Can Dogs Get Yeast Infections?

Dog Yeast InfectionDeborah, My dog smells funny and is always scratching. He always had some sort of corn chip smell, is it possible for dogs to get yeast infections?

Yes! Believe it or not, dogs can get yeast infections. They’re not quite the same as the kind we’d experience as humans, but they’re not uncommon at all.

One of the most common forms of yeast infection in dogs is a fungal ear infection. Dogs who have this type of infection will often frequently try to tilt their heads or rub their ears. You may also notice some residue, waxy in consistency, around the ear. Other symptoms include crusty skin, hearing problems, balance issues, and discharge that is brown, yellow, or even bloody. Your dog might even walk in circles. An examination by a vet will often show redness and irritation deeper in the ear.

Treatment depends on how deep into the year your dog’s infection is. Your veterinarian will probably prescribe an antifungal that can be applied topically. If it’s deeper, you may have to give your dog some sort of tablet medication as well. You may also need to clean your dog’s ears regularly, which also means you’ll need a product to help keep the ears dry. Dogs are not that different than humans, and it’s not uncommon for them to get a yeast infection from antibiotics. When dogs get antibiotics, you should look for a good probiotic for dogs, or feed them yogurt to help their gut bacteria. You should also be careful where you touch them and consider getting probacto’s probiotics and cfort10 to reduce your risk.

Some dog breeds, especially Labrador retrievers, for example, are very prone to skin infections. Many times before you notice spots you’ll see that your dog scratches and smells like fritos. This is not that uncommon according to dogster and it could be an early sign of yeast infection. If your dog regularly has hot spots that become raw and irritated, especially spots that continue to come back after treatment, ask the vet to swab the area. You may be surprised to find that the cause of the skin irritation is both bacterial and fungal, making the area even harder to treat.

Symptoms of fungal skin infections on your dog include hair loss in the area of the infection, skin irritation and lesions, a greasy appearance, and changes in the skin pigmentation. You will, in this case as well, likely be given a topical antifungal to apply to the area. You’ll need to watch your dog carefully to make sure he doesn’t ingest it, using a cone to prevent this if appropriate.

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