
What is yeast in dogs?
Yeast is a fungus which lives on your dog’s skin and in the intestines. It is normally harmless in healthy dogs, but when the yeast is allowed to grow, your pup can suffer from a fungal infection. Two species of yeast can be a problem, Candida Albicans and Malassezia. It is normally found more in dogs fed a high carbohydrate dry diet.
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How do I know if my dog has a yeast infection?
Yeasty dogs can be quite smelly and below are a few signs:
Licking and chewing their paws
Smelly greasy ears
Constant ear infections
Speckles of black skin on the stomach
Rusty-coloured hair between the toes and genitals
Hair loss around the tail
Weepy stained eyes and hair
If your pup has any of these signs they may likely have a yeast problem and this should be treated as quickly as possible. Often, this can take quite some time.
What do I do to help my dog?
The most important thing you can do to help your pup is to take out all carbohydrates and any sugary food in their diet. Yeast loves sugar and feeds on it, so by removing this culprit from your pup’s diet, the body is then starved of sugars which will allow the body to heal. The foods below are the worst to feed your pup with a yeast problem:
Corn
Rice
Wheat
Peas
Potatoes
Any fruit or vegetables.
Removing these foods is essential to stave the body of sugar and the fruit and vegetables can be re-introduced into the diet when the yeast has been killed The first 5 ingredients do not have a place in a dog’s diet and should never be fed. This can take several months.
What does yeast like to feed on?
Yeast loves to feed on sugar so it is important to remove all sugar from the diet including any carbohydrates (as they also turn to sugar). Yeast also feeds on heavy metals which may be found in:
Fish and some fish oil
Pesticides
Poor quality water
Vaccinations
Some commercial pet foods
How long does it take for my dog to get better?
Depending on how bad the yeast problem is in your pup, it can take a few weeks or months. Feeding a fresh raw diet with no fruit and vegetables is the best way to start and will help your pup detox. Book a personal consultation today. The problem can become worse before it improves as the body detoxes and this can often come out in:
Weepy eyes
A runny nose
Ear infections
Some hair loss
It is important to continue however difficult things become as detoxing the body may help prevent:
Kidney disease
Heart disease
Neurological diseases
When the body has gone through a complete detox, you can then start adding small amounts of fruit and vegetables back into the diet - seasonal and organic is always best if possible.
As the yeast starts to die, toxic substances called acetaldehyde and gliotoxin can be released into your pup and you may see some flu-like symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea and joint pain - this is known as the Herxheimer Reaction and it may last for a few days to a few weeks.
What is the best diet I can give my yeasty dog?
The best foods to give your yeasty dog would be foods free of fruit and vegetables, so either your own DIY diet or an 80.10.10 made-up diet from www.paleoridge.co.uk who produce excellent quality food. This way you will be starving the body of the sugar we mentioned earlier. It is also important to make sure your pup has no treats with any grains, carbs and sugars. Dehydrated treats such as
Dehydrated lamb or venison lung
Dehydrated lamb, beef, chicken, turkey or venison heart
Beef Trachea - raw or dehydrated
Dehydrated strips of kidney, spleen and meat
What supplements can I add to help my dog with yeast problem?
Giving your dog digestive enzymes between meals is important as they make your pup’s digestive tract more acidic, making it less attractive for yeast to survive.
MCT oil found in coconut oil and known as “medium-chain triglyceride” is believed to kill candida by destroying the cell membrane, so it is a great addition to your pup’s diet, it also can reduce any potential seizures in dogs, so a few times per week, just a teaspoon (as too much may cause diarrhoea) adding in this great oil can only be positive.
Keeping your pup’s gut healthy is also important and feeding a balanced raw diet will certainly help with this. Tripe is full of pre and pro-biotics and although sometimes a little smelly, is a great addition to your dog’s diet.
Although you may think products like yoghurt, kefir and fermented foods may help your pup, these should be avoided until the yeast has disappeared.
Conclusion
The above advice does work but may take time - apologies for this but we see “yeast in dogs” so often and we believe it is caused by the wrong diet - be patient and your pup will get better.
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