My dog has a yeast infection. What are affordable treatment options?

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Ryder. Poor guy, that looks pretty bad in the picture! He is missing fur in places, and parts of his skin look pretty red, likely from licking. I'm wondering if he does have a yeast infection or something else like mites, fleas, or allergies. This is something that has to be seen by a vet immediately, it is bad looking and cannot be treated at home. It also needs to be diagnosed by a vet so it can be treated correctly. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope one of these resources helps you. Please take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Poor Millie! If Millie has an infection, be it yeast or bacteria, she needs to be on either an antibiotic or an antifungal (for the yeast). If the steroids are not working I would discuss weaning and stopping them and ask to start apoquel or cytopoint for the scratching. If Millie has skin allergies you should get her either on a prescription hydrolyzed diet (royal canin HP, Purina HA or Hill's z/d) or an over the counter novel protein diet (chicken is the most common allergen, not grains) of either venison or fish. If you are looking for a weight loss diet there are prescription diets as well. Millie sounds pretty miserable with her skin and she should see your Vet to discuss the next steps in trying to get this under control. I've attached a link to some shampoos you can try. Bathe 2-3 times per week and leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. Then apply the conditioner. I hope this helps and I wish Millie a speedy recovery! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=35843

Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. Skin issues can certainly be frustrating. If Mocha isn't responding to the therapy her vet prescribed, please contact them to discuss next steps. It is impossible to diagnose a skin condition from photos alone. Her vet may recommend doing cytology, fungal culture and/or skin scrapes to determine the cause of her infection. In some cases referral to a veterinary dermatologist may be recommended for difficult cases. Sometimes there is underlying endocrine disease or allergies that may require bloodwork to diagnose. In the meantime, a diet for sensitive skin is always a good idea for dogs with recurrent skin infection. I really like Purina ProPlan Salmon for dogs with skin problems. VIP-_-58700003318233982&kwid=p30226684098&device=c&gclid=CKDNtaClntoCFcu0fgodJBgN9A&gclsrc=ds Many times your vet may recommend a medicated shampoo to help with skin infections. I would check with Mocha's vet to see what they recommend based on her condition. Some shampoos can be more irritating than helpful. Though ketohex is usually useful for bacterial and fungal infections https://www.amazon.com/Vet-One-313985007705-Ketohex-Shampoo/product-reviews/B00WAP0M1U/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_199_tr_cr_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1W04Q4164W15DCWTM9HE Good luck, I hope Mocha improves soon.

Yeast infections are especially itchy, crusty, and smelly. Often a dog starts with a rash or with simple itching but the skin thickens to an “elephant” skin appearance. The itch is extreme and the odor can be especially troublesome. Parts of the body or the entire body can be affected. Malassezia overgrowth is particularly problematic where there are skin folds ("armpits," eyelids, facial folds, lip folds, throat latch, and especially between the toes). Treatment can be topical, oral, or both. Topical treatment is best used for localized spots of infection while oral medication would be better applied to larger infected areas. If the yeast infection is recurrent or if one wishes to supplement oral medication, topical and oral treatment can be combined. Oral medications are available through your vet. Shampoos such as Chlorhexiderm Max® or Malaseb® shampoo both strip skin oil and kill yeast; however, other anti-yeast products include Selsun Blue®, Miconazole® shampoo, Nizoral® shampoo, Douxo® shampoo and more. The pet must be bathed twice a week to start and the shampoo requires a 15 minute contact time (meaning do not rinse the lather for 15 minutes). It is important to realize that yeast overgrowth occurs in response to a primary problem be it allergy, seborrhea or something else. If the underlying problem is not controlled, yeast dermatitis is likely to periodically recur. It is common for allergic dogs to require some kind of periodic if not on-going anti-yeast therapy.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Oral antifungals are available through your veterinarians office and truly work best in a situation of such overgrowth. The e collar is key to preventing licking, so great to hear you are taking such good care of her! New advances are being made in the allergy world for our pups as well. Things like Apoquel and cytopoint (an oral and an injection, respectively) are now available for our pets and have made a WORLD of difference for many of my clients. If you have not discussed this with your veterinarian-it's time! Why're great. For the sore areas-until you can get her in to be seen-you can apply triple antibiotic ointment twice daily to deter further bacterial infections, just make sure she cannot lick any of it off. I hope this information helps! These products may very well be a world of difference for Izzy!

Snoopy's skin issues could be a result of allergies or even systemic diseases (such as Cushing's disease or hypothyroidism) that can compromise the immune system and weaken the skin barrier to infection. Some yeast infections can be managed with prescription-based shampoos containing climbazole, ketoconazole, or other antifungals. To my knowledge, there are no safe and effective over the counter anti-fungal shampoos for dogs. Your vet should be able to prescribe an appropriate shampoo for Snoopy. I realize that you are unable to medicate Snoopy, but realize that some skin yeast infections do not respond to topical medications or shampoos alone and require oral antifungal medications. Hopefully this won't be an issue for her. I hope that she's on the mend soon!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The most common reason for scratching in the abcence of infection: allergies. It could be food related, environmental allergens, or even an allergic reaction to mites or mosquitos. Sometimes longer term treatment with the ointment, systemic medications, and mite/flea/tick prevention is needed so talk with your vet.