Homeopathic treatment for dog ear yeast infection?

[chisNchickens]

I have to comment here on the only diet is a raw diet. Here is my two cents. I volunteer at a vet clinic. I also work at a pet food store that is dedicated to feeding healthy, safe foods. That being said, those foods are in line with Holistic Vet practice. We do not sell Royal Cainin, Science Diet or any grocery brands. My Bernese Mountain Dod has been on grain free his entire life. We are just starting to battle a seasonal yeast overgrowth on his paws. My Berner cannot handle raw. It goes right through him. The raw I have fed is Nature's Variety and Spring Meadows. Both high quality and balanced. While I agree the domestic dog is built the same as a wild dog, the one important factor that is left out in your comment is that of the FACT that wolves, wild and domestic dogs are NOT true carnivores. They require carbohydrate in the form of fruits and vegetables. My only option is to go towards a limited ingredient diet or to home cook for my boy. The limited ingredient diet I choose is natural Balance, Sweet Potato Fish. I too have done extensive research on this topic and it angers me to hear and see people make comments on dogs being carnivores and not requiring fruits and vegetables. Yes, grains are not required, but in some cases, low GI grains can solve some problems. Loose stools being one of them.

Sorry, forgot about this thread but felt the need to reply. Dogs are not omnivores, they are carnivores. They are not "obligate" carnivores like cats, as I mentioned in my previous post they can eat other food items in order to survive such as in the event of food scarcity. They do not require fruits and vegetables as you stated. They lack the ability to process cellulose. For instance, try feeding raw carrots or any veggie or fruit and see how it looks when it is excreted. Exactly the same. This is why folks who do choose to feed fruits and veggies puree them - otherwise they pass through undigested. Proof enough for me that they are not a natural part of the diet. We humans have a tendency to want to believe that what is good for us is good for our pets, to their detriment. They absolutely do not require carbohydrates and giving fruits and vegetables on a regular basis is taxing on the system. I not only have done extensive research, but have been feeding this way for many, many years. Additionally, I would suggest that your berner has underlying issues that are causing him to have digestive issues. In twenty years I have never seen a dog that could not be transitioned to raw. It can take some time especially with an older dog with a weak digestive tract (from never having to function normally). A dog that has been eating nothing but kibble (even grain-free) all his life will have an impaired digestive system and therefore an impaired immune system. Add all the unnecessary toxins like vaccines and pesticides and it is compounded. One of the first signs of toxic overload is skin issues such as red,itchy skin, yeast infections, odor,etc.

 

[stillearning]

Hi, I wonder how that dog's ears are doing now... didn't see an update.

About dog food, I have been hearing of people and even seeing people feeding vegetarian or even vegan like in this website:

http://thevegantruth.blogspot.ca/2013/01/dogs-that-eat-vegan-directory.html?m=1

Also, several very long living dogs were vegetarian.

In the wild, wolves apparently eat the stomach of the prey first, which has the partially digested grains etc. Some people then cook grains and other veggies and add raw apple cider vinegar to it, simulating the stomach of prey.

My six year old German Shepherd/Lab cross started healing her yeast issues in ears and between toes etc when I started giving her a tablespoon of raw ACV in her food at each meal. (I feed her twice a day)

I have heard that some grains are perfectly ok for dogs, especially high protein easily digestible grains like quinoa... as long as it's cooked first.

Here is a crazy idea, do you think we are not giving our dogs enough hard bones to chew, resulting then in decreasing the eustacian tubes from draining on a regular basis and thus developing ear yeast infections?

Stil learning.

 

[Dogonedog]

HELLO,
Well after spending hundreds of dollars on my Lab at several different vets always the same "answer, must be allergy's" here is some antibiotics, steroids,ear medication and a two hundred dollar bill. It would clear things up until you run out of meds then it starts all over again.My Lab Ky had lost his hair on his under belly had crusty yellow scale inflamed ears mucous in his eyes he was in bad shape, so I started trying some natural remedy's some kinda worked some did not. Then I tried Braggs apple cider mixed 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. I sprayed every part of him that looked bad (except eyes) sprayed in his ears after three days he was much better, after a week almost completely cured. No more scratching licking or shaking his head he is like his old self.If it looks like its coming back I spray him again.Total cost under 5 bucks. It worked for us.

 

[SunnySkies]

Chronic yeast infections are usually diet related. My new vet surprised me by knowing this little gem!!!.

I am an old vet, and I know this...if I see a dog more than twice with an ear infection, I start suspecting diet along with ear anatomy that predisposes to infections.

I can't change anatomy, short of surgery (and YES, sometimes they need surgery because their ears are so painful) but I can change diet.

I have no idea where someone got the idea posted above that vets only get their nutrition education from Hill's or other pet food manufacturers, but that is NOT true. I had an actual course or two, taught by veterinarians and nutritionists not affiliated with any food company, with no brand names ever mentioned. I don't care what food someone feeds during a food trial as long as the following criteria are met:

1. All novel proteins. If you ever fed your dog any food with trout, or venison, or lamb, or beef, or whatever, or you fed your dog remnants of something you hunted, don't use that protein. It has to be something your dog has never eaten. For instance, I cannot ever do a food trial on my own dogs with any food that uses lamb, chicken, beef, bison, or venison.
2. All novel carbs. Again, read the label carefully. Some treats are made with sweet potatoes, so that complicates matters in selecting a food to try. Again, you can't have ever fed your dog that carb source, so rice, wheat, corn, sweet potato, etc are often out. This is why it is often easer to use something with duck and green peas...what dog has ever really been fed that, for instance.
3. Make sure there is no fats or anything that could not be novel, like chicken fat in bison and venison with sweet potatoes or something like that. It is NOT an allergy free diet in that case. Don't worry about the vitamins and minerals. Those don't seem to be the root cause of allergies.
4. NO treats, no rawhides, no bones, nothing except dog food. I sometimes allow raw carrots, green beans and apples on a allergy diet for treats if the owner flat out says they have to give some treats and they are not currently feeding such.
5. MINIMUM 8 weeks, preferably 12, before deciding it doesn't work.
6. I have even gone so far as to take the dog off HEartgard and use Revolution for 2-3 months because it has a little beef in it.

If it improves some, you are probably looking at a combination of things: food allergy, environmental allergy, anatomy, and perhaps lifestyle, all keeping the nasty cycle going.

I have had clients try ACV, white vinegar, boric acid, etc, and it always comes back. Eventually.

I always prescribe the once a day treatments for at least 21 days. Yeast is HARD to kill. And if the ear improves some but does not clear up, I go another 21 days or switch to a mixture we make in-house.

If a dog has a chronic skin issue, it always has an allergy IME. Hard to find sometimes, but if we can find it, we often significantly improve the pet and the owner's quality of life. But I always start with a food trial because we can control what the dog eats, but we can't control the environment nearly as well.

I have been doing more allergy testing, and I have had dogs come back allergic to everything including human dander. For those dogs, allergy injections are the only solution.

Beware of "saliva allergy testing" as they don't even do that in humans; I did a huge google search one day looking for information on that, and there isn't much evidence that it works and none at all in humans.

 

[Miss Lynda]

This may not be true for everyone...but treating the ears may be the wrong place to start. Some dogs, "chew" on their feet, causing dampness between their toes, causing yeast infections to begin there...consequently, they pass it on to the rest of their bodies, including the ears when scratching, etc.

Keeping the toes dry is one of the ways to see if that is where the source of the infection coul be starting.

 

[chisNchickens]

My dog was having the same problems ... we discovered (by doing a food trial) it was her food she has allergies to meat (she can't have any meat only fish) either that or she gets ear infections ... she is now eating Natural Balance Sweet Potato & Fish and hasn't had a problem since then ...

Oh my, I guarantee your dog is not allergic to meat. We need to stop feeding inappropriate "food" to our dogs. I have many dogs and never have a health issue...clean ears (flop or prick), sweet smelling coat and breath, healthy skin.
Feeding this new recipe may very well help for a while, but it WILL come back. A dog is not intended to eat grains - even cooked (or rather over-cooked) grain in dog food. If you are sick of the skin issues, ear infections, and more then please read my "Availability" page on my web site. I simply don't have the strength/energy to type that much here. If you love your dog - please read it.
http://www.tipschihuahuas.com/page3.html

 

[res]

... A dog is not intended to eat grains - even cooked (or rather over-cooked) grain in dog food.

Do you have any laboratory or university studies to back up that statement?

I am curious because I hear the general public repeating such things all the time, yet no one can provide any proof that dogs are "not intended to eat grains in any form". I have researched and been educated on Hill's Science Diet, Purina, and Royal Canin, and they DO have laboratory proof that their diets are acceptable and proper, and in the cases of their prescription lines, prolong the life of the pet.

Who has done an actual proven study on "meat-only" diets?

 

[SunnySkies]

Dogs can become allergic to meats. Beef is actually one of the top allergens in dogs. I do not recommend a grain-only diet, as corn and wheat and rice are also potential allergens, but dogs are omnivores by nature, not obligate carnivores like cats. They can and do well when they have a level of carbs in their diet.

I do not agree with some of the carbs used, as I feel they are potential sources of issues (corn, wheat, rice) and find many patients react to them, but I would really not recommend an all-meat diet. Vital nutrients would be missing, in addition to a potential allergic issue.

If one suspects a food allergy, it is best to use a novel protein and novel carb source for at least 8 weeks to allow the body time to clear the allergens from the body and see how the dog's symptoms are at that point. Better, great. Some of my clients stop and are happy. Others have challenged back, one protein or one carb at a time, to try to find the offending food. Others are not improved by much if any, and at that point, I suspect environmental allergies.

Do not forget parasites though.

Chewing feet is highly, highly suggestive of allergies.

 

[cj7795]

oops ... didn't mean to reply here ... replied to a post above

 

[cj7795]

Oh my, I guarantee your dog is not allergic to meat.  We need to stop feeding inappropriate "food" to our dogs.  I have many dogs and never have a health issue...clean ears (flop or prick), sweet smelling coat and breath, healthy skin.
Feeding this new recipe may very well help for a while, but it WILL come back.  A dog is not intended to eat grains - even cooked (or rather over-cooked) grain in dog food.  If you are sick of the skin issues, ear infections, and more then please read my "Availability" page on my web site.  I simply don't have the strength/energy to type that much here.  If you love your dog - please read it.
http://www.tipschihuahuas.com/page3.html

I clicked on your link & I read the page you recommended we read ... the fact of the matter is you don't know every dog ... I used to work in a vet's office as a vet assistant & we did extensive allergy testing & my dog is, in fact, allergic to meat (other than Fish) ... she has been on the same food for a number of years & we have had NO issues since putting her on her current food. The Raw Meat Diet is not for everbody & won't work for every dog (obvisouly if I were to feed my dog that diet it would be a HUGE health issue to her). Please, don't get me wrong ... I do respect your opinion but because this particular diet works for you it won't work for everybody.
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