Yeast infection in both ears as well as paw

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

My year and half GD has had reoccurring yeast ear infections and now a yeasty paw :( With our most recent one  I have followed Vet orders Gentizol 3 times a day and an ear rinse every other day for the last 3 weeks and I followed up in the vets office at week 2 and will again at week 4. I will say so far there looks to be no difference.

Maggie has always been on a quality dog food TOTW salmon. The Vet mentioned food allergies, but I have heard mixed information on if food can cause yeast infections.

Any recommendations on things that have worked for you?

 

[Trudy Harlow]

Well, I totally agree with you, actually. 

Here's another question:  do you think that stripping the fur in the ears on a regular basis creates an environment where fungus can flourish (ie, skin inflammation from the pulling of the fur)?  I'm concerned about this, but Paddy's ears are densely furry all the way down to the bottom of his ear canal and I'm sure that's why our treatments are so short-lived -- we can't get the medicine in far enough and all of the fur out.  I've considered just taking him back in for repeated "power washes" at the vet's since I just can't get his ear as fully irrigated with medicine.  The poor little guy really suffers with the ear infections -- and yes, he has allergies out the wazoo.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If the fur is not removed from the ear canal correctly, it can definitely lead to yeast and/or bacterial infections. If it's done incorrectly, it can leave raw areas and abrasions, and even just an irritation/inflammation can turn into an infection from the dog's rubbing, scratching, etc. An inexperienced groomer once gave my poodle a raging infection with rough careless removal of the hair in the ear canal, she actually gouged the ear canal with the hemostat.

But that thick woolly hair left in that nice dark moist airless place is the absolute best environment for fungus to flourish. So it's got to be removed gently and carefully, and the ears kept clean and dry. Some people also regularly put their dogs ears up on top of their heads with a scrunchie, like a pony tail, to let some air circulate in there.

[Trudy Harlow]

I do that too -- only without the scrunchie.  His ears aren't long enough for that, so when we sit and I'm patting him, I'll hold his ear flaps up while he's getting the love.

I have to take him back in for a post-med checkup so I suppose I'll have his one bad ear stripped again.  Interestingly, the other one is rarely yeasty.  Go figure.

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

we also have one yeasty ear, the other (even if it does get yeasty) is always much better

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

Update 4 months later:

We are still have some issues but with Vet supervision and learning a few things here and there we are keeping the yeast issues at minimum but it is a constant battle. Our Vet believe she genetically predisposed to these yeast infections and we have combined medical as well as home remedy to combat it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Glad you've found a way to manage Maggie's ear issues! I agree with your vet.

[Carrie B and Maggie Goldendoodle]

just to add some of the things we are doing:

At home: ear rinse 2 times a week, keeping the ear hair removed and hair at bottom base trimmed very low to help with some air flow, we have added a spoonful of plain yogurt to her diet at dinner time, during petting and grooming time we lift each ear for a while to expose to air in the hopes of helping with some air flow (she shakes a scrunchie right out)

At the Vet: she is taking daily allergy meds and the from time to time she will take steriods

Finger crossed that these things keep the yeast in check.

 

 

 

[Laurie, Wally & Charlotte]

Carrie,

Here are a few additional options that might help.  Combined, they rid Wally of chronic ear infections, as well as yeast between his toes.  After consulting several vets and a dermatologist, I came up with this "magic" recipe mostly on my own.  Here's what worked for my guy:

1)  Use Desenex powder (for Athlete's foot) between Maggie's toes, after wiping them with Malakeet pads.  Keep the hair between those toes cut short.  (Use a blunt-tipped scissors.)

2)  Rinse her ears weekly with Malacetic Otic solution.

3)  Give her Holistic Animal Care's yeast and fungal d'tox two times per day. Drop the solution onto pieces of freeze-dried meat, so that it's absorbed first.

4)  Sprinkle Animal Essential's probiotic powder onto her food once per day.  Keep it refrigerated.

5)  Eliminate all food and treats that contain grains, corn, starches, peas, potatoes, and all forms of carbohydrates.  You want to reduce the chance for what she's eating to turn into sugars, which in turn can turn into yeast.

6)  Switch to a raw diet.  I feed Wally Primal's frozen meat patties. 

This worked for Wally, and I hope it helps Maggie, too.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dietary sugars (carbohydrates) in the digestive tract do not turn into yeast, or contribute to yeasts on the skin.  You do read that on websites which are not based in scientific fact or logic, but it isn't true.

Whether food is raw or cooked has nothing to do with yeast infections or allergies. Again, the information you find on many websites that promote this idea are not based in scientific fact or research.

When giving advice on medical issues, we want to try to keep our advice based on sound scientific fact and information for which there is documented clinical evidence.

It's great to share what worked for you. I am glad that your "magic" recipe is working for you, but you don't really know which of the 6 items is responsible for the improvement and which aren't. And of course, we don't know if the cause and type of infection your dog was experiencing was the same as Maggie's.