05/05/2025
The Battle of Yeast
During the span of a groomer's career they can find a yeast infection in one of their client’s dog’s ears almost every day. It is that common and as common as the almost immediate questions from the pet parent “What is that?” “How do I treat it?” “How did they get it?”
Yeast is a fungus that lives in your dog’s intestines in small numbers. It’s a normal inhabitant of your dog’s digestive tract and it helps him digest his food.
�The problem begins when yeast overgrows and your dog will start to suffer from a fungal infection. Symptoms of a yeast infection include:
Chewing or licking the feet
Dark rusty-red hair between the toes
Black skin (often with hair loss)
Bad smell and greasy hair (seborrhea)
Ear infections or head shaking
Rusty-red sticky smelly goop in ear
Speckles on the underbelly
Hair loss on the tail and upper back
Grayish or rust color around the ge****ls
Diarrhea
Seasonal allergies
Secondary bacterial infection
The actual diagnosing of an ear infection from a groomer is off limits and as well as any medical issues. They can only be officially diagnosed by a veterinarian. We can however make the statement “It appears your pet has a yeast infection, you should make an appt with your vet.”
We also can give you the information that is given to us by veterinarians, dermatologists, and nutritionists. Here are the leading causes of yeast in your dogs ear and in the body:
Food allergies
Foods high in carbs
Feeding your dog sugary snacks
Antibiotics (my personal dog is currently being treated for yeast from this)
Cleaning the ears
Exercise in humid environments
Immunodeficiency
Water entering the ear canal frequently
Frequent swimming
Debris stuck in the ear
Ear mites
Heat and humidity
Pharmaceutical drugs
Please note that the top of the list is food and then goes on to break that down with sugary snacks and foods high in carbs. The number one question I ask a parent is “Has your dog’s diet changed?” This includes kibble, treats, licking dinner plate, anything outside of regular diet.
Almost 90% of the time the answer will be “Yes” The other times, it will either include something else on the list or the dog is now over the age of 3-5yrs. Getting older can mean the dog either can’t tolerate an every day food or the food has caused a build up of sugars in the body and now is showing up as yeast. What are the contributing foods to yeast build up? Starches. Here are the top ones:
Rice
Millet
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Wheat
Corn
Oats
Peas
Some proteins can cause them too, but that is usually more of an intolerance issue.
If your pooch lived in the wild their diet would contain only about 4% starch. But most commercial pet foods have over ten times that amount. Even grain-free foods can contain potatoes, sweet potatoes or tapioca and making them have just as much starch as other kibbles.
So what can you do about it?
While waiting to be able to get into your vet, go back in your dog’s diet history. Eliminate that new or outside the norm food, stop having them clean your plates, and if their food contains high carb ingredients, look for one with less or none of the above ingredients in it. Sweet potatoes seem to be the new craze for treats or kibble filler and they are just like their name says, sweet and full of sugar.
If you find that your pet is struggling with yeast and needs extra help, your veterinarian can prescribe a medication to help the yeast die off. Sometimes this can be a tricky route as lots of my clients say their vet will not prescribe it to their pet.
I prefer a more natural route as I know what I am giving my pet and it has added benefits. A regimen made by Four Leaf Rover called Yeast Guard Plus is my personal favorite. It contains 3 blends:
Yeast Guard: a blend of herbs selected to maintain yeast balance.
Digest: Digestive enzymes and probiotics that help promote healthy digestion.
Gut Guard: Gut-soothing herbs and probiotics to restore gut health.
I have used this product on many of my own dogs and my clients have as well and are so happy with the results. Not only does the yeast die off but the symptoms go away and don’t easily return. The probiotics balance the gut biome helping ease anxiety in dogs and helps their skin and coat normalize and not be greasy.
Waiting to treat yeast will only make the yeast grow and become harder and harder to treat. I have had a client battle treating a yeast infection for a year after ignoring the problem for several years. Another ignored fungus on a back toe and eventually it took over the whole body of the dog. Being elderly and its’ immune system lowered from years of the yeast growing, the mom spent thousands of dollars trying to help her dog overcome the infection. Eventually the loss of hair and immune system being compromised, that poor dog got a mrsa staph infection and he did not live out the year. While these two cases seem extreme, it is not uncommon. Yeast is also something that is very itchy and burns, so your beloved pet is extremely uncomfortable.
Whatever you choose to do, remember that your pet is in your care and is counting on you to make good choices for them. They don’t know that daily nibble of cheese or the nightly ritual of licking the plate isn’t good for them. They can’t read the ingredients on their kibble or treats to tell you which one is upsetting their stomach or causing their ears to itch. They are solely dependent on you to look out for them and be informed.
If you would like to dive into the world of nutrition and natural care for your pet I would highly recommend the website https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com . Their articles are written by vets, nutritionists, holistic vets, trainers and other professionals.
-Heather Ausburne
Sources:
Germantown Parkway Veterinary Hospital
Small Door Veterinary
Animal Dermatology Dlinic
PetMD
Dana Scott, founder of Dogs Naturally Magazine
