Apple Cider Vinegar and Yogurt for Dog Yeast Infections

I also was so pleased to find this site, my Jack Russell bitch had been involved in a fight with another JRT which resulted in a flesh wound under her eye which needed surgery, after surgery she needed two courses of antibiotics, which I hated giving her but the eye is too delicate to take chances with. When the infection had cleared after about a month she developed a bladder infection again we were given antibiotics by the vet, when the symptoms had subsided she suddenly had intense scratching fits, where she was digging at her skin & making it red & even in some places drawing blood. I then began to link the antibiotics with a yeast infection as we had had experience with this problem in the family, so I looked on-line & I couldn't believe how common it was. I immediately rang the vet to see if they could advise on diet etc. but they said they would have to see her, I had already paid out £300 for the op & meds - so I decided to treat her naturally.

I read the first step was to eliminate all starches & sugar & put her on a raw diet without kibbles, this seemed to calm things down, but by day 5 she had awful diarrhoea & I had read that it is not a good idea to give a senior dog raw meat at this stage in her life. I then found this page & the ACV & yoghurt diet, I was confused because I had ready dairy was not good as it feeds the yeast, but decided the good outweighed the bad.

I rinsed her daily in ACV & put a teaspoon in her food, I also alternated with a spoonful of coconut oil & a tablespoon of live yoghurt, after 4 or 5 days the improvement was amazing!!

We are now on week 4 where she just has her cooked meat & grain free kibble (Lilys Pantry)

It's so lovely to have our healthy dog back again,

I would recommend it to anyone.

I heard that a animal shelter for unwanted dogs was feeding the dogs canned Cat food and it worked to get rid of yeast infection in the dogs. The dogs fur is shinny and no bad odor.. there was a difference in two weeks. Also I do believe that putting flea meds on the dogs skin changed the dogs chemistry and this is what caused all these dogs yeast infection. I am going to try this on my two dogs as well.

Follow up on Charlie, my 7 yr old Parson Russell Terrier: It has been almost a week since I started the yogurt, twice a day and the ACV treatments. I am totally amazed, it is at least 90% cleared up. He's not scratching and the "ugly" stuff on his skin is almost gone. Changing his diet and watching what we feed him, I'm sure is helping. He is so happy, you can just see it in his face and the way he wants to play again. This is amazing. If anyone has any doubts about doing this, at least try it. It worked for Charlie.

YEA!!!! I am so glad I found your site. This has been the best info I have found about yeast infections in dogs. I have a 7 year old Parson Russell Terrier who has been showing all the signs of a yeast infection and getting worse ever day. I first thought he had gotten some kind of infection from the new groomer I took him to in November, because that was when I started seeing the redness and the "pimple like" bumps on his hind quarters. I started the plain yogurt yesterday and also started spraying the 50/50 mixture of ACV and water. Although he is still scratching and that might take some time, it is greatly reduced. On the real red inflamed areas I have used a small amount of Gold Bond medicated powder, this seems to help. I also changed his diet to Precise Holistic Complete. Thank you, for this solution, he's seems happier. The question I do have is he is a rough coat dog and I have been afraid to have him groomed and he is getting quite hairy. Should I wait till this has cleared up more or can I have him cut, we normally have him shaved down with his beard area just cut? Thank you.

My 16 lb. , 6 year old Shih Tzu has always had yeast infections under her eyes. I put 1/4 teas. Angels Eyes in her food daily which keeps the tear stains away but not the smell. In the last six months she has been scratching, biting, licking her hind legs, lower stomach and sides of her anus. Per vet I give her 1/2 Bynedril and that helps temporarily. It was only when I noticed that the areas that were itching smelled like the yeast infection under her eyes that I began researching it on the internet. I changed her food to Purina Pro Plan for sensitive skin when I read that foods containing beets caused red yeast in some dogs (and the Kirkland dry food I was giving her did). That alone really cleared up her eyes. But, when I found this site and began giving her yogurt she quit scratching within 3 days. I am so thankful. I give her 1/2 cup of yogurt each morning and 1/2 cup dry dog food at night. I haven't needed to try the vinegar as yet. What did we do before the Internet?

Hi there, I am over the moon with this site and the testimonies. I have a 6 year old westie who has recently developed an allergy to yeast resulting in spots and pustules in his back chest and stomach, and incessant paw licking , his summers were torture for him him being unable to swim as it cancelled out the effects of the shampoo; he was advised to be washed with Malaseb shampoo which does briefly, calm the symptoms down but not allieviate them it also make it hard to innoculate for fleas with a topical treatment because of all the washing. He was still left with the irritation, rubbing of his behind along the floor almost permanently licking of the paws and belly, a bald patch on his back from rubbing and scratching.

Then I saw this site- absolutely amazing. Did as the previous lady mentioned- shallow filled a bath to about an inch poured neat Apple Cider Vinegar over him then sponged him and left the dilute on him he didn't scratch for the rest of the day. Am now giving him a tablespoon of yogurt twice daily which he happily licks of the spoon, am making my own now for extra goodness and money saving, and I put a small amount of Apple Cider Vinegar in his water gradually building up to additional strength, and spray him with the 50/50 solution daily.

I am only on day three and he is virtually a different dog much happier 98 per cent less itchy it is early days. I am sooo thankful to all the people on this site for their insight, so pleased I stumbled across this site by accident when I typed in cheap alternatives to malaseb, v clever. I have done some research on Apple Cider Vinegar- amazing, his coat is so glossy, apparantly it helps prevent fleas and ticks which I think someone mentioned on this site so amazing, overjoyed.

Peace out.

I give my 4lb. Yorkie the plain yogurt called YoBaby. It comes in plain and Lily loves it. We get it at the health food store.

We have been battling skin issues for years and through the internet finally realized it was a yeast infection. She was a rescue dog and I think she was over-immunized. This left her immune system weak and when she has needed anti-biotics (after dental surgery) she winds up a scratching mess, poor baby. ACV and plain yogurt have been very helpful. I am going to add coconut oil to the mix. One way I could tell the ACV was working was that she did not smell like vinegar after the rinse. She smells like corn chips before the bath and then has no odor after. I put a quarter cup of vinegar into a quart of water and pour it on her at the very end of her bath. No rinse after that.

I have to write and respond to this webpage/line of threads. I have a 5 yr old bulldog that we recently acquired. He came to us with a yeast infection in the fold above his nose and in the fold over his tail. I wash his face and butt every day but couldn't believe how dirty his folds would get every washing especially since he eats dry food. I ended up taking him to the vet for another little sore on his paw and asked the vet why he would get so dirty in his folds every day. I was then told it was a yeast infection. Who knew??? He was put on antibiotics which did clear up the infection only to have him break out with hot spots two days after the antibiotics were gone.

Another trip to the vet for more meds. The hot spots are almost gone but his skin is very red still. While I was washing his face again last Thursday I see the brown greasy yeast infection is back. UGH pissed. So I searched the web and found this sight, after alot of reading and searching other sites I decided to try the ACV and yoguart. 2 DAYS!!! Its gone... I can't believe it. I know I caught it early this time but still I an thrilled with the results of the yogurt and vinegar treatment. I also changed his food to a no grain "taste of the wild" I would rather spend the money on his food than at the vet.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Ok, so some feedback... I am having some success with AppleCider Vinegar (ACV) in alleviating some symptoms of systemic yeast infection in my two dogs. Two Staffordshire Terriers, about 79pounds in weight each. A Father/Son duo. The father has had what I now know to be yeast infection symptoms for YEARS... Lethargy(we thought he was "laid back"), swollen&red penis sheath with a mucous-ish dishcharge (we thought it was food allergy and tried many many foods), some ear scratching (thought it was mites), and Seizures! (We thought his brain was a little "short-circuited" or defective or epilectic). We also thought the seizures were the result of a sensitivity to chemicals, ie: yard pesticides, flea shampoos etc.

It was the incessant (recent now that hot humid Southern USA Summer is here) foot licking and then the brown waxy substance at the base of several of his nails that started my search for an answer - he had licked one pad absolutely raw - almost oozing blood. A friend and knowledgable dog person suggested it might be a yeast infection. I had no idea a dog could get a yeast infection. I found this EarthClinic site and was spellbound reading the posts.

It's been two weeks of ACV treatment and here's what I've done... One Tablespoon of ACV per dog, per day. They don't care much for it and I have to keep switching how I "trick" them into ingesting it. I've used the pill-pocket type of thing commercially available, but it doesn't hold much and the vinegar makes them go "gummy" very very quickly. I tried it in their food, but they'd turn their noses up at it and I had to stand my ground and not feed them anything else until they gave up and were hungry enough to eat it anyway (maybe a 12 hour standoff). My current, successful, "trick" is to measure out the tablespoon of ACV and slowly pour it along one half of a hotdog roll. I break each half of roll into quarters, make them Sit and their other limited tricks and give the piece as a "treat". The older dog loves bread of any kind and just gobbles it down; the younger dog is catching on that it's vinegar and turns his nose up at it until he sees his father/buddy eating the same thing - he can't stand to be left out of anything and then deigns to eat each piece. I've successfully used a soaked pretzel rod to the same end. I have begun giving them this soaked piece just after they have eaten half the normal amount of their regular food so that the full strength vinegar isn't upsetting to their stomach. They seem happier with this timing. And, by soaking each piece of bread I know that each dog got their dose of ACV for the day.

The greek yogurt... My dogs don't particularly like it. I am sticking with it because it has multiple kinds of the "good bacteria" a digestive system needs. I am, again, "tricking" them into ingesting it... I put about 2 tablespoons on top of their dry food, keeping it in a little heap - don't spread it out - , then pour over that some wet food w gravy that I know they love to eat. They eat the yogurt in the process of eating the wet food that they love. I no longer Stir the yogurt into the food (thinking that mixing it would make it more palatable) as my two dogs will turn their nose up at it and refuse to eat it at all, even when I wait 12-18 hours for them to "give in" and eat it anyway. I feed a very high quality dog food and can't afford to waste it like that. Initially I was giving each dog one-third of a cup per day for the first week. I have since backed off to the heaping tablespoon per dog per day.

Diluted vinegar in the ears: Well, I tried the 1/3 ACV to 2/3 water once in the younger dog's itchiest ear. He was so blatantly miserable and in pain that I apologized profusely as I grabbed a handlfull of cottonballs soaked them in water and flushed the vinegar out. He forgave me, but wanted to hide when he saw a cottonball and smelled the vinegar. So, I diluted the mix down to maybe 1/8 ACV and 7/8 water.(1/8 cup vinegar to 7/8 cup water). I put the mix in it's own spray bottle so it was ready to use anytime. I then thought it's be easy just to spray the mix onto their paws and/or ears. Ha - silly me. My dogs are afraid of the spraying sound and, after almost dislocating my shoulder holding them to me as I sprayed their feet, I caught on and changed tactics. I now soak a palmful of cottonballs with the spray bottle solution and then walk calmly into the room they are lounging in and very gently swab between their toes, around the base of each nail and then another clean cottonball to gently wipe the inside/underside of their ear flaps. They no longer have the discharge at the nail bases and they don't run when they see me with a cottonball!

OverTheCounter Yeast Infection ointment: I bought the version with a tube of ointment with 7 applicator tubes. You screw the applicator onto the tube and squeeze in a small amount of ointment (maybe the size of three green peas, or the size of a mini marshmallow). The applicator is smooth and sterile and slips easily into the penis sheath with no "wrestling" of the dog to comply. Press the plunger and the ointment is deposited. I used one small dose each day for 5 days.

Results so far: The older dog stopped chewing at his feet in just a few days and hasn't licked any raw spots at all, seldom licks at all now (two weeks in). His penis sheath is less than half as swollen as it was and the mucous-ish discharge has stopped. It is not longer an angry-hot red at the opening. He is not dragging his rectum on the carpet as if it itched. He had one seizure on the third day of treatment, but it was smaller and less intense than any other ever and he recovered very quickly as well. He is not itching at his ears with vigor, just the occasional, more typical, doggy itchy-scratchy of an ear. His eyes are not as red at the rims/base of eyelashes as they were and he seems to be "feeling better" and has more energy and actually plays with toys now instead of just having his head down and looking up at you with very sad eyes as if to say I Don't Feel Good.

The younger dog doesn't lick his feet anymore and the nailbed discharge/brown waxy substance is almost all gone.

And all this from a half gallon of apple cider vinegar and two large containers of greek yogurt. I think we are on to something here and it is a very pleasant surprise. I feel terrible that the older dog was in such apparent misery (Ladies - if you've had a yeast infection you KNOW what I mean! ) for so long. But, he's acting half his 9 yr age and I couldn't be more thrilled.

Moral of the story: Give it a try, the ACV and the greek yogurt(plain, no flavor), be realistic and stick to it. I didn't see any concrete proof of it working until mid way into the second week. When his discharge symptoms abate further I will lower the vinegar to half a tablespoon and the yogurt to every other day and keep it up as Preventative Maintenance.

I stumbled upon this website a few weeks ago... And thank god! My one year old English Bulldog was suffering from a terrible yeast infection on his back and sides. He had lost the majority of his hair and looked horrible. After reading some of the comments I decided to just give it a try before taking him to the vet.

It has been a week and a half and the improvement is enormous. His skin is 95% better. The hair has started growing back and the itching is all but gone. I'm assuming that he'll be perfect again (mommy eyes) in another week. I am so grateful that I found this thread. I give him a tablespoon of plain yogurt once in the morning and once at night. Spray him with the 50/50 solution of ACV/water in the morning and sometimes brush him with it at night. Please attempt this if you're dog is suffering from a yeast infection. It has saved me untold $$$ at the vet and I couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you all!!!

I too am very happy to have found this site. My dogs both have suffered with ear infections to the point of having to have surgery. While I was concerned about the money, I was also very concerned with the degree of suffereing that they went through. I am happy to say that they have been getting ACV in their water daily and they are both as happy as can be. I have not seen either one of them scratching, and their ears are as clean as can be. They even smell so much better. Thanks to your site. I will continue with what we are doing, and after a few more weeks I am going to attemp to wean them off of the prescription diet that they have been on for several months. I will kepp you all posted.

I want to help other dogs that have this awful skin problem. My lhasa apso was constantly scratching, her neck, tummy, and chest were bright red, the hair was gone, she had large areas of gray skin fungus and she smelled so bad. I bathed her , but she would smell the next day. This went on for 8 months. I did tons of research and after just two weeks of treatment she is well!

Here is what I did. I bathed her with Zymox enzyme shampoo (3 times a week) and used Zymox ear drops, found both on amazon. I made her food weekly in a crockpot, put in chicken thighs with skin, brown rice, barley, carrots, water and let cook until the meat falls off the bones and skin disappears. Take out bones and mix well. I feed her this food 3 times a day, 1/2 cup each time, I mixed in 1 TB alfalfa powder, 1TB kelp powder, 1TB flax meal, 1 TB olive oil and some water. Once a day I mixed in 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 broken echinecea capsule as an natural antibiotic. I also gave her 1 acidophillis capsule daily. Finally, I massaged a few drops of tea tree oil on the irrated skin. I am still amazed at the results. I hope this helps other owners and dogs.

Using Nias' remedies of 45% white vinegar, 5% alcohol and the clove oil (for pain) 50% filtered water has been a miracle cure for my 5 year old german shepard. In one day she showed improvement! I would love to take all the tubes of creams and bottles of antibiotics and ear rinses my vet has charged me for over the last 4 years add up the cost and donate it to this site.

Our yorkie had a problem with yeast and pyroderma. We have tried many things but for three weeks we have been giving him a teaspoon of organic coconut in his food and using derMagic products on his skin (lotion, shampoo and conditioner) it has tea tree and peppermint in it. I still use vinegar/water in his ears. I am amazed the yeast and smell is totally gone. He still has a problem with allergies some days (red eyes, ears, and the top of his head) when this happens I give him a dose of benadryl. As an added bonus he used to spit up his food at least once a week and I had to give him a pepcid as he doesn't do that anymore. I dont know if it was the yeast in his system anyhow, it's gone. Hope this helps.

We tried taking our Dog to the veterinarians for the last five years. She had a severe yeast infection in both ears. She has been to so many different Veterinarians over the last few years no one helped her. Nothing they "suggested" worked. We have spent a small fortune to try to help her. We read here about ACV and Plain Yogurt. We have now been giving it to her for 5 months. We have used the ACV in both ears and after all these years the infection is gone. We have been putting the ACV in her bathwater and spraying it in her drinking water and on her food. No medicine worked the ACV did the job. We also give her yogurt every other night. You can see the change in her whole behavior. She wags her tail now. She had stopped doing that a year ago.