Yeast Infection after taking Antibiotics

FishAl

Hello,  My female Bull Terrier Peppa (3 years old) was recently treated with Antibiotics for an injury to a nail.  She has since developed a yeast infection in her ears and between her toes which we were treating with medicated shampoo and ear drops.  I was wondering if there was an alternative less harsh treatment.  She has an existing skin condition which has also flared up. We think her skin condition is an allergy to something in her environmental which is something we can't change. Can anyone recommend a shampoo or treatment for these skin conditions (other then changing her environment) that will give her some relief.

Djammy

Sorry, today I do not have a lot of time available for my answer. 

Therefore just a few tips to get you started. If you need more information or have questions I will be happy to answer. But it may take a day or two. Also I think it will not take long for others to weigh in in this discussion.

The people in this forum are very friendly and always helpful.

The best way to tackle the issue is to fight it on different levels:

1. Fight the yeast

2. Relieve the itch

3. Avoid secondary infection (e.g. bacteria) and inflammation

1. Anti-fungal/ Anti-bacterial dips, shampoos, soaks and washes have proven quite effective here. However, they all take time and require consistency.

Search the forum topics for Benzalkonium chloride, Chlorhexidine, Apple Cider Vinegar (the one WITH mother), virgin Coconut oil (unrefined!) or in general the keyword “yeast infection”. The last one will bring up even more remedies.

You will find a lot of useful information. Also you will realize there is a whole lot of OTC meds available.

Most of these remedies will also take care of step 3 at the same time and help you to disinfect affected areas.

Although it is good to keep your dog’s feet clean and dry in this situation, try not to bathe him too often.

A combination of dips, lotions or topical washes etc. and a weekly complete bath during the time of the worst issues instead of daily complete bathing for example will help to reduce the risk of drying out your dog’s skin too much, which would be counterproductive in the given situation.

2. To relieve the itch you can try to give Benadryl. Google the dose for dogs! Not every dog responds to it, but it is worth a try, as some owners have seen great results with it. I am one of them.

Also there are itch relieving OTC shampoos, dips, creams and sprays available.

Many of them contain Lidocaine or other topical anesthetics which tend to wear off quickly, especially when your dog is licking. But many of these preparations also contain Hydrocortisone to help the body heal the inflamed skin. So they can be a good choice for different reasons.

Externally applied Corticosteroids luckily can be quite helpful. However, I would limit their use,

because they are said to make the skin thin and more susceptible to environmental influences. In the long run the overuse of external Corticosteroids can therefore also turn out to be counterproductive.

Make sure your dog's feet and affected skin folds are always dry. Especially after rinsing and washing towel dry them real good. Yeast strives in damp environments!

From the inside you can aid by also giving (feeding) organic virgin Coconut oil (unrefined!), Apple Cider Vinegar (WITH mother!) or plain Yogurt - provided your dog is not allergic to any of these.

The Yogurt should be sugar-free and low- or no-fat. Best you can get is Greek yogurt.

The cultures in the yogurt help your dog’s digestive system to recover from the round of antibiotics and restore its natural flora and PH.

If possible, avoid sugars in your dogs nutrition (only sugar- and grain-free treats, no fruit for a while) and try to feed only low starch vegetables such as carrots, broccoli or peas.

Be prepared for a long-term therapy here rather than hoping for immediate results.

Yeast can be persistent. Even if you are lucky and see quick results, do not stop your therapy too early. Just give the yeast time to completely die off.

I would try to decide for a reasonable amount of measures and medications to start with. If you use too many different things at once, it will be hard to figure out the culprit in case adverse reactions occur.

If your dog has allergy problems and you do not know the cause yet, besides environmental triggers, always take a closer look at the nutrition. It can play an unbelievably huge part in allergy issues!!!

philsergeant

And for immediate elimination of the yeast infection in the ears, use
this....  on the outer ear.  It will get rid of the yeast build up that is
there, but as Djammy says... you must eliminate the source.... What is
she  eating currently?

FishAl

Thank you for your response, it will be very helpful.  At the moment she's on a dry dog food called Advance(chicken).  We've stopped feeding her any treats.

FishAl

I may have to find an alternative to the ointment you recommended.  Don't think I can get this in Australia.

philsergeant

Another one you can try is Zymox (Photo below) it is not as immediately effective as Remicin but it works within a few days.
I am not familiar with that Aussie Breed, is it grain free?

FishAl

Thanks again, I'm not sure if the food I have been feeding her is grain free.  I'll check before purchasing my next bag.

philsergeant

Got to be Grain-Free, in everything, treats and chews too.

Djammy

IF the food is grain-free, you will know that from the bag, as this is a powerful marketing point for the higher-end manufacturers.
Sadly omitting the grains does not always solve all problems. But it is definitely a good start!!!

And like philsergeant says watching treats too is important.

I have a recipe for homemade jerky treats and one for sugar- and grain-free treats on my Blog:

http://www.bullterrierfun.com/homemade-dog-jerky-treats-recipe/
http://www.bullterrierfun.com/homemade-dog-treats-carrot-coconut-mini-cookies/

Maybe you like to try one of these to gain better control over what you feed to your dog.

jcurtis

Boy oh boy miss had prob a month of antibiotics after the emergency vet. Which led to yeast infection I thin . Its been hectic of sorts with three different dogs when I get one healed something else happened miss and Bianca now. AT LEAST I KEEP THEM ALL N CHECK. I've got the phtovet the CLAVOMAX I gave to her that was for yeast
Now zymox otic hc DARK AT THE BASE'S OF THE NAILS
THE WHITE BULLS SKIN AND COAT CAN GET AGGRAVATING BUT OH THERES NOTHING MORE MAJESTIC THAN A WHITE BULL. SO the NUVET acv and coconut oil. IVE STUDIED UP ON WHAT U GUYS HAVE DONE. SO ILL GIVE IT A TRY.

SharkJet

Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water. Helps with a multitude of problems, good even if your pet is healthy. Braggs is best, but any brand is better than nothing. Like any good thing, it won't happen after 1 or 2 days, be consistent and expect results after a few weeks.

jcurtis

Seon

Excuse my ignorance, I notice the dark color at the base of the nails but what's the paw photo depicting?

BulliesofNC

@Seon - I think she's trying to show the evidence of yeast build up within her Bullie due to the noticeable dark color at the base of the nails. This is very common for the Bull Terrier breed especially with the white ones. It's merely an indication that the particular dog does in fact show a build up of yeast within their system. This may not mean that the dog has a bad yeast problem but it does mean they need to be kept in check in order to prevent too much yeast in their system which could lead to more predominant yeast problems that could escalate to their ears, toes and feet, and underbelly area.

Seon

Thanks for that.  Reason I asked is because my mini, Raider has dark coloring on the base of his nails on his front paws only.  When the Vet examined him, she said it's nothing to worry about...humm(?) .  He doesn't show any signs of yeast but I'll certainly keep a close eye on him.  Thanks

Seon

I just checked his nails and they are all clear.

jcurtis

YEA miss was clear till emergency vet visit. Since Nov 1 TEETOTAL DIET CHANGE. NO DOG BISCUITS. EATING DOG FOOD.
YEA I WAS MAKN SURE IT WSS NORMAL AND NOT ANYTHING TO RUN TO THE VET OVER IVE OVER VETTED MY BABE. STILL FEEDING HALF TOTW AND half CANIDAE. White bulls.
Her belly and paws ears r yeast free. SO ILL KEEP IT N CHECK.
SORRY GUYS. IVE BEEN COMPLAINING OVER DADS ROTTY PUPPY. I WANTED ALL BULLIES.