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Years ago, one of our dogs began to develop yeasty ears regularly. I tried everything to prevent it from turning into an infection. This happens due to an overgrowth of yeast, a fungus that naturally resides on a dog's skin and in their ears. However, certain factors can disrupt the balance of microorganisms, leading to yeast overgrowth and ear infections.
Why Dogs Get Yeasty Ears
Moisture and Warmth: Yeast thrives in warm and moist environments. Dogs with floppy ears or those that swim frequently, have excessive earwax production, or live in humid climates are more prone to developing yeast infections in their ears. Sydney's ears became an issue in the summer and fall when the weather was warming and we experienced more humidity.
Allergies: Dogs with food or environmental allergies can be more susceptible to yeast overgrowth. Allergies can cause skin inflammation and disrupt the normal protective barrier, creating an environment where yeast can flourish.
Poor Diet: Dry kibble dog food is a major cause of yeast overgrowth in dogs. This is because kibble contains high amounts of starches and sugars, which yeast thrives on. If a dog's nutrition is poor, their immune system may not be able to fight off infections and unfriendly bacteria effectively.
Poor Ear Hygiene: Inadequate cleaning and maintenance of a dog's ears can contribute to yeast overgrowth. Regular ear cleaning helps remove excess wax and debris, reducing the chances of yeast colonization.
Underlying Health Conditions: Some medical conditions, such as hormonal imbalances (e.g., hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease), immune system disorders, or pre-existing skin conditions, can make dogs more prone to yeast infections in their ears.
Genetics: Certain breeds, such as Basset Hounds, Cocker Spaniels, or Shih Tzus, are genetically predisposed to ear infections due to their ear anatomy or hair growth patterns, which can trap moisture and promote yeast growth.
Signs of yeasty ears in dogs may include redness, itching, a foul odor, discharge, or frequent head shaking. If you suspect your dog has a yeast infection in their ears, it's essential to consult a veterinarian. I could stop an infection from developing, but I didn't cure an existing infection. A holistic veterinarian can examine the ears, perform diagnostic tests if needed, and recommend an appropriate treatment plan, including ear cleaning, medication, and addressing any underlying causes or contributing factors.
Natural Recipe to Cure a Dog's Yeasty Ears
All I needed were four ingredients:
- Water
- Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Braggs)
- CocoTherapy Coconut Oil
- AnimalEO Canine Ear Spray
I mix the water and apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle (50/50) and mist my dog's ear. I allow the mixture to work for 15 minutes, then gently clean the ear using a damp tissue. Once dry, I massage coconut oil, just a small amount, into the ear.
I continue these steps before bedtime for two to three days until the ears clear up; it usually takes a couple of days. Doing this in the evening keeps the ears from being disturbed, and I check the progress each morning.
Once the ear clears up, I use Canine Ear Spray by AnimalEO several days a week to keep the ears clean.
Natural Treatment for Ear Infections
When yeasty ears become an ear infection, coconut oil and apple cider vinegar may not be enough. Whether it's an infection or not, my natural treatment won't work for every dog for various reasons – environment, diet, genetics, or underlying health conditions. I use Absorbine Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care Vet Strength Ear Cleaner + Infection Treatment, when this is the case.
This simple two-step system treats yeasty ears or ear infections in dogs and companion pets. The system includes a veterinarian-strength ear rinse, and concentrated ear drops that immediately relieve discomfort. This powerful treatment uses two potent antimicrobials, MicroSilver BG and medical-grade manuka honey, and is effective and fast-acting without any harmful chemicals. With this treatment, you can expect your pet's ears to be cleared up within ten days.
After administering the aforementioned treatment, it is important to maintain your dog's ear hygiene by using pet wipes to prevent bacteria from entering the inner ear. Absorbine Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care Vet Strength Pet Wipes are specially designed for dogs and cats, containing MicroSilver BG and manuka honey, and are an effective preventive measure against yeasty ears and ear infections.
Clearing Up Yeasty Skin
For yeasty skin (tummy, paws, etc.), I use three ingredients:
My steps are similar to the ears; in my experience, the yeast cleared up almost overnight. Remember that the problems I've seen with my dogs have been mild.
- I spray the areas or wipe them down with a damp cloth using 50/50 apple cider vinegar and water.
- After the skin dries (this happens quickly), I rub the areas with coconut oil.
- I will see a big improvement overnight. However, I continue for 1-2 days; that length of time, in my experience, keeps the yeast problem from returning.
You can also use the Absorbine Silver Honey Rapid Ear Care Vet Strength Pet Wipes on the problem areas.
Improving a Dog's Diet
Improving a dog's diet can significantly contribute to balancing their system and enhancing their immune system, which can help prevent yeast overgrowth. While this is not a guarantee, it can be beneficial. I have found that feeding my dogs a raw diet has been helpful, but I understand that it may not suit everyone. If incorporating fresh food (raw, cooked, freeze-dried, air-dried, dehydrated) into your dog's diet is not feasible, purchasing the highest-quality kibble that you can afford and supplement it with fresh food is recommended.
Ideas for food you can add to your dog's diet are lightly cooked ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey), DIY bone broth, kefir, raw goat's milk, a vegetable blend, poached eggs, canned sardines (or salmon, oysters, mackerel) – the list is endless. The easiest way to add a variety of fresh food to your dog's diet is by subscribing to Real Dog Box, a subscription service that sends you air-dried meat, organs, seafood, and chews.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Try Augustine Approved Health Skin bundle and Adored Beast homeopathy “Leaky Gut Protocol” and “Yeasty Beast protocol” meds, antifungal, antibiotics don’t work or work only while administered with terrible side effects. All symptoms will return when meds stopped. Support immune system and let it will figure out what to do. Also, Glacier’s Peak holistic has “Glacier Peak Gold” which helps with Yeast problem as well. Raw diet no carbs of any sort. Washing twice a week as a minimum with medicated shampoo like a MiconaHex+Triz Shampoo is a must to wash away yeast and allergens.
My dog is getting better. I prepare a dish of coconut oil, with 2teaspoons apple cider vinagar, and 2 teaspoons aloe Vera . After I bathed her and
Trimmed her fur very short, I smeared the mixture all over her 3 or 4 times a day. I feed her canned
Dog food twice a day with no grains. I add a spoon of coconut oil. Tuna twice a week. A cranberry pill wrapped in velveta. She is inside most of the day on a chair or her bed with a clean
Blanket. We keep the grass very short and clean .
My American Eskimo always has yeast issues in the summer here in San Diego. It seems to affect his paws first then his rear and finally his belly. (My vet suspects he also has allergies to chicken.) I give him a bath and leave the Zymox medicated shampoo on his skin for 10 minutes and follow that with a diluted rinse of apple cider vinegar that I leave on his skin for 5 minutes. I clean his feet when he comes inside with diluted vinegar and use coconut oil on his feet at night. I give him a few tablespoons of plain yogurt every day. I had his groomer shave his hair short because it is easier for me to. see the hot spots and to bathe him. Right now I have a collar on him so he can’t chew himself up. I love Vetricyn because it heals the hot spots/sores on his skin quickly. (I also use Vetricyn on my cat who scratches his face and chin. I apply it with a cotton ball every day and it keeps his skin clear.) There are so many good suggestions here to try that I will experiment with. My dog sees the vet tomorrow.
Thanks for the tip. The Dawn won’t irritate the skin?
Before you apply any medicated shampoos or medications, bathe your dog in Dawn (original, blue bottle) to remove the greasy build up. Topical medications will work better.
I don’t feed yogurt to my dogs. If I were in your shoes, I’d visit a whole foods grocery store (one of those healthy ones) and ask them for recommendations and then go and buy the yogurt at a more affordable store (if it’s available). I’ve been amazed at what I can get at my local grocery store and it costs a lot less too.
Can you please tell me what brand of yogurt doesn’t contain any cornstarch or pectin?
Hi Christie…
Your veterinarian will be able to help you with this question.
I have my dogs ear yeast infection under control except all the liquid still in his ear. Is ketocanazole and salicylic good to dry up the liquid in his ear
Very interesting. That’s awesome that you took the time to observe the animals in the area. Thanks for sharing this experience.
well with my dog he was constantly scratching and they said he had allergies keep him away from chicken by-product Foods well I noticed that the squirrels around my area had hair missing on their body and I also noticed that when he rolls around on the grass he would be itching really really bad and digging at his ears long story short spray apple cider vinegar or just plain vinegar on their fur rub it in do you not get it down there ears rub it around their ears I found out that there is such thing as mites inside the dirt and grass and vinegar keeps the mites fleas and ticks away from dogs TY MONA
Anybody giving their dogs Apoquel or any other steroid -type of chemicals are just asking fo major heath problems for theier pets. Failed organs and a shotened life.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Holly! Such a simple solution that anyone can do at home.
My dog, had terrible itchy skin, red, flakey, greasy, yeasty smelling, the vet put him on food trials, changed food so many times, expensive, wanted to try crocodile??, so changed vets, still no answers. Then tried acv and sea salt rinse, just mixed up a heaping tablespoon of large crystal celtic sea salt in warm water to dissolve the saltand the same amount of acv, then sponged it all over him, all the nooks and crannies, avoiding the face and eyes of course after wetting him down in the shower. Amazing results, after a year and 1/2 of battling this skin condition. Coconut oil rubbed into his skin/hair to combat any dry skin and coconut oil is antibacterial and antifungal and moisturizing to boot. And give you dog both coconut oil and acv in their food. And make sure to stay away from processed food like kibble and canned If your dog won’t eat raw, then cook it, I do and he loves it.
Thanks, Toni
make sure when you feed yogurt that it is actually “just” yogurt. the ingredients should just say milk, cream, bacterial cultures.
many yogurts use cornstarch as a thickener. cornstarch would feed yeast
Thank you Joan B for the info on Zymox. We have a golden/yellow lab mix who we adopted last year. He’s approx. 8-9 years old and came with a mixed bag of medical and psychological issues. He has seasonal allergies in the form of greasy, smelly skin with massive shedding in the Spring. I switched him to a raw diet including small doses of coconut oil which cleared up his skin, his fur grew back thick and shiny and his horrible itching stopped. However, I can’t seem to keep the yeast infection in his ears at bay. It is so frustrating and I can’t afford to be running him to the vet every 2-4 weeks! I’m going to try the Zymox to see if it will finally be the one product to help keep this in control. He is constantly scratching them and whining. It’s heartbreaking to watch and not be able to cure the problem. 🙁
Try Nzymes, All natural They have a website. This will do it. Thanks
I have all the same problems. It was pointed out to me that yeast thrives on sugar. I looked up the glycemic index. I don’t know too much about dieting, but this will tell you what is high in sugar. Carbs that break down quickly. White rice, potatoes etc. All dog food have this stuff so I went to boiled chicken and brown rice for now. Its a full time job. I need to get a grip.
Hello in need of help,
My dog Niko, he’s well over ten years old and he’s a rescue… He’s had a very hard life… And the stories will break your heart… When we adopted each other behaviourally he switched like a champ… Honestly probably the best dog I’ve ever had… He took to me and my husband like white on rice…a couple months later we rescued a kitten.. Just as Niko did princess took to or home and the family very well… The problem is I have a very strong suspicion that Niko has this yeast problem along with little prin…I have questions about this raw food diet..I just don’t really have any money to buy books about it.. If anyone can help me it would be incredibly appreciated… We just want them to have the best life possible especially Niko since he is old and had been through so much.. Basically we’re trying to make this his golden years he truly deserves it….
I live I. Florida. My dog had no relief from raw diet etc… I give him apoquel he is 100% better. He suffered for the first three years of his life it was terrible. He is great now and he’s six. My little dog gets a shot of cytopoint once every six months and she literally does not scratch her self silly anymore. However cytopoint did not work for my big guy.
You must try NZYME the best cure for all yeast
it comes with granules, black leaf, back pack, and oxy drops
read NZYME.com
every day you feed the dog with all 4 ingredients ,and her/his yeast will be under control, and of course raw or freeze dried raw food
forever, it takes a while to work but it is worth every penny
I have had luck with Zymox on Amazon for yeasty ears and skin for my labradoodle. Nothing the vet recommended worked, but this has. Give it a shot
I found zymox works for my Labradoodle’s ears. It is sold on Amazon. It has ketatmine in it that seems to kill the yeast.
I will agree, Raw food diet was the best choice for our Weimaraner. He looked amazing and never had any issues with allergies.
Is there a specific brand of yogurt…
Powell191968@gmail.com
Read and study info on this site..I have no connection to this company but it all sure makes perfectly great sense to me! I’ve even spoken to them and they are tremendously helpful.
nzymes.com
For some dogs, the switch to raw is enough to cure any protein allergies. Four of my dogs tested positive for an allergy to chicken, but they all do fine on chicken. While I rarely feed it to them, when I do, it’s always from Answers Pet Food, which is fermented and there is something about that process that yields the proteins safe to eat for many dogs.
Rodrigo has an intolerance to chicken, turkey, guinea hen, pheasant, salmon, and beef – but since switching to raw, he can eat most of these proteins again. I’m still very careful about sourcing. Answers Pet Food offers beef, turkey, chicken, and pork. I feed Rodrigo their beef. A local brand offers turkey and beef and Rodrigo can eat those as well.
And then there are a lot of proteins that I have access to as a raw feeder that all of my dogs do well on like rabbit, emu, venison, lamb, and bison.
Thanks so much for your suggestion. I am still confused as to if he would still be allergic to the raw chicken, beef, lamb and fish instead of the cooked above.
I really would love to feed him raw but am scared if he would react to the raw like he does with the cooked above meats.
Hi Phyllis
To learn more about raw feeding, please check out this page of my blog: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/rawfooddiet
And check out my book A Novice’s Guide to Raw Feeding for Dogs: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/noviceguide
I don’t believe that yogurt has the probiotic benefits that people think; I prefer to give my dogs true probiotics to help boost their immune system. I give my dogs:
1) FullBucket Daily Canine Powder; this helps to improve gut health which, in turn, improves the immune system: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/fullbucket (aff)
2) raw goat’s milk or kefir; I order my kefir from Amazon, but this is something you can make on your own, there are many recipes and YouTube videos explaining how.
3) fermented vegetables are a natural source of probiotics and easy to make: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/ferment
4) prebiotics, which are food for the healthy bacteria in the gut helps to promote native gut flora, which in turn improves the immune system – I recommend (and use) In Clover Optagest; if you use code KTTW10, you can save 10% when you order this from http://www.inclover.com
Best of luck.
I would like to feed my dog a raw diet but am confused of what to start with. He is itching with chicken, beef, lamb and fish.
Would he still be allergic to the raw on these? He has a pretty bad yeast infection and I would appreciate a suggestion on what to feed him raw? The apple cider spray helps with the itching. I also give him plain greek yogurt. Is it safe to just give him this until we find out what is causing the yeast infection? Thanks
The best natural ear infection remedy is Fur Baby Pharmacy Ear Mite Blaster by Doncaster Pet Shop. It cured my dogs ear mites and yeast infection in 2 weeks. And it’s totally organic!
you put what in his food? the vinegar mix?
I didn’t realize antibiotics caused yeast infections; I thought they just killed bacteria in the gut which, in turn, suppresses the immune system making it easier for an infection to take hold. Learn something new every day. I’m curious if part of my dog’s problem was a negative reaction to the meds he was on years ago.
The antibiotics cause yeast infections also
I haven’t tried anything other than coconut oil; manuka honey is also very effective, however, your dog may like the taste of that too. To get my dog to stop licking it, I used a command and distracted her with a treat – a bully stick. I just needed it to do its work for 15 minutes or so and then she seemed to ignore it. This worked with Rodrigo who gets itchy paws during the spring and fall months.
What can i use i stead of coconut oil? He loves the yasye if it and seems to lick it even more!
Agree with Michael that a balanced raw diet to include meat, bone, liver and I feed heart and kidney (as a wild animal would eat with it’s ‘kill’). To compensate for vegetable in the gut of a ‘kill’ I feed lightly steamed green leaf veg (after being in a blender – I put the excess in ice cube trays for future feeding) and a couple of pitted olives. My dogs also have either sardines (in spring water) or mackerel for breakfast. I also add a dollop of olive oil one day then virgin coconut oil the next with a dash of apple cider vinegar. I don’t buy the sardines in oil unless it is labelled olive oil and with the spring water I use extra virgin olive oil. We have a certain grass that our dogs seek out and I break that up to feed to them on occasion as well. As for treats, they love dried liver so as suggested by Michael, a dried meat (preservative and other additive free) is a good alternative. One of my dogs (a Ridgeback x) reacts to beef (as he has yeast issues) so he gets lamb and the occasional chicken while another doesn’t eat fresh offal but will eat the dried. Then we have a 14 old Australian cattle dog cross who was having problems with his joints and our holisitc vet suggested Traumeel tablets ( was one a day with food but over the last two years now one tablet three times a day) and he is still active and only needs to see our vet for his annual check up. He also gets a CQ10 capsule every second day (apparently this is a cell strengthener). The Ridgeback still gets the occasional yeast infection (he was a 4 yo rescue dog so was possibly inappropriately fed dried food and pumped full of immunisations/chemical worming etc that has possibly affected his immune system), but this is if he strays from his diet and when this happens, the ACV for the ears, iodine for his belly followed by coconut oil appears to do the trick. Also, if feeding lamb be aware it is a ‘fatty’ meat so with the fish (fed for the omega 3) and oil be aware of portion size so your little mate doesn’t become over weight. In summary, this may sound like a bit of effort but just like looking after yourself to enjoy an active and healthy life, if you eat unprocessed fresh foods now, your chance of being involved with the more costly medical bills in the future and being pumped full of medications that require more medications for the side effects will be, I suggest, a more cost effective outcome – not to mention a better quality of life. So it is with your furry friend. There is a lesson her for both our furry companions and ourselves when to comes to diet, exercise and keeping medications to the absolute minimum. With every best wish …. Ross K (Brisbane, Australia)
Suzette, I am so sorry for your loss of your fur-baby. I have never heard of someone losing a pet to yeast, yeast infections or anyone dying from it. Did the vet confirm yeast was the cause? Was there any other health related problems?
Hi Kristi, I saw your post about “povidone-iodine ” and had some questions. I actually have used it a few times on my dogs with yeast/bacterial on their skin that has now become blackened elephant skin. So far after many uses, the Povidone-iodine has done nothing. How are you applying it? Will it harm my dogs if they lick the areas on their legs and feet if I apply it there? Do you rinse it? I tried diluted Bragg’s ACV, I diluted it like 3 to 1 with water and it still stung them. And neither of my girls have open sores. Actually ACV will sting your own skin if you apply it on your face, even diluted. I have tried it. Plus with it stinging like it did to my dogs, they were even itchier. Please let me know about the iodine because so far, it has been no help. Thanks!
Starch feeds yeast. Good luck I’m having same battle with my little one. No rice, no peas, no carrots,no potatoes no yams things to avoid that feed yeast.
This is my preference. I try to give my dogs things that are the best quality with the least amount of processing.
Just curious as to why it specifically needs to be organic coconut oil and apple cider vinegar? Or is that just a preference based on sustainable practices?
Just gonna leave this here as I’ve seen several comments of people feeding raw food.
Chicken/single protein only raw diets are worse than even the cheapest kibbles. If you’re going to feed raw then you need to feed at least three different proteins (one being beef preferably) along with bones (soft only like chicken, duck and certain pork or turkey bones. No necks (choke hazard), weight bearing bones, beef or cooked bones) and then organ and liver.
80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organ is good starting ratio. The liver is non negotiable. Heart is considered meat FYI.
Cooked chicken and vegetables is also not appropriate and not any better than kibble. Certainly not if you’re trying to cut carbs/starches for yeast issues. I have nothing against kibble but if you’re going to go species appropriate then that means NO vegetables.
Treats are most certainly an option. Just use dehydrated meat. Turkey hearts or gizzards are an excellent treat option.
Prepackaged commercial raw is not only expensive, but a total waste. You don’t know exactly what’s in it, often it’s still full of plant matter and you deprive your dog of the benefit of chewing up whole prey/bones. The best looking dog teeth are those of raw fed dogs who can crunch through raw bones.
Most vets are against raw because pet owners think a dog can just eat chicken. They wind up extremely sick from nutrient deficiency.
Hi Claire – I’ve been told many times that tea tree oil is toxic to dogs and cats. Some say just cats. To be on the safe side, I don’t use it in my home at all.
My goodness that is awful! I’m so sorry to hear that! Do you know it was from the yeast for sure??
I’m so confused. I heard and read (multiple times) that Tea Tree oil is toxic to dogs. There is so much mixed information about EOs and animal safety. Trusted sources say it is toxic. I have avoided it at all costs (and also stopped diffusing many oils, which was a huge part of my life). How is this safe? There are no holistic vets where I live and the internet is not reliable as one site says one thing, then another says the opposite. Thanks for any input.
Thank you so much for this advice, my boxer is really suffering and l can now try this remedy on her.
Glacier Peak Holistics offers a sensitivity testing for around $80. Order the kit online. Swab the dogs gums, cut some hair, send it in. You get a report outlining sensitivity to foods and environment. Change water to distilled. Tap water has chlorine.
While everyone is trying to figure out the cause of their allergy/yeasty problems, please don’t forget to throw in the possibility of vaccinosis. Here is an article that helped to broaden my understanding of allergies being triggered by less than optimum functioning immune systems in my dogs. I have raised my animals holistically for 45 years, but with continued education have been able to make better choices for their higher quality of life. Feeding raw has been a wonderful blessing for my dogs and cats.
https://caninehealthconcern.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/vaccines-and-skin-problems-in-the-dog/
Carla, have you had Him tested for allergies. That was our 1st step with Abbie. She’s allergic to, of all things, GRASS!! Along with chicken and potato amongst others. I’ve found out alot of dogs are allergic to these. My vet also has her on -1- Zyrtec pill daily. These seem to help her. We live in Alabama. Grass and pollen is bad right now. Abbie always gets a yeast infection once spring gets here and the grass starts to come in because, her being a little lady, she squats and it touches her. I’ve gotten where I wipe her and the paws with baby wipes every time I catch her. Sometimes I dip the paws in some apple cider vinegar and water.
I have already lost one dog to yeast and I will do everything in my power to not let that happen again. Many years ago, we had the sweetest Golden Ret. anyone could wish for. She started biting her feet. Then she started scratching. I took her multiple times to a vet who either didn’t know or didn’t care. Finally, after months of not knowing what to do, I went to a new vet and was told it was a very bad yeast infection.She sold me a fungal shampoo and we headed home to bathe her. It was in
August and very hot so we went for a water hose bath.
We also had a very young beagle and they played together all day, chasing one another all around the fenced backyard. I finished with Sunny and the little one was chasing her around. My husband came out and he said,”Sunny is dead”. I laughed and said nooo, they are running around so she is resting. She was 4 years old. But he went over my precious Sunny was dead. My beagle that we raised from the age of 4 weeks, lived to be 16. I lost her last April.
Saturday, we adopted a beagle from a rescue shelter. She is 2 yrs, wonderful, and is learning so fast. She had been bred before and was in a small cage until she was rescued. I noticed when we got her home that she was chewing on her feet. Five days later, she is scratching many parts now.
Thank you for the wonderful way you have each helped with information for the others. I am going to find the Providone iodine and the Pert plus shampoo. I have MS and my immune system has been very low for many years. Just like our dogs, we can suffer from too much yeast also. Probiotics and prebiotics have been the key for me so I know it will work for dogs as well.The yeast overgrowth begins in the gut. Just treating the skin will not stop it from coming back. TAke care of your fur babies.
I was scared to use vinegar on my dog that had open wounds and or was raw. A friend told me about providone iodine and I’m sharing it with yall! I will say this secret was a MIRACLE!!! And completely safe for open wounds. And it is not harmful if ingested. Not 1 friend has come back and told me it didn’t work. Every single one of them has thanked me. A friend who spends thousands a year on shots, antibiotics, and steriods hugged me, cried and said thank you. She does providine iodine and instead of paying for medicated dips she now washes her dog at home with Pert Plus. It kills the fleas and reduces dander. It is AMAZING. I only use Pert Plus Classic Care on the dogs. I have 10 and my step-daughter breaks out in hives if use flea medications or shampoos. The trick is to lather it and let it sit for a minute.I use a flea comb to get the Pert Plus all the way down to the dogs scalp. I bathe weekly to bi-weekly depending on dogs skin and cleanliness. The providone iodone is a secret I’ve shared with all my friends. EVERYONE has thanked me and no one has gone to a vet since.
From a vet:
” I recommend you do this disinfecting process twice a day if your dog has a minor skin infection or other problem. It has effectively resolved all the skin infections my dogs have acquired and prevented the need for antibiotics.It’s povidone iodine, and I use it here at Natural Pet and also at home. You can buy it at any pharmacy.I’ve never had to resort to antibiotics to treat my dogs’ bacterial skin infections, because I do two things as soon as I notice a problem:
Clean the skin and keep it clean.
Disinfect the area regularly to stay ahead of the infection.” By Dr. Becker…for more information about this treatment search “provione iodine safe for dogs”.
Honestly I don’t dilute it but you have to do what you’re comfortable with and what you feel is safe for your pet. I normally see results over night without diluting it.
From Dr. Sircus see link http://drsircus.com/cancer/the-end-of-antibiotics/
“Though it kills 90 percent of bacteria on the skin within 90 seconds its use as an antibiotic has been ignored. Iodine exhibits activity against bacteria, molds, yeasts, protozoa, and many viruses; indeed, of all antiseptic preparations suitable for direct use on humans and animals and upon tissues, only iodine is capable of killing all classes of pathogens: gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses and protozoa. Most bacteria are killed within 15 to 30 seconds of contact.
Iodine is by far the best antibiotic,antiviral and antiseptic of all time.– Dr. David Derry
Dr. Derry says that iodine is effective “for standard pathogens such as Staphylococcus, but also iodine has the broadest range of action, fewest side effects and no development of bacterial resistance.” There is a world of difference between using an antibiotic – anti-life substance – and a antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal substance like iodine, which is life serving because it is a basic and most necessary nutritional substance.
Iodine kills single celled organisms by combining with the amino acids tyrosine or histidine when they are exposed to the extra-cellular environment. All single cells showing tyrosine on their outer cell membranes are killed instantly by a simple chemical reaction with iodine that denatures proteins. Nature and evolution have given us an important mechanism to control pathogenic life forms and we should use it and trust it to protect us in ways that antibiotics can’t.”
I wish you all well. I’m praying to find something for intestinal/digestive yeast build up (even though they say there’s no harm in digesting providone iodine I haven’t tried it. Honestly I’m not a scientist or a doctor…I didn’t finish my Associates…but this secret had been used on labs, bullies, bulldogs, pugs, frenchies, and boxers. I just used common sense. I have yet to see any reaction from using it directly without diluting it but there’s always a first so be careful and do what you feel is safe and what you’re comfortable with. Also I have found that raw diets are amazing for inflammation but remember to watch the fat content in the meats your using, you don’t want to destroy your dogs heart. But I feel they are truly amazing. Research, learn, and keep it healthy.
My 4 year old lapso was having so much of yeast smelly skin problems an I spent lots of money taking her to the vet an constantly changing her dog food an treats an I was so discussed that I finally got her hair cut as short as possible an they said to see a dermatologist before she could come back to get her grooming again, I was so upset I couldn’t afford to take her to see a dermatologist so I took her home an change all of her food to Turkey cut up carrots or,green beans any natural food an you can add some cook rice an a little of her grain free pure Balance with natural ingredients I use chicken and garden vegetables an ONLY 2 TREATS 2 dog biscuits an maybe a baby carrot An tryed,making homemade dog biscuits with almond flour applesauce an vanilla yogurt no,peanut butter.an so after 3 day,s of being consistent 2 meals a day my baby lapso, yeast smell was gone an she,stopped itching an biting her paw,s I am so happy an hope this will help some one with there animal yeast problems, remember you have to be consistent an stop giving all those dog treats, natural foods all the way, good luck.
My pug doesn’t scratch. She is very old for a pug. She stinks so bad the day after I bathe her it’s horrible she smells like a dog that hasn’t had a bath in years. No scratching no hair loss. Any ideas? Could it still be yeast?
Hi, Carla! I swear by the Blue power ear wash recipe. You can google it. It is rubbing alcohol, boric acid, genetian violet…..I don’t have a doubt it will solve the war problem!! (8oz alc, 4 Tbsp boric, 16 drops venetian) google it to see how to use it. I make half recipes and it lasts me a while….good luck!!
My Yorkie has had a yeast infection for a good 6 months, I’ve tried everything from cider vinegar to Peroxide and everything else in between including thrush creams and yogurt etc etc.
Some of these remedies have helped but none have cleared the infection.
His infection was severe and his whole body was affected.
This is how I got rid of it completely within two weeks.
I bought a 1.5 kilo chicken from the supermarket, I crushed 5 cloves of garlic with the back of a knife or spoon, and put them in the cavity of the chicken. I put a pint of water in a pressure cooker and put the chicken in and cooked for 20 minutes.
When the chicken is removed from the cooker the meat can easily be removed from the carcass and bones without using a knife.
I feed my dog as much as he wants and I’m on my 3rd chicken
One chicken lasts him about 4 days.
I have given him cooked mince, some pork pie and some tuna in the last few days.
I have also been giving him Top life goats milk for dogs, not sure if this is good for him but he likes it.
I’m not saying that this will work for anyone else but it has for me.
My dog barked today for the first time in months, he has put on weight and his fur is growing back.
The horrible smell has gone.
I have read that garlic shouldn’t be given to dogs and can’t say if the outcome would have been the same without the garlic.
Hope this helps someone, you will know within a couple of days if it is working.
Keep in mind that a diet of only meat isn’t balanced or healthy for a dog. A raw food diet is 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 5% offal, and 5% liver. I also add a vegetable mix because I feed my dogs a diet based on a modified version of the BARF model. If you’re interested in learning more about raw feeding, I highly recommend the Raw Feeding 101 course: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/rawfeeding101. I also wrote a book a few months ago about how I feed my dogs called A Novice’s Guide to Raw Feeding for Dogs and it’s now available on Amazon: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/noviceguide.
Best of luck!
Yes I have removed the dry food from his diet and only going to give him meat and no rice till the time his yeast infection clears up . I have also started with the remedy ( Part Hydrogen peroxide & part white vinegar spray in his ears and hoping to see some results in a couple days so wish me luck 🙂
Thank you for your response ! Mahalo Sonya
Hi Sonya – Sydney saw the most improvement when I removed kibble from her diet. After that, it was just a manner of taking the time for her immune system to improve (I used the digestive supplement FullBucket: https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/fullbucket) and keep the yeast low that was “growing” on her skin. It didn’t take long.
If you’re doing the same and are still having yeast issues with your dog I recommend getting a second opinion from a holistic veterinarian.
My 10 year old Shihtzu is going thru the same problems with yeast infections which I had been getting treated with meds but 3 month ago he had 2 congestive heart failures in a span of one month and is now on life long heart medication 🙁 Adding more medicines makes him sicker so I am going to try and treat the yeast infection as you suggested though I am concerned because he is always licking him self and soaking in hydrogen peroxide or vinegar can make more sick if he licks them … looking for any way to make his remaining time more comfortable because his immune system is already weak . Please help ! Thanks
The biggest thing that helped Sydney was changing her diet to raw. I was speaking with a veterinarian and they told me that it was the diet change that made it possible for me to treat her yeast naturally. I think if your dog is still having yeast issues, it would be a good idea to seek out a holistic veterinarian for ideas on how to treat the condition. It may be more serious than what I experienced with my dog.
This is so interesting to follow. My curly coated retriever is suffering from yeast on the skin as well. The smell is so awful and she is miserable. I sheared her to get some air to her skin- it’s full of flaky greasy spots or dry patches. She’s lost a lot of hair in some areas. I just purchased coconut oil and I’m going to try adding the essential oils. Her last bath we rinsed her with white vinegar but after reading, I will purchase the Apple cider vinegar.
As for her diet she gets lots of people food snacks- cookies etc. so now I will cut that out and get some plain yogurt to add to her food.
Question: she eats a lot of baby carrots as her treat when she comes inside from doing her business. Could that be too much sugar??
I’m in SC as well. All of you fellow South Carolinians really need to take your fur babies to see Dr. Thomas at Southeast Veterinary Dermatology. I have a yeasty Cocker who has had chronic yeast issues since she was 5 months old. I tried every all-natural remedy around – probiotics, grain-free, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, EOs. You name it, we tried it. Finally got a referral to see Dr. Thomas and our lives have been changed. My pup is allergic to a lot of things, but her biggest allergen is YEAST! We couldn’t get rid of the yeast because she was so allergic to it! She’s now been on weekly allergy shots for a year and it has made such a big difference! She hasn’t had an ear infection in 11 months and only has the occasional yeast flare up when the pollen counts are especially high.
I also strongly recommend Nature’s Variety Instinct single protein formulas. Try one protein source for a few weeks and see what happens. We finally settled on Lamb and Pea, as it seemed Maggie really couldn’t handle any form of poultry or waterfoul. If it has wings, she can’t have it 🙂
My dog has been on apoquel for two years. It’s the only thing that works. $70 a month though totally worth every penny.
First of all to solve this issue you have to stop the prednisone, any antibiotics, benadryal and any other allergy related drugs. You cannot keep giving your dog these medications as all of them exacerbates the problem. No kibble food or treats either as they contain sugar, corn syrup and other “binders” that increase yeast. You need to quit giving your dog anything except raw dog food. We use Instinct Raw brand turkey. We spent thousands with Vets and Animal “Allergist”, Apoquel and all that crap that doesn’t work. Just feed it the raw food and nothing else. The yeast will get worse before it gets better and then it will start dying off. It takes about 4 months. You will need to continue the Raw food forever and DO NOT give your dog anything else but the raw food again, including no “Kibble Type” treats or people food. Do nothing but the Raw Food. NO Treats. When you bathe the dog use GNC Anti-Fungal Anti-Bacterial Shampoo. No Oatmeal Shampoo as it feeds the yeast on the skin. We also wash again with GNC Anti-Itch Shampoo before rinsing. In the beginning you can rince with 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar (Braggs Brand) before the final water rinse. Follow these steps and your dog WILL get better. Good Luck!
Friend’s dog very similar. took him off dog food, they now cook him chicken an mix it with broccoli and other vegetables like carrots
Hi Natasha! Have you seen any improvement? I’m in Hawaii too. My dog and I have lived here our entire lives but she randomly developed allergies in 2013 when she turned 6. Been battling red, itchy, flaky skin for 4 years now and have tried atopica, cadi shot,diet changes, apoquel, everything. I really think hawaii is contributing to the problem but I don’t know how. If you have any luck please let me know!!
Hi Michelle – I don’t have any cooked recipes, however, this post shares my favorite cookbooks for dogs: https://keepthetailwagging.com/whats-on-a-raw-feeders-bookshelf/. I also recommend The Farmer’s Dog, this is a brand that I’m trying out that ships cooked food to your door.
Can you recommend some fresh (cooked) recipes? I can’t do raw but may be able come do fresh with guidance.
I’m in Hawaii and my bulldog is very yeasty. He only developed this during this year and he also just turned 6 years old end of May. I’m definitely going to try your methods out. Better than seeing the doctor every week.
My 5 yr old Border Collie mix is a rescue and I am his 4th owner. I got him at 14 mon. old and he had chronic itching of sides and back of front legs. Was told had flea dermatitis. 8 month later after I adopt the sweet boy he gets a massive flea outbreak while on Advantage and an ear infection. Cleared up with antibiotics and on Comfortis. Exactly a year later he gets another ear infection and this time a massive yeast outbreak. Has been down hill since. I got him under control fur grew back and in June he started all over. I believe his are caused by enviromental things. The humidity I live in south and pollen and grasses. If he gets 1 flea on him he will get a hot spot so very allergic dog. I am over the drugs and going to follow your recommendations. I read the post by Louisa and believe these dogs some how have compromised immune systems and there has to be an underlying cause. If only some research Vet would do a blood work study on all of them and compare results we might find out all of our dogs are missing or have some common abnormality. I found it interesting she took a blood same and got a result. Neither of my vets have ever even recommended doing bloodwork. I had a Golden Retriever 12 yrs ago with yeast. His was caused any time he ate a bone that was Beef Flavored. He obviously was allergic to the red dye they used. Took me years to figure that out because food allergies in dogs was not something anyone talked about. my current Vet told me a dog very allergic to beef can have a break out from just taking beef flavor heartworm med. She also said no topical flea meds at all. I live in a wooded area so I have to use a flea med. One bite turns him into a red mess. Started the vinegar and have put coconut oil in his food for a yr. now. we bath with an anti fungal antibacterial shampoo that I don’t think helps at all. I cooked fresh food for him for 6 mon. made no difference so diet is not a huge part of his issue. I believe his is all enviromental and stress related. He is a very sensitive dog and was beaten had a broken jaw at 4 months old and attacked by a large dog at 6 months. He is the sweetest dog and so glad I fostered him. It was just meant to be.
Hi Kevin,
I am not an expert but I have been researching for the sake of our 4 ½ month old Boxer pup who has been struggling with serious skin issues. I have discovered the source of her problem and am working on the solution. I have kept a calendar of what she has experienced and have pinpointed what has caused her to now be battling a bad yeast infection. Due to vaccinations and spot-on-flea preventative treatments, she has a compromised immune system resulting in the yeast infection (the flea preventative treatments severely compromised her health). You mentioned you are giving your dog Heartgard and Nexgard monthly, both are chemicals which enter the blood stream and both can have very bad side effects. They are very likely the underlying cause of your dog’s skin problem. We know for certain the spot-on treatments have seriously hurt our pup’s immune system, hence, now a yeast infection. We have also been going crazy trying to figure out the root problem. We have just now realized it is a yeast infection. Sugar and starches feed and aggravate yeast infections. Our pup is fed raw, and mostly proteins but recently (not knowing better) we added apple and banana which triggered a worse reaction in our pup. Kibble, even a top quality one such as grain free Orijen, has veggies and fruits such as pumpkin, yams, carrots, apples, berries, etc., which are starches and sugars. Yeast thrives on starches and sugars so your feed could be aggravating your dog’s skin issues. We have started our pup on a probiotic and plain Greek yogurt daily. We added 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 litre of her drinking water (our water is non-chlorinated), and she gets no fruits or vegetables (she never did get grains or rice). The goal is to help the good bacteria in her gut and create an environment where yeast will starve. She has had a terrible smell (like mouldy bread). To remove the smell and yeast, we are bathing her with a Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and rinsing her with a white vinegar and water rinse. Frequent bathing is necessary to remove yeast. After drying her, we then spray her with 1 ounce of white vinegar in 16 ounces of water, gently rubbing it in her skin. Once she is completely dry, we apply Farm Dog Salvation Skin Care Salve (organic oil and essential oil combo) onto her sore rash areas. I have ordered organic pure Coconut Oil to use additionally and I also ordered Colloidal Silver to add a few drops into the Vinegar Water spray. Much of this info I got from “Healthy Pets with Dr. Becker, Mercola” – she is a Holistic Vet. You may want check her website out. Our pup has shown an immediate improvement. We feel hugely relieved to have a solid plan in place to kill the excessive yeast and rebuild her immune system. We will never use spot-on flea treatments again, EVER, and we would never vaccinate a pup so young! Live and learn!! Maybe this info will be helpful to you and your pooch.
My German sheperd has the same thing over 2 months now. Same meds he is taking. Nothing is working. Vet just keeps telling me give him the antibiotics. Over two months now. Let me know is you try anything that’s works for you.
I have read with interest all your comments about the yeast infections of your dogs. I am an expat in Africa since my husband got a post here. I had dogs all my life and never experienced any problem with any of them until I bought a dog in a pet shop while on holiday in Portugal, which happens to be my country. Jasper is a lovely Jack Russel and never had any skin problems until we brought him back to Uganda where we were posted at the time. At first he was fine and then we had to go on leave and left him with the house staff who are very competent but a neighbour of mine came to play with him every day and throw his toy great distances which he loved – and now we can never have a rest because he brings his bone back every minute! When we returned we could see he was a bit red on his belly and arm pits but it was not too bad and seemed to stabilise. I had colloidal silver which I used a lot for us and that seemed to help enormously. We then moved to Kenya and I was living in a ranch for a year and there I noticed that he got worse. I first thought that maybe because there was so much wildlife in the ranch, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and gazelle maybe that did something to the bush when I used to take him for walks. Also unfortunately my colloidal silver was almost finished and it is not easy to bring it in, I normally buy it from the USA. Last February we moved to the coast. And we have an ocean front house. I don’t take him to the beach but the humidity is quite high and sometimes he is playing around the pool and gets his body a bit wet. In fact it got worse and we thought maybe the humidity doesn’t help. Here we don’t have a lot of vets so we took a blood sample with us to Europe and they analysed it and said he had a fungus malassezia and the only way to treat it would be that they developed a vaccine and injected my dog every month. Yes the cost was going to be horrendous but we are holistic people and definitely didn’t want that. Quite recently I started to use coconut oil on him when he is scratching so much and it seems to help and he stops scratching and biting for a while but reading all your comments gave me some ideas, like tea tree oil seems worth trying. We have a lot of it here. I am studying homeopathy and am therefore interested to find the cause of all this instead of just treating the symptoms. I believe that their condition might be aggravated by the way they started their life or just genes from the parents and it appears to me that these are especially sensitive and loving dogs who might get anxious (maybe a dog whisperer could help) and that could be a trigger but I am hoping to find a way to at least neutralise the condition so that it doesn’t flare up. So far I have tried a bit of everything, change his food to raw and organic – if that still exists in our world! – to washing him with the bark and leaves of neem tree which is abundant here. I have also tried aloe vera directly from the aloe vera plants we have in the garden. Coconut oil definitely helps but it still flares up from time to time so I have resigned myself that poor little Jasper is going to have very special treatment in his life. I also think that his immunity system is compromised when he gets like that so normally I give him some vitamins. He has no hair loss, except on his paws when he just keeps chewing them at night. I will keep reading the posts if anyone has other ideas.
Our lab mix had horrible ears!!!!! The miracle cure was Xymox Otic with Hydrocortisone. I had tried everything….everything! You don’t clean their ears, but just put the drops in and “squish” their ears (put in enough that they do squish). Her ears had horrible black, nasty chunks and a smell that would knock you over before this….after, just regular ears. Occasionally, there will be a flare, but a couple of treatments gets it back under control again. It only took about a week to make a difference, but I continued with the daily treatments for another couple of weeks to make sure. A total miracle!!! Amazon carries it. I chose to get the one with hydrocortisone because I wanted it to calm her itchiness and redness at the same time.
Since she also has systemic yeast….I’ve changed to making her food and going as grain free as I can. I also put coconut oil with lavender and lemon on her bald body spots that used to ooze “Vaseline”. Her hair has grown back in spots, but its a constant battle. At least she doesn’t feel greasy or smell horrible any more. She still has a flare occasionally when I get lazy and gets crusty black flakes, but a few coconut oil treatments take care of it.
Hope this helps and thank you to whoever recommended Zymox to me!
Amy you can dilute the vinegar even more the first time using it then after a couple days rinse again. Max didnt seem to mind it he was so miserable.
Leanna I was wondering how your baby reacted with the vinegar if it seemed to burn as his skin was so bad my daughter’s 2 female dogs both have yeast bad and have been dealing with it for years to no avail of getting rid of it all together and our older mama dog has it the worst she has no hair except on her head and her skin is so bad right now she has no open sores so was just wondering if it seemed to bother him thank you also for the info u gave it will help emensily doing it the way you have done so thank you very much
My dog was suffering with this also.. Pacing the floors all night, scratching all the time. We finally started with the Apple Cider Vinegar/Alcohol mixture in the ears and 1/4 cup of yogurt every day, and it was a blessing. He was a new dog in only a week. All the money spent on vet’s and special food, and it only took a few dollars on stuff we use every day. Hope you find some relief soon
Thank you for sharing, Douglas. It’s nice to hear from someone else who has had similar experience/success dealing with yeast.
We have a raw dog food company and any yeast fight begins with a species appropriate diet. Any sugars (read carbs) will only feed yeast. A completely raw diet will do wonders to remove yeast. For stubborn yeast, or a dog newly transitioned, we use a combination of vinger/peroxide prays and 10-undecenoic acid. Works wonders! I am in Beaufort SC so she is right about this area being the allergy capital!
Hi Kimberly,
If it is the one about the vinegar, water and coconut oil, I tried the vinegar and water this morning. I have to purchase the coconut oil.
Thank you
Hi Christine…
Did you already try the remedy in the blog post? If so, then I recommend reaching out to a holistic veterinarian for a second opinion. What I shared in this post worked for my dog and I’ve never had to try anything else 🙂
Best of luck!!!
I have a German Shepherd who has a really bad yeast infection for about 3 weeks now in between his armpits his legs in his groin doctor prescribed cephalexin 500mg three times a day and terbinafine 250 mg half a tablet once a day. Plus bathing him every other day with malaseb. Nothing seems to help control the yeast infection smell. I am wondering what you would suggest.
Hi Kevin
It may be the food. Kibble is a challenge to digest for many dogs and it can be taxing on the gut, which is closely tied to the immune system. This is made worse by the drugs you’re giving your dog. Of course, I’m going to recommend raw feeding for your dog. If you’re interested in raw feeding, I highly recommend Darwin’s Pet Food or Answer’s Pet Food. The benefit of Answer is that it’s fermented and great for dogs that have the health issues you’re seeing with your dog.
If raw feeding isn’t for you, then I suggest soaking your dog’s kibble in bone broth. I also suggest adding milk thistle and a digestive supplement to your dog’s diet.
Milk Thistle: https://www.herbsmithinc.com/product/milkthistle/, if you use the code KTTW10 at check out, you will save 10%
Digestive Supplement: I recommend FullBucket, https://www.keepthetailwagging.com/fullbucket
To tackle the immediate problem of the yeasty paws and other areas, I suggest mixing 50% water and 50% apple cider vinegar (Braggs is the best brand), misting your dog’s paws, then when they dry, massage them with coconut oil (extra virgin, organic). Don’t get the liquid coconut oil and a little goes a long way. Your dog will lick her paws, don’t worry, coconut oil is safe. Do this every evening until you see improvement.
Combine these two things – diet change/supplements and the paw treatment and you’ll see an improvement.
We have a German Shorthaired Pointer who seems to maintain a yeast infection in her paws and armpits. She’s currently on Cephalexin for a little more than a week because it had gotten so bad. The first few days were great but now she’s gone back to chewing on her paws, scratching her pits and itching more times than not, it seems. She’s on Orijen Grain Free food and takes Heartgard and Nexgard monthly.
We are at our wits end trying to figure out if it’s food, allergies, her temperament, etc. so any suggestions would be very much appreciated.
We’re at the point on taking her to an allergist to see if we can pinpoint what’s causing her to scratch and lick so much.
I am still continuing with the 1/2 tsp. Vinegar in the feedings 2 x aday. Since I have dried this yeasty goop up on his skin at the base of his hair I can now brush or comb it out in flakes. Before his hair would come out in 10-15 strands glued together. I have kept him cut down to where I can brush it out. Now that I have gotten the flakes out , i have tried to rub him down with coconut oil to condition his skin. That was a mess left him to greasy. I bought a bottle of liquid coconut oil and add 2 tablespoons to his shampoo bottle shake it up and wash him. Its done great. Just thought I would just give an update Max is doing so so much better.
That is such an amazing story! Thanks for sharing.
I have 2 cocker spaniels 2 years old they are siblings,the buff male (Max) has been dealing with skin issues for a year many vet appts. 3 medications and steroid injections. The injections would make him feel better for a few days. His skin was horrible and yeasty smelling even his breath. I come accross your page and tried the Bragg raw unfiltered vinegar, I give him a bath using a mild dog shampoo rinsed the soap off really well. Then while he was wet I mixed 1 cup of this vinegar to about 25 cups of warm water. I would put his front feet in the small tub of mixture while I took a cup full and pour over him, i used a washcloth to soak his armpits and underside, samething with his back feet and legs. Then every 2 days for 10 days i would get him wet and just do the rinse (vinegar/water) I also give him 1/2 teaspoon in his morning feed and another 1/2teaspoon in his evening feed. I absolutely could not believe the differense in this dog after 10 days doing this. He had lost most of his hair his skin was terrible, he done nothing but lay around no tail wagging.. He was miserable and I was almost to the point of having him put down. 🙁 Im now spending 5.99$ instead of 170.$ amonth for medication that done absolutely nothing. Hes happy no stink and his hair is already growing back. I would have never ever thought about using vinegar. Thankyou so very very much.
Hi Carla, have you tried the skin program at Nzymes.com? Amazing results under consumer reviews. Try it!
Terry – have you received any additional information from Texas A & M? I have a geriatric Cocker Spaniel that I took in when his owner passed away. i have had him 18 months and the yeast clears up a bit and then comes back in a few days. It is in his ears, on his body, and his paws. Have tried everything, changed food, and been to 3 vets multiple times. To date, he still has the yeast. I feel so sorry for him and we are both missing sleep because he is especially miserable at night. Scratches and rubs constantly. I was told to use tea tree or oregano essential oil mixed with coconut oil, but I am afraid it will make it worse. He is miserable. Can you tell me who you contacted at A & M? I have called but making no progress with them. Any info is appreciated.
Thank you so much for your suggestion for the injectable, Cadi. Like I told Kimberly, I just spent $500 on him having his ears drained, antibiotics, anti-fungals, prednisone, and I’m sure there is more, so the $104 seems reasonable if it gives him relief. He’s a year and a half old Border Collie, so being inactive is driving him crazy and sad. I made an appointment for him with the best vet I know in town. His diagnosis is always right, but I only use him as a last resort because he’s so expensive. And, like you, I’ve tried Kimberly’s suggestions. He runs from the vinegar! I think it’s out of control for home remedies at this point. Thank you for responding. I’ll keep you updated. 🙂
I’ve changed his food so many times that I’ve forgotten what they have, or don’t have. LOL. It’s crazy how many brands are on the market that promises to clear skin, help joints, make them live longer, more active, do the laundry!!!(just kidding) but you know how it is. I just spent $500 getting his ears drained, antibiotics, anti fungals, to no avail. it worked for a week or so. I’ve made him an appointment to the best vet I know in town. This man has always been dead on with his diagnosis, but is very pricy to see. My poor guy is so young, and active that I hate to see him so miserable. He’s been such a good sport thru all of this.
Hey Carla – I live in Charleston SC and it is really bad. #theworst
So far the only thing that’s worked well is a non-chemical botanical injection called Cadi it lasts for a about 4+ weeks, but the down side is that it costs $104.00 per injection. I did it once, saw incredible results. My Vet said in areas such as this – after three or four treatments, he’s seen the 4 weeks double and a few dogs only need it three times a year. I really think I’m going back because w/o it – Harley scratches until he breaks out in sores. I feed them a grain-free diet also (the honest kitchen) and I’m super careful about treats. For us – it’s the environment. 🙁 Kimberly has been a tremendous help reducing his discomfort with her supplement suggestions! Paws crossed your pup gets some relief soon!
Hi Carla – have you tried to transition to a species appropriate diet? Although grain free kibble works for some dogs, it also has lots of starch and other ingredients that aren’t beneficial for dogs and negatively impact their immune system.
Groovy Goldendoodles, you don’t happen to live in Oklahoma, do you? Allergy capital of the world! My Border Collie has been suffering from yeast. Mainly his back, and neck area. I’ve tried everything from Apple Cidar vinegar to Prednisone, almost A-Z! I’ve even tried coconut oil, olive oil, changed his food to grain free, vet visits, antibiotics, ear flushes (he developed yeast in his ears). Poor guy hasn’t even had his second birthday yet. I’m at my witts ends, as I know he is. Can someone please direct me in a positive way!!
Terry, have you gotten the results back? I have been dealing with yeasty, flaky, itchy, smelly skin on my Border Collie for about 6 months now. Had him to the vet, to no avail, and he’s miserable.
If you haven’t done so already, I recommend watching the movie Pet Fooled. Although a grain free food may sound like a great idea, it’s still filled with a lot of starch. I’d recommend changing your dog’s diet to fresh food, this will take away ingredients that your dog may be causing this reaction. Feeding fresh food doesn’t have to be expensive and if you’re uninterested in feeding a raw diet, you can feed a cooked diet, adding a meal balancer to make sure that your dog is getting all the right nutrients. I recommend a balancer called Petobolics: http://amzn.to/2smox9A
I have a miniature dachshund who has yeast on her paws, in the pits of her front legs and around her neck. It’s not severe but its there and causes her to smell terrible!! She doesn’t do alot of scratching but licks her front paws constantly! We changed to a grain free food and the smell went away over nite. Its been 6 months and now its back inspite of the food. She now is losing hair. What do you suggest? I don’t have alot of money so i need something affordable! Thank you!
The local vets were fixing to kill my dog, e.g., the corticosteroid triggered a yeast infection; the wholesale use of extremely powerful antibiotics (because they didn’t know exactly what they were up against) have compromised his immune system. After a huge infection on his chin, I called Texas A & M (2.5 hours up the road). They said they couldn’t give me an appt for six weeks. I sent them a picture. They called back five minutes later and said can you be here tomorrow at 9? Six vets, dermatologists, three hours, poked scraped tested. Waiting on cultures. Moral: Don’t waste your time and money with fools. Four months in a cone is unspeakable.
I have a Yorkie-Poo who has been suffering from what my vet has said a yeast infection. She was stung by a wasp and she created hot spots on her entire leg. We finally have her to where her hair has grown back in and no longer breaking the skin. She still scratches and is itchy. She’s been wearing a cone for almost 4 months now, to keep her from chewing her leg. It brings me to tears. I’ve been to 2 local vets and running out of options. My little girl isn’t herself and I feel helpless.
Hi Sheena…
I recommend that you transition your dog to a raw food diet. That is what cured all of my dog’s ailments. Secondly, I recommend looking for a local holistic veterinarian. I’m not a veterinarian and this blog is my experience with four dogs who are under the care of a pro-raw, anti-vaccine veterinarian.
I wish you the best.
good day,
my female jack russel has a problem with her skin. it is very flakey for months. i try bathing her to get rid of it but that hasn’t worked. she isnt losing hair however she has like sores on her skin and one big black sore type of dry sore on her body that looks horrible. Please advise how i can treat her with home remedies. she is her normal self not sick or anything
careful with Olive Oil, it is used in laboratories to grow the Mallasezia yeast, coconut oil would be safer
Hi Emma
Given your dog’s condition, I suggest that you contact a holistic veterinarian to discuss the allergies and a solution. I’m unable to tell you if this will work and what you should do without knowing the dog, however, a vet would work with you.
Best of luck.
Kimberly
I just took in a rescue who has a really bad yeast problem. It has caused her to loose hair where she was scratching and lick and bite her paws to the point of bleeding. I am wondering if the apple cider vinegar will burn her raw skin? She flinches when I even touch one of her paws. The shelter I took her in from doesn’t seem too concerned about her suffering, but I am wanting to help her especially since I am considering adopting her. Do you think these treatments will be okay on such a progressed case? Do you know how long it will take for her to heal? I am hoping a new diet and care will prevent this from happening in the future to this poor neglected girl. I am so glad I found your blog as she seems to have lots of allergies!
Rodrigo’s issues are more severe than Sydney. Rodrigo now gets a pancreas supplement that helps his digestive issues and he gets FullBucket a few days a week. Sydney gets In Clover OptaGest because it’s a prebiotic that is perfect for dogs that have a healthy gut and one bottle of OptaGest will last a long time with two dogs; both my girls have healthy guts. Scout gets FullBucket.
Why do you use different probiotics for Sydney and Rodrigo? I’m trying to figure out which one would be best for my dogs. Olive has stomach issues but Chaco has allergies.
I may have to try this some time! Or I read a similar recipe that included colloidal silver, which I have on hand.
I’ve never heard of olive oil being used before; thanks!
I use lavender oil and olive oil (I chose to use organic since I read the study on how so many olive oils are mixed with other oils from even reputable brands). This keeps any problem down in their ears and I have yet to have a yeast infection in my dogs ears since using it (even one who swam 8 years of her life year round). I add a few drops of the lavender oil to the oil olive and drizzle in their ears. I mush it around a bit for it to work its way into the ear and then I wipe out the excess.
Good to know. My dog Bennett has the same thing. I always have Bragg’s apple cider vinegar on hand so it’s funny you suggested it! 🙂
Interesting to know. I wonder if the yeasty problem is contributed to geographical location. Reason why I ask is because this environmental allergen monster I’m battling with seems to be more pronounced due to my location. #justcurious We haven’t had any yeast issues, but tis is certainly something I will share with my audience – someone out there could be desperately searching for a natural alternative. Thanks so much!