Yeast. We all know it as one of the vital ingredients in making bread - but did you know that both humans and dogs carry it as part of their natural flora? Normally, a healthy functioning immune system helps to keep the amount of yeast in your dog's body balanced, but what happens when something goes wrong and it's left to grow unchecked? 

Paw licking

Yeast is known as an opportunistic organism, which means that if your dog’s body isn’t healthy or in perfect balance, it will jump at the opportunity to reproduce uncontrollably. Several factors can cause the overgrowth of yeast including a suppressed immune system, whether genetic or environmental; as a result of antibiotic therapy, which affects both the bad and good bacteria, the latter of which helps to balance the growth of yeast; or allergies. Yeast overgrowth can occur anywhere on the body but is most commonly seen in the ears, usually accompanies by redness, inflammation, and sometimes even discharge. It can also grow on their delicate paw pads, between the toes and under the nail beds, under their armpits, and between the folds of their skin – or in more severe cases, a combination of these. 

Itchy Dog

Wherever your dog’s yeast infection is, you can be sure that it is causing them discomfort from chronic itching to redness, inflammation, and skin irritation – not to mention the distinctive and often overpowering pungent odour which accompanies these types of infections. In milder cases, you might notice your dog excessively scratching at the site of the infection. However, more severe cases can lead to a secondary bacterial infection as well as symptoms of behavioural changes including loss of appetite, anxiety, and even aggression when the itching becomes overwhelming. 

Itchy Ears

Luckily, we here at Herbal Dog Co have created an arsenal of natural herbal remedies to help battle yeast infections and help get your pooch feeling right again. For doggies with sore ears resulting from a yeast infection, we recommend combining our Dog Ear Cleaner, which is a natural and gentle disinfectant, with our Herbacare Ear tonic, which helps to soothe irritation and eliminate wax, dirt, and discharge. These 100% natural solutions contain antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties to return your dog’s ears to tip-top shape! 

Prevention is better than cure

For yeast problems on your pooch’s skin or paws, we would recommend using one of our range of Dog Shampoos to gently cleanse and protect their skin from further fungal growth. For added benefit, give out Antibacterial Shampoo a try, which is formulated with a potent mix of natural antiseptic ingredients which will not only clean but also disinfect the skin without leaving it dry or damaged. It’s important to stay on top of your dog’s cleaning regime in between baths, too, so why not try one of our Dry Shampoo range, which helps to remove yeast and debris from the skin, as well as giving your dog a lovely scent! Combine this our Colloidal Silver Antibacterial Spray which can be used up to three times daily for that extra dose of disinfection – without the use of nasty chemicals! Finally, although it’s important to target areas of infection topically, it’s just as important to help them fight the infection from within. In addition to a good diet, our range of specially formulated powders, including the Yeast Infection Support Supplement and Immune Support Dog Supplement, can give your dog’s body the support and health boost it needs to ensure natural body function and help prevent yeast infections from coming back.

Links to products
https://herbaldogco.com/product/ear-tonic/
https://herbaldogco.com/product/ear-cleanner/
https://herbaldogco.com/product/yeasty-boi/
https://herbaldogco.com/product/immune-support/
https://herbaldogco.com/product/herbal-dog-co-all-natural-rosemary-antibacterial-dog-shampoo/