Yeast infection - Allergy – Candida albican yeast

We have been receiving more and more comments from consumers who have dogs with a diagnosed yeast infection.

The most common reaction has been to look for a food that does not contain yeast. Unfortunately, these two things have very little to do with each other. On our lectures, we have addressed these problems and were requested to write an article about this seemingly very common problem. If you are reading this, you probably are in a situation where you don’t know what to do with your pets skin- and ear problems, the suggested treatments have had no results. Your pet has possibly been diagnosed to be allergic to something unspecified (could be food, air pollutant, dust etc.) or having unknown skin inflammations etc. The reason could be a yeast infection, but the treatments addresses the symptoms, not the problem itself.

There are treatments available against yeast infection, but these are time consuming and also take a longer period of time to work. We recommend you discuss matters mentioned on this article with your vet and together search for the best cure for your pet. At the end of this article, we present our suggestions for treatment.

Usually in all methabolic problems we begin our search within the gut. How effective the digestive tract in reality is in your dog? Most of the problems can be addressed right there. If the digestive tract does not function properly, the pet will not be able to utilize nutrients from the food it eats, its body cannot function, which results into all kinds of symptoms and potentially the body just crumbles and decays.

Malassezia pachydermatitis in a Westie’s ear

Most often the reasons for ear infections are funguses (yeast) living in the body; Malassezia pachydermatitis, which normally lives on the skin and ears, as well as Candida albicans, which is a part of a normal digestive tracts microflora.

Candida Albican overgrowth in mouth

This above mentioned is caused by yeast overgrowth, resulting to entrance of toxics and poisons into to the animal, which then cause the immunity system to collapse. This yeast infection is a symptom of digestive tract malfunction, not of the yeast in the food. This so often wrongly diagnosed reason, drives the pet owner to look for solutions from the wrong place and the idea of this article is to address the underlying causes to the problem, in order to understand what a healthy digestive tract means; a balanced microflora and its overall effects to the health of the animal.

Each pet (just like us humans) live in a sea of micro-organisms, (bacterial, viruses, yeasts/ funguses) These are everywhere, in the mouth, nose, gut, almost everywhere, they are living parts of the body. There are hundreds of different bacteria in the digestive tract, also different type of yeasts and other micro-organisms. Usually all these do not create problems. As long as everything is in balance, they all work together, depending on one another, maintaining the gut health.

Problems occur when this balance is disturbed. The reason could be just stress, often antibiotics and its effects on immunity levels. Over 70 % of a body’s immunity is in the digestive tract. Any imbalance there, will affect the pet’s health immediately, reducing the bodies possibility to fight even the smallest infections. The main culprit is usually Candida Albicans yeast (in reality it is a fungus), found in the nose, ears, mouth and digestive tract - in humans and pets alike. They all are part of this normal microflora, also needed for the digestive process.

The problem is not Candida Albican itself, but the overgrowth, reducing immunity, that can no longer control the growth of this yeast (fungus). This yeast is needed as a part of normal gut function, mainly as food for the good bacteria, like acidophilus, but this overgrowth is what causes the many problems, from allergic reactions to leaking, smelly ears.

Candida Albicans overgrowth in small intestine

So, what occurs in the digestive tract?
Normally the eaten food is processed by stomach acids and digestive enzymes, processing and braking the foodmass, specially proteins, carbohydrates and fats into digestible form.

As the foodmass is transported to the small intestine, the digestive enzymes, produced by pancreas, continue this process together with bacteria, like acidophilus (probiotic) allowing the released parts of protein, called aminoacids- the building blocks of a body - to be digested.

The area where majority of nutrients are digested, is the small intestine. The walls of the small intestine are full of blood vessels. The walls have small folds and nutrients are digested into the bloodstream from there. As part of a normal microflora, there are yeasts, good and bad bacteria living in harmony, each supporting each other.

Once this balance is altered, the yeast begins to overgrow, limiting the number of good bacteria. If those good bacterial are not replaced, the result is the yeast infection, as now the yeast inhibits the small folds where nutrients are supposed to be digested and nutrients are no longer available for the body.

Furthermore, the overgrowth of yeast, now lives off the food meant for the animal and this process releases toxins and microbes, which are small enough to enter the animals bloostream. This process then can cause the mentioned reactions, very similar to allergies, itchiness, earand skin inflammations. The most visible signs are ears producing mucus and bad smell.

The difficulty is to diagnose this, as the yeast is a normal part of a healthy dog’s microflora. Antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well as the bad, altering the balance of the microfloora, same may also occur purely due to stress or something rotten eaten. Very often the diagnoses determine that the dog is allergic to something unspecified, or by just having a bowel infection, and treatment
again will be antibiotics.

Lets go back a little, to a puppy and the development of its immune system.

The puppy’s own digestive tract is sterile at birth. From the mother’s milk puppy gets the good bacterial little by little and slowly puppy begins to develop its own microflora, to assist breaking down the eaten nutrients to digestible form. At weaning, this process is strengthening, though very commonly puppies may have diarrhea or loose stools. The digestive tract is still very immature and resistance, i.e. immune system, has not yet fully developed.

The good bacteria (like Bacillus Acidofilus and Enterococcus faesium) help processing the food into digestible form and they clean the intestinal wall (the folds), by eating the bad bacteria and yeast, thus keeping balances correct. If there are not enough of these good bacteria, health is immediately reduced, as nutrients are not absorbed by the pet like they should.

Additionally, the process now causes the release of toxins and chemicals, which will inhibit the digestive system form functioning, prohibiting nutrient utilization by the pet. Food just passes through the gut.

Small intestine in trouble

What occurs in the pet’s metabolism when this yeast overgrowth continues?
When the dog is under stress or after antibiotic treatment, the pH balance in the gut is altered reducing the good bacteria. This allows yeast to overgrow and it is called: ”Systematic yeast infection ”.

Yeast infection – before and after treatment 

Most common causes for acidic balance (pH) changes, exposing the dog to yeast infection:
Nutritional balances:
• Excessive or repeated antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics are supposed to kill bacteria, but here they kill also the good guys, limiting nutrients digestion.
• Poor quality diet
• Diet with high grain contents.
• No Probiotics (milkbacteria like acidophilus, or sour milk, natural yoghurt)
• No Prebiotics (like inulin or aspergillus)
• No beta glucans and oligoshaccarides
Others:
• Excessive vaccinations
• Physical stress (pregnancy, lactation, travelling etc.)
• Mental stress (surroundings, genetic, anxiety, pressure handling)
• Nervousness
• Hyperactivity
• Losing a loved one
• Changes in environment (moving)

These are just a few possible reasons, but whatever the reasons, the effect is detrimental to the overall health. Yeast infection (overgrowth) affects the pet internally and externally. In science this has been described as the” leaking gut
syndrome”. Toxins and chemicals” leak” into the animal’s metabolism, creating all kinds of system malfunctions. Possibly prescribed antiobiotics only aggravate the problem by killing also the” good guys”, now so desperately needed. Yeast continues to overgrow, over immunity is severely compromised.
 

The cycle is out of control!

Visible signs and symptoms for yeast infection:
• Skin irritation
• Itching paws
• Continuous licking of paws or genitals
• Redness of skin, inflammation, bad smell.
• Joint pain
• Continuous bacterial infections
• Ear infections, bad smelling mucus from ears
• Sensitivity to sounds
• Overall nervousness
 

Internal signs and repercussions for yeast infection:
• Digestive problems
• Gas formation (flatulence)
• Physical tiredness, depression
• Joint pain
• Limited digestibility of nutrients

All the signs and symptoms easily reminiscent of allergic reactions or bacterial infection, but the treatment described do not affect the reason – yeast overgrowth but is more likely to increase it.

The latest reports indicate that antibiotics prescriptions are increasing again. Antibiotics are very important, but their use should always be carefully monitored. The good lactobacteria, like acidophilus etc. (probiotics) should always be administered after antibiotic treatment. The digestive tract needs pre- and probiotics*) to safeguard proper digestive functions.

*) Prebiotic – Pre- = before. To eliminate space from pathogens and make a base for the good bacteria – probiotics.
Probiotics - Pro – after/for. Increase the gut cleaning functions.

Probiotics protecting and cleaning the gut walls

As treatment for this, we address the balance of the gut. We look at the whole digestive tract as an organ on its own, by avoiding any chemicals or synthetic materials, which could aggravate the system, by concentrating on natural nutrients only.
1. Food – Change to a food containing pre- and probiotics *)
2. Cleaning the digestive tract
2.1 BioHealth™ prebiotics fiber
2.2 LactoHealth™ probiotics)

By changing into Golden Eagle Holistic Health™ petfood.This is the first nutrigenomic petfood line in the world addressing yeast infection very specifically and supplying maintenance level of pre- and probiotics every day. (read more on Nutraceuticals at: http://www.goldeneaglepetfoods.com/Nutraceuticals.html

With these natural nutrients we aim to return the healthy microflora and simultaneously advance the digestibility of all nutrients. The amount of time required, depends purely on the severity of the infection, usually clinical signs are visible with in 24 hours, especially in feces.

If the skin has been badly affected, a fatty acid therapy might be called for. Skin needs specially the Omega’s, biotin, zinc, Vitamin-A, E- and B6. Skin is renewed in the average of 60 days, so treatment could take long to re-establish all balances throughout the body.

The other side-effect from a yeast infection, is the accumulation of methabolic by-products. These are the residues, left over from normal methabolic reaction and in a normal animal, these are cleaned out of the body through bloodstream into liver and then on to kidneys, from where they are urinated.

In yeast infection, these residues may over run the system. Bloodstream gets overflooded, in other words, create traffic jam like situations, where nutrients don’t get to go where they are needed, cleaning does not occur as expected and all these delay the healing process. There are many natural remedies for these, for very difficult cases, we recommend Dorwest Herbs Doggy-De- Tox, a very powerful natural detoxificant, though the nutraceuticals in Golden Eagle Holistic Health™ should be sufficient to treat this problem.

We naturally recommend Golden Eagle Holistic Health™ petfoods to prevent these problems in advance. Our unique combination of natural aids in BioHealth™, MicroHealth™ and LactoHealth™ address the digestive tract and its potential problems every day at every meal.

Each Golden Eagle Holistic Health™ product contains this health supporting natural organisms for the benefit of overall health. The value of these all together help the puppies at weaning, adult dogs all through their life’s and especially beneficial for older dogs, who’s methabolistic system may be slowing down and they need all the help they can get.

We hope this article will assist readers in understanding symptoms in their pet. The idea is not to create any hysteria and automatically draw conclusions, there may be many other reasons for the malfunctions and symptoms in the pet and we always recommend discussing these with your vet. There can be thousands of reasons why the pet’s health may be compromised, but this yeast overgrowth problem seems to be too common.

The recommendation is to try Golden Eagle Holistic Health™ petfoods even without yeast infection. The dog will show the benefits normally in days, but feed 60 days for all the positive nutritional benefits to become visible, let your dog decide and show you.

We recommend you to contact your local distributor who can further assist you or read more at www.goldeneaglepetfoods.com - Nutraceuticals For further reading, see our web site.

©Golden Eagle Petfoods Co Ltd