[Okie-dobie]

So I was reading on GreatDaneLady about yeast over growth and I'm thinking maybe ******* might have this problem. She seems to have all the symptoms except, no ear or bladder infections. She itches her ear to the point where last year she had a hematoma twice, and now her ear flops. But no infection.

So my question is can it still be a yeast over growth if neither of those infections are present? The GDL says that thyroid and yeast pretty much go hand in hand. ******* is hypothyroid to.

We have an appointment next week to test her thyroid as it's been awhile. ******* is on a immunoPet, fish oil, kelp, and I will be switching over to a raw diet in the next little while. Right now she is also on 50mg of Benadryl a day and Vanectyl-P 1/2 pill twice a day (very low dose)

I was thinking of trying the yeast kit on the Great Dane Lady's site, has anyone ever used it? What results did you have?

Here is the info. about yeast infections and about the kit:

Allergy or Systemic Yeast Infection in Dogs | Allergies Malassezia Fungus Candida | GREATDANELADY.COM
FCN"S YEAST REMOVAL INSTRUCTION| GREATDANELADY.COM

I'm probably most likely looking at environmental allergies but I thought maybe giving it a try. It is however not cheap.

 

[Darkevs]

hmmm........ do those itchy ears every get icky and smelly too?

google and read up on systemic yeast infection and treatments in humans and dogs, lots of info. out there.

Nature’s Farmacy Blog Blog Archive Systemic Yeast Infections in Dogs

hugz to the kids!

 

[mmctaq]

What all is she eating? Treats, food, theft, sucking up to the bank teller, etc.? Has she been on kelp forever? I do know a couple of dogs who have a problem with kelp. Can you do an actual elimination diet with her (my first choice is one single protein that has not previously been eaten, preferably whole ground animal, no supplements, no nothin' else)?

Have you tried Zymox Otic with Cortisone? Best thing since sliced bread for ears! A couple few drops a couple times a day for a week, then cleaning as usual with Zymox cleanser. I have been very satisfied with the service and prices at VetAmerica, but there are lots of places to get it. Are you cleaning her ears frequently now? If so: with what? A too-clean ear canal can be dry and itchy...

The Great Dane Lady makes my Cult Sensors twitch. If you go on the internet and do a search, you will find a large cult of people who believe that yeast is the cause of everything which ails ya. Like the anti-vaccine folks believe about vaccines. Like the ciliac folks believe about gluten. Blah blah crazypeople blah. Can yeast overgrowth be an issue? Sure. Do I believe that systemic yeast infections are common? No. Would I buy this kit? Ummmm... no. Dubious "Yeast Allergies".

Environmental stuff is difficult. If this is year-round, it is unlikely to be anything outside. That leaves in your house (and vehicle and anywhere else she is regularly) and in her food. Any aerosol, any cleaner, any laundry product, any scented thing... perfume, hair spray, carpet fresheners, scented candles, air fresheners, etc. Oh... and, did I mention laundry products?

You said that she has other symptoms. What are they? For how long? All the time since they appeared, or they come and go?

 

[DreamValley]

Remember Gino was itchy and had ears infections and localized demodex.
I bought the package from Nzymes (GreatDaneLady) and treated Gino. He got more discharge from his ears and his itching became worse but that's what I expected. His system was cleanzing itself.
I don't know if the Nzymes treatment helped or Gino outgrew it. He is fed raw. I add fish oil, kelp and probiotics Backpac and Nzymes granules. I agree it's not cheap and I am going to discontinue it soon and use kefir instead.

Allergy testing is more expensive. My vet suspected GIno had allergy but I didn't believe it. My preference is always a holistic approach... especially when a dog has skin problems. Unfortunately most vets don't know how to treat it.

 

[Okie-dobie]

hmmm........ do those itchy ears every get icky and smelly too?

google and read up on systemic yeast infection and treatments in humans and dogs, lots of info. out there.

Nature’s Farmacy Blog Blog Archive Systemic Yeast Infections in Dogs

hugz to the kids!

No never icky or smelly.

Thanks.

 

[Okie-dobie]

What all is she eating? Treats, food, theft, sucking up to the bank teller, etc.? Has she been on kelp forever? I do know a couple of dogs who have a problem with kelp. Can you do an actual elimination diet with her (my first choice is one single protein that has not previously been eaten, preferably whole ground animal, no supplements, no nothin' else)?

******* is eating Acana Adult, for treats she get's dehydrated lung, lamb right now. Plus raw bones once or twice a week. However not any in the last two weeks. No food from me. I had her off the kelp for awhile, back on now.

We did do an elimination diet as I/we thought it might be a food allergy. I tried for a full 4 months. We did the natural balance elimination diet.

Have you tried Zymox Otic with Cortisone? Best thing since sliced bread for ears! A couple few drops a couple times a day for a week, then cleaning as usual with Zymox cleanser. I have been very satisfied with the service and prices at VetAmerica, but there are lots of places to get it. Are you cleaning her ears frequently now? If so: with what? A too-clean ear canal can be dry and itchy...

No I have not tried it, I just use a cotton pad to clean her ears. The kind you use to remove makeup. So does it actually help with the itching?

The Great Dane Lady makes my Cult Sensors twitch. If you go on the internet and do a search, you will find a large cult of people who believe that yeast is the cause of everything which ails ya. Like the anti-vaccine folks believe about vaccines. Like the ciliac folks believe about gluten. Blah blah crazypeople blah. Can yeast overgrowth be an issue? Sure. Do I believe that systemic yeast infections are common? No. Would I buy this kit? Ummmm... no. Dubious "Yeast Allergies".

Yes I kind feel that way to, but I feel like I'm starting to grasp at straws.

Environmental stuff is difficult. If this is year-round, it is unlikely to be anything outside. That leaves in your house (and vehicle and anywhere else she is regularly) and in her food. Any aerosol, any cleaner, any laundry product, any scented thing... perfume, hair spray, carpet fresheners, scented candles, air fresheners, etc. Oh... and, did I mention laundry products?

Here's the kicker, and I just plain forgot but so very important. So this started last fall, I thought just about the time you turn your furnace on. Then it completely goes away by late spring. This year, it started up again in the fall but before the heat went on. I was thinking maybe pollen, dust??? But I did maybe think it's kinda turned in to the yeasty thing. I don't know.

We don't use any heavy cleaners, mostly "safe" ones. I will admit I am guilty of using soap to wash her blankets and stuff. Although she sleeps with me most of the time. No air fresheners, candles yes.

You said that she has other symptoms. What are they? For how long? All the time since they appeared, or they come and go?

So her symptoms are one itchy ear, eyes some mornings, face. Very chewy on her back legs, and will sit and use her back paw to scratch the backs of her front legs! This year she is licking a little at her feet, but they are not raw or red. She licks and chews her legs enough that she now has hair missing. I am going to take some pictures and post them. Symptoms are very bad first thing when waking in the morning. She was sleeping in her crate however I felt bad because she couldn't itch in the mornings. This could be because most of the medication has worn off. Really the dose is so low it's probably not doing a very good job. She does itch and bite through out the day but it comes and goes.

We talked about allergy testing today on the phone and a few other things. But like she said only about 55% of dogs do well on allergy shots after being tested. Although we may have to go that route down the road.

Any thoughts or suggestions will be appreciated!

 

[tnh317]

As advised by my vet I use zyrtec instead of benedryl with my mastiff, much better results. Unlike benedryl it's usually only given 1x per day, he needed mega-doses of benedryl every 6-8 hours for it to have any effect at all.

ETA: he had many of the same symptom you described but worse. He would scratch / chew / lick / bite until he was raw and bleeding sometimes. He's also very prone to infection so once he got to that point he's also end up with nasty skin / ear infections too. He's itchy year round but fall and spring are the worst, we've gotten it under control for about the last year or so with the zyrtec though.

 

[DreamValley]

Gino itching was getting bad when furnace was on. As far as I remember GreatDaneLady mentioned it in one of her articles.

Don't you think all medications you tried on ******* made it worse?

 

[sam&macksmom]

Sam had allergies years ago. He was on allergy meds and received shots. Once I switched him to raw- gone. Found out he was allergic to poultry products.

 

[mmctaq]

Which Natural Balance product did you use? Both the venison and the fish contain flax, which is a very common allergin. Flax does not really belong in ANY dog food, much less a limited-ingredient food aimed at a food-sensitivity market! Was she maybe worse on this?

Yes, the Zymox may well help with the itching. Unless you have had a culture done, you really have no idea what is down there. Zymox is an enzymatic product which kind of "eats" fungi and bacteria and ear debris. It should not be combined with topical antibiotics, since meds will make the enzymes ineffective.

The thing about the fall and your furnace is dry air. You might try humidification (even leaving a couple of inches of water in your bathtub when it's not in use will allow a lot of water to enter the air through evaporation). Also... how much fish oil? I would be doing at least 1000 mg./10 lbs. This, too, helps with dryness.

So... worse in the mornings suggests laundry products, to me. Try getting some hypoallergenic laundry detergent ("Something" Free). Wash your bedding and whatever is in her crate. Set the washer back to wash again (just for a few minutes) and pour in a couple of cups of plain white vinegar... check when it is on the rinse cycle for any soap suds... if no soap suds, dry with no faberic softener... if there are soap suds, re-set for another wash and rinse cycle and then dry. ALL bedding... including blankets, bedspreads, whatever you have on there... everything in the crate, too. If she wears a coat/clothing in the winter, do that, also. If she has a bed or blankets she uses during the day out in the house, do that, too.

If you want to try a REAL elimination diet, choose a meat she has never eaten (goat, emu, rabbit, ardvaark, whatever) and feed ONLY that. That species of organ meats. That species of bones. It is best and easiest if you can find a vendor who offers whole ground products, but I don't know that that is available to you... you want NO additives or supplements. You can feed a single protein whole animal diet without getting into dietary trouble for quite a while.

My first guess is actually laundry products, but I could easily be wrong. Be nice if I was right, 'cause that's easy to manage!

I know how frustrating this crap is, because I spend a good portion of my work day talking to folks with these issues. I would encourage you to try the common-sense, do-it-yourself solutions first... usually, you will manage to hit on the problem yourself by trying this and that. Allergy testing is very expensive if done right (skin testing is right, blood testing not so good), and is less conclusive than they would have you believe.

If any of the itchy places are weepy at all (check between her toes, from the top and from the bottom deep in her feet), you will probably have to address that topically... even if you figure out what the basis for the issue is, you may well have a bacterial or fungal infection which will need treatment to go away. I am a huge fan of Animax ointment for this... ointment, not cream... the cream is very thick and requires gobs and thorough rubbing-in, the ointment is thin and oily and seeps all over the surface of the skin. This is a prescription product you will need to get from your vet.

 

[sam&macksmom]

This is the laundry detergent I use to wash doggie bedding: Laundry Detergent Liquid -HE Laundry Detergent -High Efficiency Laundry Detergent | Seventh Generation

I don't use fabric softener.

 

[Okie-dobie]

As advised by my vet I use zyrtec instead of benedryl with my mastiff, much better results. Unlike benedryl it's usually only given 1x per day, he needed mega-doses of benedryl every 6-8 hours for it to have any effect at all.

ETA: he had many of the same symptom you described but worse. He would scratch / chew / lick / bite until he was raw and bleeding sometimes. He's also very prone to infection so once he got to that point he's also end up with nasty skin / ear infections too. He's itchy year round but fall and spring are the worst, we've gotten it under control for about the last year or so with the zyrtec though.

I will see if they carry the zyrtec up here. I do find the benadryl works although makes her sleepy. And I only give it to her in the morning.

 

[mmctaq]

This is the laundry detergent I use to wash doggie bedding: Laundry Detergent Liquid -HE Laundry Detergent -High Efficiency Laundry Detergent | Seventh Generation

i have never noticed this product (although the store-finder says my grocery carries it)... are you as happy with it as are the folks who wrote testimonials? I'm thinking I might want to try it... yes?

 

[sam&macksmom]

I use almost all the 7th Generation products and love them. My local Target and Walmart stores carry the product line. I buy the disinfecting wipes in bulk. Just had a shipment arrive on Tuesday!

Very happy with their product line. Highly recommend them.

i have never noticed this product (although the store-finder says my grocery carries it)... are you as happy with it as are the folks who wrote testimonials? I'm thinking I might want to try it... yes?

 

[Okie-dobie]

Gino itching was getting bad when furnace was on. As far as I remember GreatDaneLady mentioned it in one of her articles.

Don't you think all medications you tried on ******* made it worse?

I don't think it the heat from the furnace more the dust in the vents. This is an old house that is really, really dusty for a number of reasons.

No I don't think they made her worse. If I were to take her off the stuff she is on now she would probably chew her legs off!! Holistic I have no problem with, but it has to be diagnosed first before treating with all kinds of "natural" products.

Sam had allergies years ago. He was on allergy meds and received shots. Once I switched him to raw- gone. Found out he was allergic to poultry products.

******* was on raw before. Personally I don't think it's a food allergy, I use to but after all her symptoms completely disappearing in the spring and not starting again till fall tells me it is not. However I'm still going to put her on raw. I think it will help her skin and support her system better.

Which Natural Balance product did you use? Both the venison and the fish contain flax, which is a very common allergin. Flax does not really belong in ANY dog food, much less a limited-ingredient food aimed at a food-sensitivity market! Was she maybe worse on this?

You know I think it was duck and potato which when you think about it is fowl. So not the greatest elimination diet. Anyhow I hated that food, I believe potato was the first ingredient. Her poops were truly the size of tree trunks..lol!

Yes, the Zymox may well help with the itching. Unless you have had a culture done, you really have no idea what is down there. Zymox is an enzymatic product which kind of "eats" fungi and bacteria and ear debris. It should not be combined with topical antibiotics, since meds will make the enzymes ineffective.

True enough, and it's strange it's only the one ear. I'm sure she has some secondary infections going on now. Like I said she has an appointment on Thursday I will have the vet do a culture.

The thing about the fall and your furnace is dry air. You might try humidification (even leaving a couple of inches of water in your bathtub when it's not in use will allow a lot of water to enter the air through evaporation). Also... how much fish oil? I would be doing at least 1000 mg./10 lbs. This, too, helps with dryness.

I do humidify, I am very sensitive to dry air so it constantly going. I also keep my thermostat set at 65-66, never any higher. And like I said earlier it's an older home so not air tight by any means.

She definitely doesn't get that much fish oil! May I ask where you are getting that recommendation from?

So... worse in the mornings suggests laundry products, to me. Try getting some hypoallergenic laundry detergent ("Something" Free). Wash your bedding and whatever is in her crate. Set the washer back to wash again (just for a few minutes) and pour in a couple of cups of plain white vinegar... check when it is on the rinse cycle for any soap suds... if no soap suds, dry with no faberic softener... if there are soap suds, re-set for another wash and rinse cycle and then dry. ALL bedding... including blankets, bedspreads, whatever you have on there... everything in the crate, too. If she wears a coat/clothing in the winter, do that, also. If she has a bed or blankets she uses during the day out in the house, do that, too.

Well hopefully you are right, but how do you explain it all starting up again in the fall. Then disappearing in the spring. But I have no problem with using a HA laundry detergent, same goes with the dryer sheets.

If you want to try a REAL elimination diet, choose a meat she has never eaten (goat, emu, rabbit, ardvaark, whatever) and feed ONLY that. That species of organ meats. That species of bones. It is best and easiest if you can find a vendor who offers whole ground products, but I don't know that that is available to you... you want NO additives or supplements. You can feed a single protein whole animal diet without getting into dietary trouble for quite a while.

Again I don't feel like it's a food allergy but when I start her up on it I won't use something different.

My first guess is actually laundry products, but I could easily be wrong. Be nice if I was right, 'cause that's easy to manage!

I know how frustrating this crap is, because I spend a good portion of my work day talking to folks with these issues. I would encourage you to try the common-sense, do-it-yourself solutions first... usually, you will manage to hit on the problem yourself by trying this and that. Allergy testing is very expensive if done right (skin testing is right, blood testing not so good), and is less conclusive than they would have you believe.

I agree and really so does the vet, she is not pro allergy testing. Like she said, you go through all that and then your dog becomes allergic to something else. Then what? Back to do more testing? I think the skin testing is over $400 up here.

If any of the itchy places are weepy at all (check between her toes, from the top and from the bottom deep in her feet), you will probably have to address that topically... even if you figure out what the basis for the issue is, you may well have a bacterial or fungal infection which will need treatment to go away. I am a huge fan of Animax ointment for this... ointment, not cream... the cream is very thick and requires gobs and thorough rubbing-in, the ointment is thin and oily and seeps all over the surface of the skin. This is a prescription product you will need to get from your vet.

She actually not nearly as bad as some dogs. I think one of the problems is that it's just starting to get cold here, nothing is frozen yet. I am hoping once that happens things will improve a little...hopefully. I have always heard there is very little pollen and stuff in the air when everything is frozen.

 

[Okie-dobie]

This is the laundry detergent I use to wash doggie bedding: Laundry Detergent Liquid -HE Laundry Detergent -High Efficiency Laundry Detergent | Seventh Generation

I don't use fabric softener.

Yes I can get that stuff I can also buy fabric sheets that are not made with chemicals.

 

[Violet]

Greta had a yeast infection and I did the whole program the Great Dane Lady talks about. She had a bad yeast infection, half of her tummy was bald and itchy and smelly. She had lost hair and her skin was covered with a dark color.
Yeast infections are very persistent, it took me a year to get over it, but I did and it was hard work.

Looking back I think the most important thing was to leave kibble forever and change to fresh food. Back then I did a mixture of home cooked and raw.

I don´t know exactly how effective the enzymes stuff was. Especially those advertised Ox-E drops - they use them for everything... I don´t know. Good probiotics are surely important.

One thing in my opinion is a scam and that is the Micro Tek stuff. It does help to get the itch under control and to kill yeast from the outside all right. But the stuff they use simply is an antibacterial compound. I looked it up and the compound is not used for humans any more because it is supposed to cause cancer which caused my to through that stuff away. I tinkered around a lot to find what helps externally and in the end the best thing ever was just hand sanitizer on alcohol basis. Killed all external yeast faster than anything else.

So I would advise to check the tummy and inner thighs of your dog thoroughly for black/dark spots or areas. When you rub on these spots they start smelling in a yeasty way. If you think only the ear and the paws are affected, check the ear for dark stuff and that special smell. If yes -I don´t know if one can clean the inner ear with hand sanitizer, I would check that with a vet. On a tummy it is perfect.

 

[mmctaq]

This guy Fatty Acids and Fish Oil for Pets recommends twice as much fish oil as I did. Mary Strauss DogAware.com: Supplements for Dogs recommends what I did as a maximum dose. I might be inclined to add some Evening Primrose Oil, also... enough to provide somewhere around 500 mg. gamma linolenic acid. Whatever is going on, these could be helpful, and they will not be harmful.

This is really a stretch and I feel kind of stupid even suggesting it, but could she be burrowing into the covers in the winter when you keep the temperature down, and could she possibly generally sleep with the itchy-ear-side down? This is why this stuff is both interesting and frustrating, 'cause you find yourself grasping at such out-there straws LOL!

You have a decent filter on your furnace, get your ductwork cleaned out from time to time?

 

[Patches Mom]

Might use Vetericyn to wipe out the ears suppose to be good for about everything. I would not spray it into the ears but maybe spray it on a paper towel and wipe the ear s with it.

 

[Okie-dobie]

Greta had a yeast infection and I did the whole program the Great Dane Lady talks about. She had a bad yeast infection, half of her tummy was bald and itchy and smelly. She had lost hair and her skin was covered with a dark color.
Yeast infections are very persistent, it took me a year to get over it, but I did and it was hard work.

Looking back I think the most important thing was to leave kibble forever and change to fresh food. Back then I did a mixture of home cooked and raw.

I don´t know exactly how effective the enzymes stuff was. Especially those advertised Ox-E drops - they use them for everything... I don´t know. Good probiotics are surely important.

One thing in my opinion is a scam and that is the Micro Tek stuff. It does help to get the itch under control and to kill yeast from the outside all right. But the stuff they use simply is an antibacterial compound. I looked it up and the compound is not used for humans any more because it is supposed to cause cancer which caused my to through that stuff away. I tinkered around a lot to find what helps externally and in the end the best thing ever was just hand sanitizer on alcohol basis. Killed all external yeast faster than anything else.

So I would advise to check the tummy and inner thighs of your dog thoroughly for black/dark spots or areas. When you rub on these spots they start smelling in a yeasty way. If you think only the ear and the paws are affected, check the ear for dark stuff and that special smell. If yes -I don´t know if one can clean the inner ear with hand sanitizer, I would check that with a vet. On a tummy it is perfect.

No she doesn't have any black or dark spots anywhere. But thanks for sharing the info. about the G.D.L.