Looking for any tips on a stinky situation

Orion · 01-29-2012, 12:19 AM

Moses' sister, Clementine, has always had sensitive skin and been prone to yeast infections her ears- I have to be diligent in the cleaning routine and stay on top of them. However, recently she has been scratching and chewing at her tummy. Initially I thought it may be the flea medication was ineffective, so I switched that. I also have been rubbing cortisone cream on the red areas to ease the itching and bought tea tree oil shampoo. Tonight when I was putting the cortisone on, I noticed small patches of black specks. It's not flea dirt, my first thought; but after thinking about it awhile I started researching skin yeast infections (note- don't ever look at the Google image search for this, I was almost crying) and I think that possibly could be the source...what do you all think? Anyone had to deal with skin yeast infections and if so, do you have any tips? Basically, I feel like just about the worst dog-mom ever right now

jaleely · 01-29-2012, 04:14 AM

You're not! And my beagle had a problem in her ear for almost TWO YEARS. more than 800 dollars at the vet and NOTHING worked. Finally...we randomly tried...FOOT POWDER. I'm sorry i keep all capping, but i just emphasize a lot *lmao*
Seriously. a 5 dollar bottle of foot powder. we clean both dogs ears once a week, and add some foot powder...bowser has never had a issue, and Daisy the beagles ear has completely cured. She is prone to getting a bit of build up in there, if i don't keep up on it though...but once a week and she is fine.

That said...are you sure clem doesn't have any food allergies? Before we figured out that bowser was allergic to beef AND chicken, he had a red, itchy belly...and toes. Seemed to be the only spots he'd scratch. Any new treats lately?

Is there a smell to her belly? A big hint that it's a yeast thing is smell.

Soundtrack · 01-29-2012, 06:30 AM

Until you address the allergy issues the skin and ears can be helped but not fixed. Even if the allergies are not to food a healthy diet can help. You might want to try an elimination diet (just one or two novel ingredients) to see if there is a difference. Let me know if you need help with this.

For the ears and hot spots, my favorite remedy of all time is BLUE POWER EAR TREATMENT. It worked for my Webster when everything else my vet and I tried failed. In fact, I just used it to clear up my own ear infection.

For skin you can try a listerine or vinegar rinse, or for spot treatments you can try Monistat or other yeast remedy.

Orion · 01-29-2012, 08:50 AM

I've considered a food allergy. I have Moses on grain-free Blue Buffalo (we're using the salmon kind currently because he also gets a belly rash and I read about Bowser's beef and chicken allergies. Moses was on the chicken Blue Buff prior but he seems to be doing well on the salmon.

My problem with Clemmie is that she's technically my boyfriend's Basse. We're moving in together this Spring but until then I don't have as much control regarding her as I would like (namely her diet), but I may just end up buying a bag of the grain-free for her to keep at his house, too and try out.

Jaleely- do I remember you putting gold bond under their armpits, too? Do you think that would work on her belly? And yes, she does have a strong smell to her tummy, not your normal hound aroma, more like a sour scent.

Soundtrack,what is blue power ear treatment, is it something you buy at the pet store or the people drug store? I read that medicated dandruff shampoo like Selsun blue could help, do you think it would offer any relief?

Mikey T · 01-29-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

I may just end up buying a bag of the grain-free for her to keep at his house, too and try out.

randomly switching dog food is not an elimination diet and will neither confirm or dismiss the possiblity of a food allergy and makes it harder to do a real elimination diet in the future

food allergy

Quote:

There is no reliable diagnostic test other than a strict food elimination diet. Serologic testing and intradermal testing for food allergens have proved unreliable. The ideal food elimination diet should be balanced and nutritionally complete and not contain any ingredients that have been fed previously to the animal. Many diets contain novel protein or carbohydrate sources (eg, lamb and rice). However, it is often misunderstood that if any previously fed ingredient is present in the elimination diet, the animal may be allergic to the novel ingredient and the diet trial will be a failure. The key point in any food elimination diet trial is that only novel food ingredients can be fed. The trial diet should be fed for up to 3 mo. If marked or complete resolution in the pruritus and clinical signs occurs during the elimination diet trial, food allergy can be suspected. To confirm that a food allergy exists and that the clinical improvement was not just coincidental, the animal must be challenged with the previously fed food ingredients and a relapse of clinical signs must occur. The return of clinical signs after challenge is usually between 1 hr and 14 days, although it is sometimes within 3 days. Once a food allergy is confirmed, the elimination diet should be reinstituted until clinical signs resolve, which usually takes <14 days. At this point, previously fed individual ingredients should be added to the elimination diet for a period of up to 14 days. If pruritus

the blue power ear treatment is a homemade recipe but theingredient general come from a pharmacy it is also refered to as Blue Powder as well Blue is for the Gentian Vilolet a dye that has antifungal properties. being a dye it can stain anything so you need to be carefull if using in doors. Also read the caveate in the article below because many of the ingredients are otic toxic which means that if the ear durm is puncture which is not uncommon with cronic ear infection the solution can get into the middle and inner ear and cause temporary and sometime permanent damage such as deafness and vestibular disease, dizzyness, vertigo by damaging the balance center in the inner ear.

Blue Power Ear treatment

Quote:

read that medicated dandruff shampoo like Selsun blue could help

must be an anti yeast shampoo however there are other cause of yeast infections that shampoo therapy is effective for like sheborrhea wich is liked to an excessively dry or greassy coat/skin and large flaky dandruff. the in gredient in selun blue that is anti fungal and helps with dandruff is selenium sulfide, not not all selsun blue formulas contain selenium sufide there are other dandruff shampoos that contain it as well. I know af at least one dog in wich it was not effective it need a stronger "coal Tar " based shmpoo but coal tar is associated with more adverse reaction so general is a shampoo of last resort. keep in mind they require frequent use more than once a week. Skin problems associated with frequent bathing are not the result of the shampoo but the result of not rinsing thouroghly the rule of thumb is to reinse till no soap'shampoo foam is visible an then continue to rinse a equal amount of time.

Seborrhea

Quote:

Primary seborrhea is probably inherited as an autosomal recessive trait in the West Highland white terrier, and this may also be true in other breeds. This means there can be affected puppies in a litter where both parents have normal skin but carry the gene for seborrhea. Autosomal dominant inheritance with variable expressivity may be the mode of inheritance in some breeds.
What breeds are affected by seborrhea?
Primary seborrhea is most commonly seen in the American cocker spaniel, West Highland white terrier, English springer spaniel, and Basset hound. It is also seen in the Irish setter, German shepherd, dachshund, Doberman pinscher, Chinese Shar-pei, and Labrador retriever

with skin problem in dogs general practicing vets are general not very good at sorting through the possible causes. While intial more expesive you often save mony in the long run by consulting with a vet that specializes in dermatology

find a dermatologist

Orion · 01-30-2012, 10:00 AM

Thanks for the links, Mikey. I am going to to try the Selsun Blue x2 per week. I bought the "sensitive skin" kind (with aloe and selenium sulfide). Also, I read that apple cider vinegar is useful for treating many ailments, that you can put a tsp in their food or water x2 a day and use it as a 1:2 with water for an ear rinse, or use a mist bottle to spritz on and soothe itchy skin.

Any advice on the ACV if it works or how well? I'm trying to glean as much info as possible from searching the internets, but it is always most helpful to get advice from people whose opinion you trust.

Annie714 · 01-30-2012, 11:10 AM

When Annie had her one hot spot I used a 50/50 solution of Apple Cider Vinegar and water on the spot. The ACV helped dry it out, is antifungal, and has a taste she doesn't care for. I would spray it on the spot in a fine mist and that would keep her snout away. It helped long enough for the spot to heal.

When I clean the dog's water bowls I scrub them out and then spray them with the same ACV/H2O mixture, keeps them cleaner longer and they get just a little ACV when they drink. Not sure if it's enough to provide any help though lol. It's mostly to keep the bowls cleaner.

I also started Annie on probiotics. This has helped immensely! Mostly on her sensitive tummy issues but also keeps any skin yeast problems in check. Much less itchy ears also! Zymox also helped with her ears.

Orion · 01-30-2012, 11:41 AM

Thanks, Annie!! I am going to get a mister today and will start spritzing her tummy. I put a tsp of ACV in each bowl of food and mixed in a spoonful of canned food and they chowed down. I also moistened a cotton ball with 1:2 ACV/water and just swabbed the ears out.

I will look into the probiotics, what do you use exactly, is it...yogurt?

LuciaB · 01-30-2012, 11:53 AM

We are having a similar issue with Cannoli and have been using a witch hazel/purified water mix to wipe down her belly. It has made an immediate difference. The redness is nearly all gone and the stinkiness has gone away. I soak big cotton pads in a half/half mix and warm them up for a sec before wiping her down. She feels like she is getting special belly rubs =)

Annie714 · 01-30-2012, 11:55 AM

I used to use yogurt, but have since switched to

Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics

. Annie gets 1/2 tsp with her morning meal everyday. And this 300g bottle has lasted a long time...got it in late October and use it for two dogs and still have 1/4 of the bottle left.

01-29-2012, 12:19 AM	#1 (permalink)
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 326	Looking for any tips on a stinky situation Moses' sister, Clementine, has always had sensitive skin and been prone to yeast infections her ears- I have to be diligent in the cleaning routine and stay on top of them. However, recently she has been scratching and chewing at her tummy. Initially I thought it may be the flea medication was ineffective, so I switched that. I also have been rubbing cortisone cream on the red areas to ease the itching and bought tea tree oil shampoo. Tonight when I was putting the cortisone on, I noticed small patches of black specks. It's not flea dirt, my first thought; but after thinking about it awhile I started researching skin yeast infections (note- don't ever look at the Google image search for this, I was almost crying) and I think that possibly could be the source...what do you all think? Anyone had to deal with skin yeast infections and if so, do you have any tips? Basically, I feel like just about the worst dog-mom ever right now

01-29-2012, 04:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
jaleely Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 942	You're not! And my beagle had a problem in her ear for almost TWO YEARS. more than 800 dollars at the vet and NOTHING worked. Finally...we randomly tried...FOOT POWDER. I'm sorry i keep all capping, but i just emphasize a lot lmao Seriously. a 5 dollar bottle of foot powder. we clean both dogs ears once a week, and add some foot powder...bowser has never had a issue, and Daisy the beagles ear has completely cured. She is prone to getting a bit of build up in there, if i don't keep up on it though...but once a week and she is fine. That said...are you sure clem doesn't have any food allergies? Before we figured out that bowser was allergic to beef AND chicken, he had a red, itchy belly...and toes. Seemed to be the only spots he'd scratch. Any new treats lately? Is there a smell to her belly? A big hint that it's a yeast thing is smell. __________________ Baby Bowsah's Bwog

01-29-2012, 06:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,582	Until you address the allergy issues the skin and ears can be helped but not fixed. Even if the allergies are not to food a healthy diet can help. You might want to try an elimination diet (just one or two novel ingredients) to see if there is a difference. Let me know if you need help with this. For the ears and hot spots, my favorite remedy of all time is BLUE POWER EAR TREATMENT. It worked for my Webster when everything else my vet and I tried failed. In fact, I just used it to clear up my own ear infection. For skin you can try a listerine or vinegar rinse, or for spot treatments you can try Monistat or other yeast remedy. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance Last edited by Soundtrack; 01-29-2012 at 06:56 AM.

01-30-2012, 11:10 AM	#7 (permalink)
Annie714 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 1,164	When Annie had her one hot spot I used a 50/50 solution of Apple Cider Vinegar and water on the spot. The ACV helped dry it out, is antifungal, and has a taste she doesn't care for. I would spray it on the spot in a fine mist and that would keep her snout away. It helped long enough for the spot to heal. When I clean the dog's water bowls I scrub them out and then spray them with the same ACV/H2O mixture, keeps them cleaner longer and they get just a little ACV when they drink. Not sure if it's enough to provide any help though lol. It's mostly to keep the bowls cleaner. I also started Annie on probiotics. This has helped immensely! Mostly on her sensitive tummy issues but also keeps any skin yeast problems in check. Much less itchy ears also! Zymox also helped with her ears. __________________ Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

01-30-2012, 11:53 AM	#9 (permalink)
LuciaB Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 559	We are having a similar issue with Cannoli and have been using a witch hazel/purified water mix to wipe down her belly. It has made an immediate difference. The redness is nearly all gone and the stinkiness has gone away. I soak big cotton pads in a half/half mix and warm them up for a sec before wiping her down. She feels like she is getting special belly rubs =) __________________ ~Lucia~

01-29-2012, 08:50 AM	#4 (permalink)
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 326	I've considered a food allergy. I have Moses on grain-free Blue Buffalo (we're using the salmon kind currently because he also gets a belly rash and I read about Bowser's beef and chicken allergies. Moses was on the chicken Blue Buff prior but he seems to be doing well on the salmon. My problem with Clemmie is that she's technically my boyfriend's Basse. We're moving in together this Spring but until then I don't have as much control regarding her as I would like (namely her diet), but I may just end up buying a bag of the grain-free for her to keep at his house, too and try out. Jaleely- do I remember you putting gold bond under their armpits, too? Do you think that would work on her belly? And yes, she does have a strong smell to her tummy, not your normal hound aroma, more like a sour scent. Soundtrack,what is blue power ear treatment, is it something you buy at the pet store or the people drug store? I read that medicated dandruff shampoo like Selsun blue could help, do you think it would offer any relief?

01-30-2012, 10:00 AM	#6 (permalink)
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 326	Thanks for the links, Mikey. I am going to to try the Selsun Blue x2 per week. I bought the "sensitive skin" kind (with aloe and selenium sulfide). Also, I read that apple cider vinegar is useful for treating many ailments, that you can put a tsp in their food or water x2 a day and use it as a 1:2 with water for an ear rinse, or use a mist bottle to spritz on and soothe itchy skin. Any advice on the ACV if it works or how well? I'm trying to glean as much info as possible from searching the internets, but it is always most helpful to get advice from people whose opinion you trust.

01-30-2012, 11:41 AM	#8 (permalink)
Orion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Tennessee Posts: 326	Thanks, Annie!! I am going to get a mister today and will start spritzing her tummy. I put a tsp of ACV in each bowl of food and mixed in a spoonful of canned food and they chowed down. I also moistened a cotton ball with 1:2 ACV/water and just swabbed the ears out. I will look into the probiotics, what do you use exactly, is it...yogurt?

01-30-2012, 11:55 AM	#10 (permalink)
Annie714 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 1,164	I used to use yogurt, but have since switched to Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics Animal Essentials Plant Enzymes and Probiotics . Annie gets 1/2 tsp with her morning meal everyday. And this 300g bottle has lasted a long time...got it in late October and use it for two dogs and still have 1/4 of the bottle left. __________________ Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

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