Denise (Dallas, GA) on 05/15/2009
I have a 9 y/o blue heeler dog with chronic systemic yeast. When I read the posted comments from other dog owners, it would appear that many of the problems others are dealing with are mild in comparison to what I am going through. Buster's problems were similar to the milder systems I've read about in the early years of his condition and were thought to have been allergies to food at first, and later fleas. Each time I upgraded to a better quality food or tried some other recommendation, there was improvement for a while, but the symptoms always returned, and always worse each time. It wasn't until his ears became terribly infected with yeast (the ears were easy to take care of using the solution recommended by the Great Dane Lady) that I was able to connect all the dots and figure out what he was suffering from thanks to the Great Dane Lady's web site. I ordered the recommended Yeast Removal Kit and followed all the instructions to the letter, including ordering the recommended shampoo and buying the #1 recommended variety of food for the problem. This was over a year ago. With the feeding recommendations and enzyme supplements, there was great improvement and I had hopes of a recovery for him, but he has setbacks and each time the yeast is worst than ever. He looks so bad that I am embarrassed to take him to the vet and use a mobile vet instead. He suspects that Buster suffers from allergies as well as yeast and of course offered Prednisone, which I declined. He also said that dogs like this are often never cured and it is all you can do to just control their symptoms and keep them comfortable. I know that the root of the problem is probably based on a compromised immune system, because after all the work, he still looks and feels just as terrible as he did. I'm glad to have found this web site and plan to start him on the yogurt and vinegar suggestions this week. There seems to be some conflict on amounts. I am writing to see if anyone has experience with a dog who has an exceptionally bad yeast infection - stubborn and deeply rooted that keeps recurring. If there is someone out there who can offer any specific ideas for my dog, I would greatly appreciate it. I have been able to link his flare-ups to warm weather and heat. He flared up in the fall when we turned our a/c off for the year (even though it was not hot) and he flared up again come spring when the weather warmed. He has to be kept inside, he can't tolerate heat, even if it is mild to us. Rather a sad life for a blue heeler. He can only go outside at night during the summer months. I have considered a raw diet for him, but he does not like raw chicken at all and will only eat raw beef or venison. For the past year, he has been on a holistic dog food only with only meat based treats. There seems to be also some different suggestions concerning dog food. A pet shop owner recently recommended I try a grain free food for him so that is the only time we have strayed from the brand recommended. His yeast seems worse and I am not sure whether to keep trying it or go back to the other brand. I don't know how long to wait before giving up on it. Is grain free really okay when it has potato or sweet potato content? Obviously, I am conflicted about what is best for him at this point and all of these ideas and suggestions are wonderful but it's hard to figure out what is best for an individual dog. I am open to suggestions. Thank you!
Replied By Sydney (San Diego, CA) on 10/05/2014
A friend told me about applying a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water to the affected areas. Also, make sure to saturate the paws because the infection gets spread to the paws when they scratch. Do this everyday for 6 days. Leave on as long as possible but at least an hour before rinsing off with warm water. On the 7th day you will shampoo the dog with tea tree shampoo. DO NOT use the vinegar and shampoo on the same day as they will cancel each other out.
When the dog is thoroughly dry, you can apply pure coconut oil to soothe the skin. NEVER USE an OATMEAL product, soap, shampoo etc. for a yeast infection as the oatmeal feeds the yeast and makes it worse. Grain free diet helps, I use Blue Buffalo Grain-Free, but it's somewhat expensive. I'm sure there are other brands but believe it or not, my canine is a finicky eater. This next info is VERY IMPORTANT to note! Don't get discouraged, but rather expect the dog to scratch like crazy and even roll around after the vinegar solution is applied for about 1 or 2 minutes. It WILL subside! The 1st couple of minutes, the vinegar is killing the yeast, the yeast spores react by exploding. When they explode there will be a surplus of the bacteria on the surface of the skin making the itching worse but PLEASE be patient as this will go away as the bacteria dies in a few minutes. This reaction will be less and less in following treatments.
The once a week tea tree shampoo part of the treatment kills the bacteria that is in the skin under the surface that the vinegar can't reach. The tea tree oil gets absorbed into the skin and kills bacteria beneath the surface. Leave shampoo lather on the dog for about 10 minutes before rinsing well with warm water. The coconut oil soothes irritation as well as smothers the bacteria from getting more oxygen to grow. Also, spray down bedding with the vinegar mixture, leave on for 10 minutes then launder.This treatment takes time and patience but it's effective for yeast infections, the dog won't be taking antibiotics which are only temporary and bad for their system, and it's a whole lot cheaper than a vet visit! Here's the summary below and good luck!
Equal parts ACV (or white vinegar) and plain water, enough to saturate affected areas. I wear gloves and apply with cotton balls but a spray bottle will also work. Every day for 6 days.
Tea tree oil shampoo on the 7th day (once a week)
Pure coconut oil with no additives. Can apply as needed to soothe the skin. This isn't a mandatory part of the treatment but will aid in your dog's skin healing and comfort