The Beast Called Yeast

Yeast.....

Candida Albicans is a species of yeast that lives naturally in the digestive tract.

Malassezia is a species of yeast that lives on the body. These yeast normally occur and aren't a problem until they overgrow

What happens when it overgrows? Your pup gets a yeast infection....smelly ears and feet (think Fritos), scratching and a miserable fur baby. Why do they overgrow? Immune problems, antibiotic use, allergies, stress, poor diet.......When they overgrow, they create a problem that needs to be taken care of. Yeast infections that are left untreated can lead to other problems and become harder to treat.

Symptoms:

Chewing feet or feet that smell like Fritos

Black skin

Thickened Skin

Greasy Hair

Hot Spots

Ear infections/shking of the head

Gray/rusty color around genitals

Seasonal Allergies

Speckles under belly

Yeast causes "leaky gut"which can complicate treating a yeast infection. Healing the gut can go a long way in helping fix lots of issues as well as yeast. The intestinal lining is like a tightly woven fabric but when things bombard that lining (ie. Antibiotics, vaccinations, yeast) the lining slowly loosens and instead of being tight, it loosens (for example like gauze) and allows the yeast and other things access to the blood stream.

Let's talk about how to fight it!!

Yeast LOVES startch and sugars-

Remove any rice, millet, potatoes, sweet potatoes, wheat, corn , oats and peas from the diet. Processed foods are heavy in carbs which turn to sugar. A home cooked or raw diet helps with this. Not everyone can afford to treat raw or home cooked but whatever you can do to add more wholesome foods, less carbs and startches to your dogs bowl, the better.

Yeast LOVES heavy metals-

Heavy metals are found in vaccinations, industrial waste, pesticides, poor water, fish and kibble.

-avoid over vaccinations

-give spring water instead of tap water

-avoid fish and low quality fish oils

-feed organic whenever you can

*Feed a whole food or raw diet if able. (No startchy carbs)

*Give a good quality MCT Oil. Go slowly with this as it can cause diarrhea

*Add good soil based probiotics

*Avoid Fermented Foods

*Apple Cider Vinegar- make sure to dilute and never use one open sores, near eyes or genitalia and do not put in the ears

*Oregano Oil - diluted in a carrier oil

-1to 2 drops per 1 tsp of carrier oil

-put on cotton ball and wipe over affected area

*Olive Leaf -use powdered form

-SM 1/4tsp

-MED 1/2tsp

-Lg 1tsp

*Pau d'arco -an antifungal from South America

100mg extra small dog

200 mg small

300mg medium

400mg Lg

500mg XL sized dog

Once the yeast is gone, make sure to continue the use of a good quality food and probiotics to maintain great gut health.

Sources:

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/skin/yeast-infections-dogs

https://blog.ultimatedog.com/dog-candida-how-to-resolve-your-dogs-chronic-yeast-infections/

Dr Judy's Yeast Protocol https://drjudymorgan.com/

The Herbal Dog By Rita Hogan, C.H.