How can I treat my dog's chronic yeast infection?
[su_dropcap style="flat" size="3" class="green-drop-cap"]Q.[/su_dropcap]I have a five-year-old black lab who has a chronic yeast infection in his right ear. He also has hip dysplasia on the right side. He had knee surgery last July and was clear of the ear infection until he had the surgery. Now it has returned in full force, I am treating him with the medication from the vet, Zymox, but I know I must treat him from the inside as well.
[su_dropcap style="flat" size="3" class="green-drop-cap"]A.[/su_dropcap]There are a few things you can try, starting with a simple apple cider vinegar solution to flush out the ear (begin with 1 tsp. vinegar in ½ cup of warm water but you can strengthen the dilution if need be). Seven Forests Chinese herbal formula Forsythia can work well with chronic ear problems (you can order this through your vet only).
Although not a natural product, Malaseb, an ear flush, works very well on yeast in the ear and on the skin, and I’ve had no problems with side effects using this product. There are a few herbal veterinary ear washes on the market you could try as well.
You should note that carbohydrates in the diet can lead to yeast problems in dogs. Putting these animals on a raw meat and veggie diet may clear things right up. If it seems as though allergies may be the culprit for the yeast infections, we’ll do blood testing to determine the source of the allergy and eliminate the allergan from the diet.