Yeast / Candida
What is yeast?
Yeast or candida is part of a dog’s normal healthy gut flora. When the immune system is compromised, it is opportunistic and can grow, disrupting the normal gut microbiome and developing into an overgrowth or yeast infection. Some vets may also refer to it as a fungal infection.
Signs of a yeast infection
Typical signs of a yeast infection include excessive scratching, a “yeasty” smell (some describe it as similar to off corn chips or just “really doggy”) a greasy coat, skin that feels sweaty or clammy, and dandruff. This ‘dandruff’ is yeast that has built in layers on the skin that is shedding or dying off. Over a longer period of time, a fungal infection can cause the skin to thicken, the skin pigmentation to darken, and there may be hair loss.
Image 1: Dog suffering from a yeast infection experiencing inflamed and darkening skin pigmentation, irritation from excessive scratching, and hair loss.
Why does a yeast infection occur?
When a dog has an immune system that has been impacted by a primary allergy, a food intolerance, gut disrupting medication, or immune suppressing drugs, they can become vulnerable to a yeast infection. Common causes include increased humidity such as during the wet season, the consumption of a processed carbohydrate-dominated diet, and antibiotic use not being followed up with probiotics. Another cause of strain on a dog’s immune system is stress, which disrupts the gut flora due to hormonal imbalances and can also increase the risk of a dog developing a yeast infection.
What makes yeast thrive?
Yeast loves hot and humid climates. Its food source is carbohydrates, starches, and sugar (kibble, pasta, rice, etc.) If your dog is eating kibble, the yeast is being very well fed! All kibble, including grain-free and expensive brands contain a minimum of 50 to 60 percent carbohydrates when the canine carbohydrate requirement is zero! A dog’s natural diet contains less than 4% carbohydrates, which was obtained via plant matter. The carbohydrates fed in such large quantities to dogs nowadays are completely unnecessary, inappropriate for the species and only used as a cheap filler ingredient.
How are yeast infections diagnosed?
Yeast infections are often identified due to the dog displaying the typical signs mentioned above, but they can also be diagnosed by a vet conducting a cytology test. Cytology is a non-invasive test where the vet places sticky tape onto several different areas of the skin and then looks at the skin cells stuck to the tape under a microscope to see if there is yeast present.
Image 2: The appearance of yeast and bacteria under a microscope.
Why does conventional veterinary treatment not work?
Conventional veterinary treatment focuses on topical treatment with a harsh medicated shampoo and the suppressing of the symptoms of the infection with pharmaceutical drugs. This is a “band-aid” – reducing the symptoms rather than tackling the cause and targeting the source in the gut. Some dogs end up on long-term drugs which can cause secondary side effects. This approach is also financially draining and frustrating for you!
Recommended treatment
Proper treatment requires both internal and topical treatment which can take weeks to months to turn around. Diligence and Patience are required depending on how severe or for how long your dog has had a yeast infection.
Internal treatment
To target the yeast at its source (in the gut), there are a number of recommended steps to take.
- Add Yeast Cleanse daily to their food, which contains herbs and plant-based digestive enzymes to support the breakdown of yeast.
- Eliminate or reduce carbohydrates and starchy foods from the diet. Instead, feed a commercially available premade or animal nutritionist formulated home diet of fresh whole foods nutritionally balances for the life stage of your dog. If feeding 100% raw is not conceivable, cut back dry food as much as possible, remove all additional carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread and potato, and feed as much fresh whole foods as is attainable.
- Add virgin coconut oil to any food at approximately ½ teaspoon per 5kg bodyweight per day as it is anti-fungal.
Topical treatment
Contrary to popular belief, shampoos and conditioners containing oatmeal should be avoided as the carbohydrates found within feed the yeast and allow it to grow. A medicated shampoo such as Mediderm or Malaseb can continue to be used if already procured, but the recommended option is unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) baths. If you do want to keep doing medicated shampoo baths, an option is to alternate between the two each week until the symptoms improve. To give an ACV bath, follow the below steps:
- Dilute unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar in the ratio of 1 part vinegar to 1 part filtered water.
- Wet the dog with lukewarm water.
- Gently scrub the ACV solution onto the skin with a new and clean flat dish sponge. Concentrate on the symptomatic areas such as armpits, groin, neck jowls, and stomach.
- Rinse the dog thoroughly to finish.
For a dog with yeasty paws, stand them in a shallow bath of the ACV mixture in an old ice cream container or kitty litter tray for a few minutes. A great way to keep them standing there is to distract them with some treats or a tasty Lickimat!
The ACV mixture is used in place of shampoo as it cleans very well without lathering, balances the skin’s pH level, and takes away the yeasty smell. A cup of brewed and cooled chamomile or green tea (no sugar) can be added to the solution for extra soothing. We recommend making this mixture up and storing it in a glass jar or spray bottle for easy daily application. This bath should be done once a week until symptoms improve.
For more convenient topical relief from scratching, Dermal Scratch Spray is recommended, which contains aloe vera, vitamin E and Calendula, which are excellent for soothing and cooling hot and inflamed skin. Safe to lick, this can be applied throughout the day as required. Spray onto your hands and massage onto the skin if your dog dislikes sprays.
For ear infections, Natural Animal Solutions’ NAS Ear Clear works a treat – just have a look at the many reviews.
We also have a Yeasty Dog Bundle which contains everything you need to get started on kicking that yeast to the kerb!
Prevention
Feed a nutritionally balanced pre-made or formulated fresh whole food diet, or drastically reduce kibble and feed as much fresh raw or lightly cooked whole foods as possible. We can help you instore with this if you’re Darwin based. Use a dog-specific multi-strain probiotic from time to time and always following any use of antibiotics. If your dog is put on long-term or repeated courses of antibiotics, Saccharomyces Boulardii capsules can be used during the antibiotic use.
If your dog’s yeast infection is a secondary system of a primary environmental allergy or food intolerance, you will need to work with a holistic/integrative veterinarian or a qualified animal naturopath to identify, treat, and manage the primary problem in order to keep yeast at bay.
*Information contained here should not be substituted for advice from a veterinarian or registered animal health care practitioner. The examination, diagnosis and treatment of animals should always be made in consultation with a veterinarian.
