Canine Candida

Canine Candida
Does your dog suffer from persistent yeast infections? Many dogs suffer from canine candida, an organism classified as both a yeast and a fungus. Symptoms are often misdiagnosed as allergies or rashes, and can appear as skin outbreaks on the feet, face, underarm, underbelly, or genital areas. Yeast infections can also appear as recurring hot spots or infections of the ears, eyes, bladder, or urinary tract.
Canine Candida thrives on sugars and carbohydrates, which are present in most commercial pet foods. With carbohydrates as a ready food source, the organism multiplies and starts to kill the beneficial bacteria in the stomach. A common practice is to treat with antibiotics, which does kill some of the candida, but also destroys the beneficial bacteria necessary for proper digestion and body function. Moreover, after the antibiotic treatment is stopped, the overgrowth resumes, causing a vicious cycle that is difficult to reverse.
Proper nutrition is the most critical component to treating your pet. The first step is to eliminate carbohydrates and sugars from your animal’s diet. At All is Well we recommend a raw diet, which is the purest form of nutrition for your dog. We also offer another option: “no grain” canned and kibble foods.
Removing carbohydrates is the first step; the second step involves destroying the candida organism. This can be done by adding coconut oil to your dog’s food. Unrefined coconut oil is the best option since it retains its medicinal properties. For best results, begin with a small amount and gradually increase to the optimum dose: one teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight. Too much coconut oil too quickly can bring about greasy stools, diarrhea, physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, and body aches. It is important to provide plenty of drinking water during this time to help flush out the toxins.
About two weeks after this treatment is started, it is imperative to start rebuilding the beneficial stomach bacteria. This is, achieved by adding probiotics to their food. As with the coconut oil, start slowly and build up to the desired amount (as recommended by manufacturer).
As the environment in the digestive tracts corrects itself and the body rids itself of the physical remains and toxins produced by the organism, flu-like symptoms can develop, including exhaustion, body aches, diarrhea, and nausea. It can take days, weeks, or sometimes months to eliminate the organism. There may be some remaining itching and skin breakouts can increase during this time. Remember that you pet is getting better! Stay the course. Your pet will be rewarded with a healthier system, the holistic way.
Source: Whole Dog Journal, volume 10, number 2, pages 12-15