chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/08/2012 3:26 PM |
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Hi all,
My poor GSP King has been battling a yeast infection for a while now. We have tried many things to help him and none seem to be helping. We switched his food to grain free, have tried Nzymes, we bathe him often but still he continues to scratch and be itchy. His chest skin has taken on the "elephant skin" texture and is pink. His ears are also a problem for him too which I clean out often but still smell bad.
We have been to vets that only prescribe steroids and antibiotics and of course they work for the time he is taking them but he flares right back up once he is off them. We are considering getting blood work and allergy tests done. In the mean time I am wondering if anyone here has experience with dogs with yeast infections and if there is anything we can do for him that can help?
Also there seems to be some swelling near his rear end that I have only noticed earlier today. It is in the area where the hair curls, and only really on his ride side is it swollen. It doesn't seem to be causing him any discomfort, and he doesn't seem bothered when it is touched. I am scheduling an appt with the vet to check it out but I am wondering if anyone has a clue what it could be in the mean time?
Overall he is a lively, happy go-lucky puppy at almost 2 years old, and doesn't seem to let any of these factors effect his lust for life. It just breaks my heart to see him suffering with this skin problem for so long and there seems to be no fix.
Thanks |
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- Michaela |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7843
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| 11/08/2012 4:45 PM |
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My guess is he has an allergy which is causing him both the skin and ear problems. By treating the symptoms you are not getting to the cause. My oldest was allergic to beef and had all kinds of skin and ear problems with both bacterial and yeast infections. Her hair was also very thin and she had itchy eyes too. Took me a long time to figure out 1) that is was probably caused by an allergy and 2) what it was that she was allergic to. The vet I was going to at the time was also not very helpful. I just happened to aks one day about allergies when I had Belle in and she basically said that it might be allergies, but it could be other things as well. So I decided on my own to test my theory of a food allergy and decided to try the same brand dog food, but different protein content first because that was easier than going through an elimination diet. I got lucky because I switched her from a beef based diet to a chicken based diet and gave it two weeks. I actually saw some improvement after only a few days because her skin got less pink and the itchiness subsided. So I kept her on that diet and after a month or so she was completely cleared up. I was lucky that I figured it out so quickly. Since I changed her diet to anything but beef her ears, skin and eyes all cleared up. Since them I have added a coat and skin supplement that has improved her coat even more. So I would look into an allergy and I think because it is skin and ears I would do an elimination diet first before getting the allergy testing which may or may not actually help you.
As for the lump, could it be an anal gland that is impacted? They area you indicate is about the right spot for that type of problem. If he has been on antibiotics it probably wouldn't be hurting or infected either. If so that is a pretty easy fix. The doctor will express it and probably keep him on antibiotics. You will have to keep expressing it though periodically so it doesn't cause a problem again. Usually they out grow any issues with the drainage of anal glands, but on many young dogs they do not express naturally when they poop as they do on adult dogs. Also, could be a cyst or fatty tumor. If it is in the skin probably nothing to worry about, but good to have the vet check it just in case. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/08/2012 6:21 PM |
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We have tried many different variations of foods with no real change.. From beef, chicken, lamb, duck, and now we are on a grain free salmon variety. I'm not sure how it could be an allergy since this problem started when he was around 6 months old, and was still on the same puppy food that the breeder was feeding him since he was old enough to eat kibble. It's all a frustrating mystery to us :S
And for the lump, he has not had any antibiotics or medication in almost a year, would that still have an affect? He doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all but we will have a vet look at it. |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 11/08/2012 6:53 PM |
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Have you tried high powered probiotics? Just as when a human gets a yeast overgrowth from too many antibiotics ( or other causes) adding live cultures usually helps.
By some human grade stuff from a health food store, I have been told the ones that need to be refrigerated are the best (I have used human grade non-refrigerated ones for my dog but his was never as bad as your guy).
If you haven't tried Zymox for his ears you might. It is excellent for yeasty ears and is enzyme based. They make a shampoo too - which I haven't tried.
Even if you have his allergies under control at this point his body is out of balance. I personally would try the probiotics before any other meds
Good luck |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/08/2012 7:51 PM |
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| Could I use probiotic yogurt too? and what is the Zymox and where can I get it? |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 11/09/2012 5:30 AM |
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You can use yogurt but it won't be strong enough to really help him now - later on it might be great to maintain a better balance for him but I think at this point he is suffering from such a significant yeast overgrowth that he needs the stronger stuff.
I do know a groomer that uses plain yogurt with live cultures to bath dogs with yeast issues
Here is a link to the Zymox ear drops - fabulous stuff
http://www.amazon.com/Pet-King-Enzymatic-Solution-Ounces/dp/B0025YOJXS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352464074&sr=8-1&keywords=zymox |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/09/2012 2:23 PM |
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| Okay thank you so much! Is there any sort of guidelines for how much probiotics to offer and how often? |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 11/09/2012 2:27 PM |
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you know I don't think there are - but what I did was to buy the human grade stuff and just give him one a day.
Not sure if the vet would say more or like one vet told me "it won't make any difference" but it did and has for tons of dogs
Really hoping it gives your boy some relief! |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/09/2012 2:51 PM |
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| How are they packaged? Pills? Powder? Just want to know what to look out for when I go to buy them. And the ones that need to be refridgerated, I assume will find them in the refridgerated section of the health food store? |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 11/09/2012 4:58 PM |
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I have bought tablets and capsules in the past. I believe the stronger ones are capsules and yes I found them in near the others but in a fridge, I am sure you can ask for them. It is my understanding that the refrigerated ones are better/ more powerful
Btw the Zymox worked swiftly for Bugsy - you don't need a ton |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/09/2012 5:31 PM |
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Awesome, thank you so much!  I think I'm going to try the Zymox shampoo and rinse for him aswell, hopefully we can get his skin back to normal. |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 11/10/2012 4:51 AM |
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I sure hope it helps, poor guy!!
Give him a belly rub for me! |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/10/2012 1:21 PM |
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Will do  by the way has anyone heard of using a white vinegar and water mixture in the ears for yeast? I am looking for other options to use while I wait for the Zymox. I have "Vet Solutions Ear Cleaner" that I got from my vet a while ago that I'm using and seems to do a good job keeping ears cleaned but I will be running out soon and need a replacement til the good stuff gets here! |
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- Michaela |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7843
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| 11/10/2012 3:08 PM |
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| The vinegar and water should help. All you are donning is upping the ph in the ear which kills the yeast as it can't live in a acidly environment. Google on the web too as there are lots of home made ear cleaners. If it is infected though you will need an antibiotic to clear that up. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/10/2012 3:36 PM |
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| I have heard that antibiotics strip the good bacteria from inside the dog? We have put him on antibiotics for this sort of thing before and they worked for the duration he was on them and then back to square one once he was off them. We have already spent hundreds of dollars at the vets at this point and are looking for alternatives because vet visits are becoming too expensive. |
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- Michaela |
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chaelaa
Ontario
MH
Posts:62
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| 11/10/2012 4:39 PM |
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This is the probiotic I picked up today
http://www.renewlife.com/ultimate-flora-critical-care-50-billion.html
1 a day probiotic with 10 strains of microflora vegetable capsules. Are these the probiotics to use??
Also we are feeding him Performatrin Ultra Grain-Free dog food with Turkey, Duck and Salmon, but I was told that yeasty dogs need to be put on a low-glycemic low-carb diet. Less sugar the better? Anyone know of any decently priced foods that fall under this category that we can try that is available in Canada? |
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- Michaela |
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kpwlee
Raleigh, NC
MH
Posts:994
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| 12/11/2012 5:41 AM |
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| checking in to see if you've had any improvement? |
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It's Bugsy's world...
http://dailyzoomie.blogspot.com/ |
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