My dog's stool test showed yeast. Is it serious? Can it cause diarrhea?

I am unsure if she presented with this irritation during her recent exam with the vet which would have alerted them to thoroughly check this area or not; however this appears to be a possible mild vaginitis with a secondary yeast infection. A skin impression/cytology is ideal to confirm this diagnosis through your vet. We typically treat these with a pet formulated topical chlorhexidine/ketoconazole skin wipe or spray. I have never used hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or yogurt to treat a yeast infection in a dog, nor do I see any reliable information on the veterinary boards to suggest that this is a plausible treatment; therefore, I wouldn't recommend it. I have seen where vinegar can reduce some yeast populations on the skin, but complete resolve is not guaranteed. Instead your vet should be able to supply the appropriate medicated topical treatment to help resolve Isa's apparent vaginitis. I can sense that you feel this may have been missed on her recent exam and may have some resentment about that; however I would still recommend returning for the appropriate treatment for Isa. I hope her skin infections gets resolved soon. Take care.

It's likely that the ear infection and diarrhea are unrelated. Regarding the diarrhea, it could be caused by a sudden diet change, ingestion of human food or garbage, or parasites. Canned pumpkin can be helpful to add fiber to the diet. You may also want to try a bland diet (white rice and lowfat boiled chicken). If this does not resole the diarrhea, I would recommend seeing a vet who can perform a fecal test to rule out parasites and prescribe an anti-diarrhea medication. If the ear infection does not resolve with vinegar and water, it may be caused by a bacteria or yeast. Usually prescription ear medications are required to completely resolve these type of infections. Best of luck and I hope she feels better soon!

Has he had fecal testing run at a laboratory? Sometimes if the vet looks at it themselves they can miss something (human error happens). You can actually send the test in yourself to the lab and then if there are any positive results you can consult with your vet about treatment. This is the same lab they would likely use. ( https://www.idexx.com/en/veterinary/fecalchek/ ) Chronic diarrhea can be due to many different things. It may take a lot of testing to figure this out. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/diarrhea-in-dogs ) If it is not intestinal parasites the next most likely thing would be inflammatory bowel disease. To get a definitive diagnosis intestinal biopsies would be needed. That being said, if owners cannot afford that, often times we do a trial of medication (I use Tylosin) to treat it and see what happens. In the meantime, I suggest you try using Fortiflora probiotic (if you have not already done so). One packet on food daily - one box will do a 30 day treatment. ( 1800petmeds.com/Purina+FortiFlora-prod10376.html ) Also, give him only his food and nothing else. The more different things you give him the more chance of diarrhea and then you won't know what is helping or not helping. Keeping things consistent makes it easier to get a diagnosis. Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

That does not look like a typical yeast infection, but your vet can do some simple skin tests to tell you for sure. Unfortunately, sometimes dogs have allergies that result in itching without any secondary infection and the only thing that helps are medication for the itching. There are some over the counter medications like Benadryl (https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/) that you can try, but the prescription medications work much better. I would recommend having your vet examine Chelsea, decide if she has a secondary yeast infection that needs treatment (which could be topical or oral medication), then decide on a treatment plan for her itching. I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

I would not recommend starting it without diagnosis from a vet and confirmation of the correct dosage. Bacterial infections are more common in dogs, so it may not be yeast. If you're seeing vaginal discharge, that is definitely not a yeast infection and you need to see her vet right away.

Generally, topical medications such as ear drops are not absorbed into the system enough to cause gastrointestinal changes. More likely there is something else going on that is causing the stool color change. Young puppies are susceptible to infection including intestinal parasites and easily develop diarrhea due to a change in the diet. If the issue persists, it's definitely worth taking him to your local vet for an exam.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.