About Candida Yeast in Dogs

Significance

• Yeast is a completely normal and healthy fungus living in and on a dog. Candida typically grows within the digestive tract. A dog with a weakened immune system may experience an overabundance of yeast growth as it begins to thrive and grow. The presence of yeast is not what causes complications with an animal; instead it is an overabundance of the yeast.

Function

• Candida yeast thrives in the digestive tract and is kept at healthy levels by other healthy bacteria within the body. It promotes intestinal health. Unless set off by some other factor, candida has no visible impact on a dog. Any number of factors can lead to an overproduction of candida, which in turn leads to several unfortunate side effects.

What Causes Candida to Proliferate

• Some of the most common culprits of a candida yeast infection are grains in food or other consumed products and anything that weakens the immune system: vaccines, heartworm preventative, flea and tick preventative and treatment, and illness or injury. Many dogs suffer from other ailments at the time of the yeast infection. For example, a dog with seasonal allergies may scratch himself raw and create external lesions. These lesions can become infected and cause yeast to get into the bloodstream. Once a veterinarian prescribes an antibiotic and a steroid to treat the infection and deal with the inflammation from the allergy, the dog will have a weakened immune system. Even though the other treatments are necessary, the yeast tends to spread and cause more itching and potential infection from scratching.

Symptoms

• Typically yeast is not visible to pet owners. The impact of excessive yeast can be very prominent, though. A dog exhibiting any of these symptoms may have a yeast infection: obsessive scratching, nail biting, paw licking, head shaking, ear pain or discomfort, diarrhea, vomiting, refusing to eat, hair loss, and a musty odor. A veterinarian can easily take tape and collect potential bacteria from the skin and view them under a microscope to determine if yeast is the culprit. Diligence in treating and maintaining successful treatment are key in combating an overproduction of candida yeast in dogs.

Prevention/Solution

• Because other ailments are often present during a yeast infection, candida often goes without treatment initially. Once the candida yeast has been detected as excessive, then a veterinarian can suggest a group of medications, diet changes and hygiene products. Oftentimes, changing the diet to a grain-free, allergen-free food paired with a short-term dose of a steroid and a yeast-preventative medication and/or shampoo can start to improve a dog's yeast balance. There is no way to identify the absolute cause of the yeast infection, but treating all complications at once and maintaining a grain-free diet, as well as applying yeast-reducing shampoos, are often effective in treating a dog with chronic yeast problems.