend adding a few natural, antifungal foods to the diet,
for example, small amounts of fresh garlic, thyme, parsley, and
oregano to help reduce

the level of yeast naturally. Adding

fermented veggies,

if your dog will eat them, can also be very beneficial. Raw,
unfiltered apple cider vinegar and coconut oil have natural antifungal
properties and can

be added directly to your dog's meals.



Disinfection Protocol for Yeasty Ears



At the same time we're addressing the diet, we also need to begin a
disinfection protocol to treat the areas of the body where the yeast
infection is occurring.

Yeast love a moist environment, which is why it grows in crevices,
including between your dog's toe pads, in the armpit, in the creases
of his groin, and

around the base of his tail.



It's not enough to just apply a cream, salve, or antifungal solution
to affected areas of the body -- those areas must be regularly
disinfected. I recommend

at least once a day, so that the topical remedies you apply after
you've cleaned the area have a chance to work. Applying any topical
agent without removing

the dead yeast first can actually make the problem much worse.



If your dog's ears are the problem, you'll need to disinfect them
daily with either a store-bought solution or witch hazel (which is
what I use), and really

large cotton balls. Use as many cotton balls as it takes to remove all
the debris from the ears at each cleaning. I don't recommend putting
Q-tips down

the canals of your dog's ears, but you can use Q-tips around the
outside to remove the yellowish stinky goo on a daily basis.



Keep in mind some dogs just naturally produce a lot of gunk in their
ears and that natural debris or wax needs to be removed every day to
avoid yeast and

other types of ear infections.



The question is, "How often should I clean my dog's ears?" The answer
is, as often as you need to, to keep the ear canals clean and dry. The
amount of

cleaning depends on the amount of debris that accumulates in the ears.
If your dog produces goo on a weekly basis, clean your dog's ears
weekly. But if

you look in your dog's ears and you can see wax or debris on a daily
basis, clean your dog's ears every day. By keeping your dog's ears
clean and dry,

you can actually prevent yeast infections, and if a yeast infection is
present, you can prevent it from progressing to a full-blown bacterial
infection.





Disinfecting Yeasty Feet



If the yeast overgrowth is on your dog's feet, keeping them clean is
essential, and that means dunking them rather than spraying or wiping
them down. Yeast

grows under the nail beds and in the creases of your dog's feet, which
is why the paws must be submerged in a foot soak rather than just
wiped off.



Depending on the size of your dog, you can fashion a foot soak from
almost anything that holds water. If your pet is small, you can simply
stand her in

the bathroom or kitchen sink. For bigger dogs, you can use a plastic
sweater box with water from the hose, or a coffee can or cup filled
with water. You

want to be able to dunk each foot and then pat them dry.



I recommend a gallon of water, a cup of hydrogen peroxide, and 1-4
cups of white vinegar as a foot soak solution. You can use this
solution as many times

a day as necessary to keep your dog's feet clean and effectively
reduce itching. There's no need to rinse if you use this solution –
just pat the paws

dry.



Leaving the solution dried on your dog's paws provides an antifungal
effect, and can also reduce licking and chewing on the paws. Remember
that hydrogen

peroxide can lighten your dog's fur, so keep that in mind.



Natural Antifungal Baths and Rinses



For skin yeast infections, I recommend a natural antifungal shampoo. I
typically use tea tree oil or an herbal blend. You can bathe your dog
as often as

necessary, but once a week at a minimum. Since grains and carbs feed
yeast, I don't recommend using oatmeal-based shampoos for pets with
allergies or yeast

infections.



The good news is that I have managed many, many patients with yeast
and terrible itching solely with dietary adjustments and two to three
weekly baths.

I realize baths can be an annoying, frustrating thing to deal with for
both you and your pet. They take time, but they are actually a cheap
and very effective

way to manage yeast and keep your pet feeling comfortable. It's also a
safe non-toxic treatment compared to the antifungal drugs that
conventional veterinarians

typically prescribe.



I also like antifungal rinses and sprays in between disinfecting
baths. A rinse is poured on your dog after a bath and may help extend
the number of days

in between baths to control yeast.



There are several different rinses you can try. I've had success with
vinegar, lemon juice, and essential oils. Vinegar and lemon are
astringents, so they

are naturally drying. They are excellent for dogs with greasy or oily
coats. Just add one cup of vinegar or one cup of lemon juice -- or 10
drops of peppermint

oil with 10 drops of lavender oil -- to a gallon of water. Since lemon
juice can also lighten fur, I usually recommend vinegar or the
essential oil mixes

for dogs with dark coats.



After

shampooing your dog

 and rinsing thoroughly, follow up with your gallon of natural
antifungal rinse to knock down the amount of yeast remaining on the
skin. Pour the rinse

solution over your dog's collar, from her neck to the base of her
tail, making sure not to apply it to her head. Rub the solution into
her coat and skin,

focusing on the areas where she is yeasty. Make sure that you get the
solution around the armpits, down around the feet, into the groin
area, and around

the tail base. Don't rinse the solution off -- just pour it on, rub it
in, and then towel dry.



You can also put the rinse solution into a spray bottle and mist your
dog's itchy areas throughout theday as needed to help control itching
and yeast overgrowth.

Adding a dropper full of colloidal silver to the spray bottle also
adds an additional all-natural antimicrobial agent.



If your dog only has yeast issues in the warmer months of the year,
spring and summer are the times when you'll need to be really focused
and vigilant

about disinfecting him and making sure his diet is not contributing to
a yeast overgrowth problem.



It's important to remember these suggestions aren't magic. It will
take some time on any all-natural protocol to see improvement. If
these easy, cheap

solutions are effective at managing your dog's chronic yeast issues,
I'd recommend you continue the carb-free, preferably fresh food diet,
year-round to

minimize your pet's likelihood of fostering future opportunistic yeast
infections.



Beneficial Supplements and Additional Testing



There are certain supplements your holistic veterinarian may also
recommend to assist in re-establishing healthy and normal levels of
yeast in your pet's

body.

Probiotics

 can be very beneficial, as well as the herbs pau d'arco, goldenseal,
caprylic acid, or the more potent 10-undecenoic acid, which are
organic unsaturated

fatty acids many holistic veterinarians prescribe for stubborn yeast
infections.



Unfortunately, some dogs have year-round yeast problems. No matter
what food they're eating, and what remedies their owners are using to
manage their condition,

the yeast is just out of control. In these cases the root cause is
most likely an immune system issue.



When I have patients with stubborn yeast infections that will not go
away, I do blood tests to measure immunoglobulin levels (IgG, IgM, and
IgA). Generally these levels are low in a dog with constant yeast
overgrowth. If your dog is producing healthy levels of
immunoglobulins, he should be able to overcome almost any infection
and particularly an opportunistic yeast infection.

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