Dog Not Responding To Any Treatments For Yeast Or Mange
I'm trying desperately not to go to the vet because this is where it all began, but I feel that I am failing my dog miserably. In September of 2014 my dog had a score on his toe with extreme scratching, so I took my dog in. They gave me a soak for his toe & said the scratching was due to allergies which they prescribed antibiotics & steroids even without doing a skin scraping. I had no idea about that until after the fact.
I gave my dog his medication until it was gone, but then I had to go out of town for a week & left my dog with my children, who have 2 dogs of their own. When I got back my poor dog was in terrible shape, way worse then he was before I left. I started reading online about how bad dog food can be for him with grains, so I immediately put him on Wellness Core no grain, no nothing food. I first thought for sure it was mange & we started giving him treatments from Happy Dogs Natural & he almost seemed to be getting better until we got down to the very last couple of treatments & he got very sick & his skin almost seemed as if it was falling off (he lost a bunch of hair). We stopped immediately & slowly nursed him back & his hair started to grow back in.
I have tried ACV, Coconut Oil, Oregano, Acidophilus, Betdine, Salmon Oil, Vinegar & Hydrogren Peroxide, Anti Fungal Shampoo's & Diatomaceous Earth & Yogurt. None of this has helped him & now I'm in fear of taking him to the vets & he has a terrible ear infection & yeast sores & scratching - please help, I don't know what to do anymore. Does anyone know of a 100% treatment that I have not disclosed already?
Mpls., Mn
03/27/2015
Hey Vsherry9!
I wish there was something that was 100% - I would be right next to you in line to buy it! What we have instead are many approaches to achieve a dog with calm skin.
When itchy season comes along - and I am in MN, so similar to you in weather - it seems the spring molds when all the snow melts trigger some of my pack. At the first sign of any bacterial infections in the skin folds [I have bulldogs] I add baking soda to the water. I start with 1 teaspoon of baking soda per liter of water - I just measure out a pitcher full and use that as their only drinking water. After 7 days I reduce to 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to 1 liter of water, and then after 7 days reduce down to 1/4 teaspoon per liter of water. I alkalize right along with my dogs and drink the same water ;-)
Next, I deal with the itchy skin by first bathing in Ted's mange remedy, and then move on to the Anti-fungal/Anti-staph remedy; this can also be used in the ears for the yeasty ears. I might alternate by bathing in an oatmeal shampoo followed up with a vinegar rinse if the first two remedies seem to be drying the skin [I have found it takes many baths to dry the skin.]
Also during allergy season or onset of symptoms I do a hard switch on the diet - say from beef formula to turkey; the idea is to completely switch the protien source - easier said than done when many diets contain a multitude of protien sources. For my pack and the rate we go through chow, this means switching the protien source every 2 weeks; badly afflicted dogs may benefit from a switch on a daily basis, making home diets ideal for those dogs. In addition to changing up the diet, I also sprinkle the kibble with turmeric and may add kelp and vitamin C, all to boost the immune system. Another immune booster is colostrum that may make a huge difference for your pet. I would also supplement quercetin for the inflammation. BTW I would skip the yogurt and use the acidophillus from the refrigerator section of the health food store - the key is to vary the strains of probiotic so that over time you feed a wide variety of strains and not the same kind over and over; over saturation of the gut with too much of one kind of flora gives you the same result as a gut full of yeast.
Given your switch to the new diet was fairly recent, it is entirely possible your dog is suffering from a systemic yeast infection; a particularly yeasty smelling dog would warrant Ted's borax protocol for pets.
One last thing; if this were my dog I would not hesitate to see the vet, get a shot of prednisilone or cortisone to stop the itching and treat the ears. The shot of pred will stop the itching, giving the skin a chance to heal, and provide you with an opportunity to implement the above changes to the water and diet. And because the pred does suppress the immune system it is critical that you do follow up with immune boosters as suggested above.
Keep in mind that it takes time to heal - particularly from the inside out. So no overnight results for dogs with itchy skin, just day by day management as you work your way back to health.
Orange County
03/31/2015
