July 8, 2019

Allergies

So how do you know if your dog has allergies or a yeast infection? Dogs are just as susceptible to allergens as humans are, and sometimes can be even more sensitive them. If it is allergies, it’s a result of your dog’s immune system no working properly, something has attacked it, without you knowing until a health is sue arises. So first, you will need to find out what caused the allergic reaction – whether it be food, a bug bite or something else in the environment. Start eliminating things from his diet to determine what it is. With your dog’s immune system already compromised, yeast can become an issue. There are 3 different kinds of infections: fungal, bacterial and yeast. Sometimes vets can diagnose these wrong, as they exhibit similar signs.

Symptoms of Allergies in Dogs

Itchiness
Hives
Swelling of the face, ears, lips, eyelids, or earflaps
Red, inflamed skin
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Sneezing

Itchy ears
Chronic ear infections
Itchy, runny eyes
Constant licking

Symptoms of FOOD Allergies in Dogs

Chronic Ear Infections
Red, Brown Or Bronze Nail Beds

Bronzing Around The Lips
Itchy Skin, Red Underbelly And Dull Coat

The skin on your dog’s belly can tell you a lot. Check their genitals and where the legs touch the body where the skin should be almost white, depending on your dog’s color. Pink is another color it should look like.

Possible Causes of Allergies

Flea Allergy Dermatitis: Bathing your dog often will keep fleas down since fleas thrive on dirt. After the fleas are gone, they can still irritate your dog’s skin.

Environmental: mold spores, dust mites, fabrics like wool and cotton, cleaning chemicals, ragweed and other grasses, pollen, cigarette smoke, dander, feathers, insecticidal shampoos, as well as rubber or plastics.

Medications: Prescriptions can be a culprit for allergies

Vaccines: if you over-vaccinate, this can cause allergies in your dog.

Treating Allergies in Your Dog

If you think your dog has allergies, you’ll want to avoid what’s causing them, ie – food, environmental, any medications. Try some home remedies that I’ve found to be quite effective. If things are still not progressing after eliminating things, your vet may prescribe medication. It is possible for your dog to have an allergic reaction, just as in people. If this happens, make sure to get them to an emergency vet.

Yeast in Your Dog

Yeast can occur in various places on your dog, with the skin and ears being the most common. Skin yeast is an inflammation on the skin where it becomes dry and flaky and red at times. Yeast on your dog is normal, but when it grows out of control, this is where the problems start.

Typically, when your dog gets a yeast infection, it is a sign of some underlying issue, whether it be allergies to things in their environment or their food to mites to something in your dog's ear. One of the symptoms of an ear infection is hearing loss - this could be because of a ruptured ear drum.

Signs and Symptoms of a Yeast Infection in Dogs

Skin irritation
Itchiness
Inflammation around the ears
Sores
Greasy coat
Hair loss
Foul-smelling skin
Hearing loss

Brown, yellow, or bloody discharge
Odor
Redness or swelling
Crusted skin on the ear flap
Loss of hair around the ear
Head shaking or tilting
Loss of balance
Loss of hearing
Walking in circles
Unusual eye movements

Dogs Prone to Yeast Infections

Certain dogs are more prone to skin yeast infections due to the fact that they have excess skin like pugs and bulldogs. Other dogs that have floppy ears are more prone to have them in their ears due to the fact that yeast likes to grow where it's dark and moist. Some of these dogs are:

cocker spaniels, poodles, basset hounds, golden retrievers, and west highland white terriers.

Treatment

You're going to want to bathe your dog as often as needed. Avoid shampoos that contain oatmeal as they contain sugar and sugar is what causes yeast to grow. Shoot for anti-fungal or tea tree oil shampoos.

As stated above, there are various home remedies that you can try first before heading to the vet. From Calendula to garlic to apple cider vinegar - these are some inexpensive ways to have been proven to work at the beginning stages of a yeast infection.