Does your dog have itchy skin? Recurrent hot spots or gunky ears? Does she lick and chew at her feet? This doesn’t necessarily mean she/he has allergies … Yeast: The Allergy Imitator Not all skin issues are caused by allergies and in many cases, the cause of your dog’s itchy skin can be found in her gut. Yeast is a form of fungus and is found in all dogs (and people) as a normal part of their flora. Yeast lives on your dog’s skin and inside her gut, where it normally lives with other healthy flora, as part of the balanced immune system. But when the immune system is stressed, yeast can begin to over-populate the gut. You dog’s skin is the largest organ in her body, and when yeast populations grow out of control in the gut, the body will attempt to rid itself of this fungus and this is when you will start to see the effects in your pet. This is called a yeast infection. How To Tell The Difference Between Yeast Infections And Allergies There are a few telltale signs that will help you figure out where your dog’s problems are coming from.
Here is a list of symptoms that are typical of yeast infections:
Chewing or licking the feet, and dark rusty-red hair between the toes. The hair is often red or rusty-colored because of the yeast, not because of the licking.
Scratching the ears, or head shaking. Ear mites also cause intense itching in the ears. Your vet should be able to tell the difference. Make sure he or she actually tests for mites, bacteria and fungus before prescribing meds.
Cyclic manifestation of symptoms (appearing in the spring and “going away” in the fall), which is often confused with “grass allergies” and other spring and summer symptoms. Hair loss on the tail and upper back.
Speckles (like tiny black dots) on the underbelly or grayish or rust-coloration around the genitals. Regular grooming should reveal this early indicator of yeast.
A foul, funky smell and greasy hair (seborrhea), often accompanied by heavy dandruff. This is an active fungal infection of the hair follicles.
Any black skin, especially if associated with hair loss. The longer your dog’s yeast infection goes untreated, the harder it will be to treat, so it’s important to look for these early signs. Treating Your Dog’s Yeast Infection Since yeast infections start in the gut, one of the first steps in treating yeast is to look at your dog’s diet.
In order to grow, yeast needs to eat. And its food of choice is sugar. While you’re dog might not be eating candy and drinking soda, she’s likely still feeding the yeast in her gut if her food contains any type of starch or carbohydrate. Carbohydrates (found in corn, potatoes, rice, peas, sweet potatoes, oats and other starchy foods), are complex chains made up of sugars.
When they’re eaten by your dog, her body converts them into sugars and this feeds her yeast.
Try this experiment at home. Take a slice of bread, which is made of carbohydrates), bite off a piece and hold it in your mouth for a half a minute. You’ll notice that it starts to taste sweet. That’s because the amylase in your saliva is breaking that starch down into sugar.
The same thing happens in your dog’s gut and that sugar feeds her yeast. In the wild, the foods that your dog’s ancestors ate (and the foods that our ancestors ate), contained about 4% starch.
Most commercial pet foods have ten times that amount! The solution is to feed your dog a food low in starches. Here is the diet we recommend to keep yeast at bay.
while supporting The Gut There are other things you can do to help prevent or treat yeast infections in your dog, and once again, these involve the gut..
First, limit antibiotic use. Antibiotics will destroy the balance in the gut and allow yeast to bloom.
Second, avoid toxins that will stress the immune system. This includes any unnecessary vaccines, drugs and chemicals. These all interfere with your dog’s ability to keep her intestinal flora in balance. Focus on building good health and supporting your dog’s immune system.
Here are two additions to your dog’s diet to help boost his immune system:
Astragalus supports the liver and helps it to its job: ridding the body of toxins. Herbalist Greg Tilford recommends up to 10 drops extract per 10 pounds of body weight, up to twice daily.
Milk Thistle Seed will prevent and repair damage to the liver and kidneys.
Give your dog a quarter teaspoon per 20 pounds of body weight. Milk thistle shouldn’t be used as a daily supplement, but only when the liver will be stressed. Think about using milk thistle if your dog is vaccinated, on heartworm meds or dewormers, flea or tick meds or sprays, drugs, has recently had surgery or when your dog is under stress (kenneling or a change in home).
Even if your dog isn’t exposed to these toxins, there are pesticides and heavy metals in the environment, so a regular detox with milk thistle is a good idea. Fighting Yeast On The Surface Apple cider vinegar is a great solution for yeast, especially for dogs who love the water (because yeast loves water and moist, damp skin).
Fill a squeeze bottle (the kind with a long pointy end like ketchup bottles at a diner) with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. Stick it in your dog’s fur and squeeze.
Massage it around and on the belly too. This will help restore your dog’s healthy pH levels and discourage yeast. Then, once a week, or more if needed, massage yeasty areas with this coconut oil mixture: Let extra virgin coconut oil melt in a small glass bottle – about 8 ounces of it.
Add 10 drops of lavender oil and 2 drops of lemon essential oil. Shake to mix and massage it into your dog’s skin. This coconut oil mix will last several months. Store it in a dark place.
