westiemum Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Sarah my 15 year old westie still has some residual vestibular symptoms some three weeks later after a long course of ABs and Valium - which really seemed to help. She's nowhere near as bad as she was - just a bit wobbly still, some very minor head tilt and a tiny bit of residual nystagmus. She's generally happy with good quality of life. She is also very itchy - again! Luckily I've found a vet who is not a dermatologist but has an interest in skin and we've stated working again to get it under control. I've at last got a proper diagnosis of malassezia. So she has a course of anti-fungal tablets, demotic for her yeasty ears and I've started back giving her some greek yoghurt in the mornings, malaseb foot washes at night and the vet shaved her paws poodle style so we can monitor the licking and paw staining better. I'm really keen to treat this systemically and reduce her level of discomfit if I can. So would a probiotic help? Acidophilus? Protein? Something else? Anything I've missed or not thought about? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Poor lass - what a lot going on! I give a dose of protexin once the course of ABs are finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Contact BM animals (John and Marie Davies, Bayswater Melbourne) bmanimals.com.au or 0488 144 675 Valbitz recommended them to me when I was having so much difficulty finding something that Danny would eat. Give them a call and explain everything to them and they should be able to come up with solutions. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 (edited) The greek yoghurt IS a mild probiotic. :) If you want a stronger one, then either choose one specifically designed for canines or ensure that the major culture used is one of the bifidos as those are the most common good bacteria in the canine gut. Edited to add - if you can change her diet to eliminate most carbohydrates and simple sugars the yeast will die back much faster. Yeast blooms need to be treated inside and out. There are any number of home made starve-out-the yeast diets if you Google, they are similar in many ways to raw feeding. Edited August 8, 2016 by RuralPug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 Nothing to add. Just good vibes to you both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 non pasteurised apple cider vinegar...Google 'Mercola dogs with yeast infection' Westiemum this is one of the choices listed http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2015/06/07/dog-yeast-infection.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallomph Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 (edited) My parent's dogs had malasezzia, it was treated by both oral meds and an anti yeast shampoo (Sebazole). When we couldn't source sebazole any longer, we ended up buying a human medicated shampoo with the same active ingredient, and diluting it to the right % (calculated by the vet). It actually ended up alot cheaper! I believe the active ingredient needs to be miconazole or ketoconazole. This site has a good overview of malasezzia: http://www.nevetdermatology.com/yeast-dermatitis-in-dogs/ efs Edited August 8, 2016 by Gallomph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHA Posted August 8, 2016 Share Posted August 8, 2016 She is probably already on a great diet but we changed my daughters westie to Hills Sensitive Skin, and add yoghurt or sardines, hes doing really well on it, no more red feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 I used to pull apart inner health plus tablets and sprinkle directly over food. If it's quite bad - and you have the space to allow a little mess, try yoghurt directly onto the skin. It's cooling and soothing if from the fridge, and the probiotics get straight to work. Alternately, sprinkle some inner health plus onto a lotion that you can rub on her skin/paws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Everyone has some great input. I'll add that I have a few clients with Westies and Schnauzers with dreadful itchy yeasty skin who've been on the medication and medicated shampoo roundabout without a lot of success. I clearly state it is off label use but I've seen a few miraculous turn around with regular use of Selsun Blue shampoo. I have never ever had any feedback of negative response and mostly very positive. Resistance becomes an issue with many products over time. We've seen it with flea treatments and worm treatments and I believe we see it with the likes of malaseb etc. Also it's only anecdotal observation but it irks me when vets do or suggest 'poodle' feet on dogs that chew and lick them. Personally I think it exacerbates the problem. You can clearly see if the licking has subsided by checking for clean white growth at the skin level without shaving the feet. Just my personal opinion that one but I hate shaving between toes of dogs with irritated feet. Imagine the short prickly regrowth between the toes. I have a couple of Westie clients that request it 'because the vet said' and I've never seen it help or improve the situation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 all our Schnauzers are bathed in heads or shoulders or selsum blue & we recommend it to our puppy owners,we have no skin issues but find this product great . We trim poodle feet & it does help greatly especially if the feet are staying moist as they often end up with tinea ,we tell our clients to use caniston or similar,even washing in white vinegar helps . Problem is if the ears are bad you must treat the feet as well otherwise the cycle never ends & most vets do onot suggest treating the feet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 Thank you so much everyone. Really appreciate your posts. Gruffly I had similar concerns about shaving her feet - but - as showdog says, her feet are constantly moist and smelly. And I'm finding it much easier to bath them shaved. But I take the point about itchy grow back between her toes and. resistance to Malaseb. I have some of the medicated Selsun (yellow bottle) which I'll give her a bath with to see if it helps. And yes I think my poor old girl is having everything treated - inside, outside, ears, feet, coat. Anything I've missed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 We use hydrogen peroxide as well on yeasty feet with great success but like everything you need to access each dog and its issues Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 ...even washing in white vinegar helps . My hubby uses neat white vinegar on his feet. Stings like unholy hell. Not sure what dilution you'd use on a dog ... but id be wary. It does work for tinea (or what ever is wrong with him) but he finds it has to be neat, it requires multiple soaks & it does hurt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) The yellow/gold Selsun has the exact same active ingredient as the original blue but at a much higher volume. I only ever use the original blue so just maybe dilute the gold one a little. One of my clients used it mistakenly once and turned their dog pink! And make sure you shake it well before use as it settles out a lot in the bottle. And yes as show dog says it's important to really get the treatment everywhere. I find these dogs if you can truly clear up the ears you're on your way to success. They use their foot to scratch their ear, then they lick their foot, scratch their belly, lick their privates and around it goes. I find for best coverage at bath time use a large squeeze sauce type bottle. Shake up your shampoo then put a good squirt into the squeeze bottle, fill with tepid water(as cool as the dog will tolerate for skin issue dogs as warm water will stimulate histamines and everything else) give it a good shake and squeeze over the dog rubbing it in as you go. Pay particular attention to feet, ears, armpits, genital area and lip folds and any other problem areas. The pre diluted mix gets more thorough and useful coverage than trying to spread globs of neat shampoo over a pre wet dog. Edited August 9, 2016 by Gruf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_PL_ Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Everyone has some great input. I'll add that I have a few clients with Westies and Schnauzers with dreadful itchy yeasty skin who've been on the medication and medicated shampoo roundabout without a lot of success. I clearly state it is off label use but I've seen a few miraculous turn around with regular use of Selsun Blue shampoo. I have never ever had any feedback of negative response and mostly very positive. Resistance becomes an issue with many products over time. We've seen it with flea treatments and worm treatments and I believe we see it with the likes of malaseb etc. Also it's only anecdotal observation but it irks me when vets do or suggest 'poodle' feet on dogs that chew and lick them. Personally I think it exacerbates the problem. You can clearly see if the licking has subsided by checking for clean white growth at the skin level without shaving the feet. Just my personal opinion that one but I hate shaving between toes of dogs with irritated feet. Imagine the short prickly regrowth between the toes. I have a couple of Westie clients that request it 'because the vet said' and I've never seen it help or improve the situation Ditto to that. So much more effective. Probiotics; Protexin from IAHP It's great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 Thanks all - thanks Gruf - brilliant advice - I'll find myself a sauce bottle. And thanks SM - as you were posting about vinegar I was reading about it - the dilution for dogs is 1:1. And good to know about the hydrogen peroxide showdog - I'm sure I have some somewhere. And the great thing is all these options are cheap and easily available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 (edited) Thanks powerlegs - which protexin do you think? Powder? Paste? Liquid? And do you buy direct from IAHP or elsewhere? Edited August 9, 2016 by westiemum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 By the way can someone remind me of the benefits of green tripe treats? I've forgotten. My westies go mad for them and I'm down to my last packet and BM animals don't seem to have them anymore Any suggestions anyone please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Thanks all - thanks Gruf - brilliant advice - I'll find myself a sauce bottle. And thanks SM - as you were posting about vinegar I was reading about it - the dilution for dogs is 1:1. And good to know about the hydrogen peroxide showdog - I'm sure I have some somewhere. And the great thing is all these options are cheap and easily available. Also just note peroxide denatures after a short while breaking down (to water i think). Best buy a fresh bottle. (Gosh i sound negative - don't mean to. Hope Sarah perks up quickly ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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