What is a dog yeast infection?
A yeast infection in dogs is a common skin disease where yeast develops excessively in a certain area. Yeast is a spore-producing fungus that occurs naturally on the skin but is usually present in small numbers. Also known as Malassezia dermatitis, yeast infections are usually found in the ears, skin folds, and in between paw pads. Overgrown yeast can make your pet uncomfortable. A yeast infection in the ear could cause deafness if left untreated, for instance.
What Are the Symptoms of Yeast Infections in Dogs?
Yeast infections can cause red, irritated, or itchy skin or ears, and there is often a sweet or musty odor.
Chronic yeast infections can cause the skin to become thickened and discolored (gray, brown, or black).
Here are the most common areas for yeast infections in dogs and some signs that you can look out for.
Yeast infections can occur anywhere on a dog’s skin, including the belly. They are often seen in areas that are moist, such as in skin folds, especially in “wrinkly” dog breeds.
The affected skin may be red, irritated, itchy, greasy, or flaky, and there may be hair loss.
If the infection is chronic, the skin may thicken and become darker in color. Yeast infections on a dog’s mouth or face can cause extreme itching or face rubbing.
A dog with yeast infections on their paws can have red, irritated, and itchy paws.
The underside of the paws, between the pads, is affected most often, but yeast can occur anywhere on the paws. Sometimes a brown discharge can be seen in the nail beds.
Dogs with yeast infections on the paws usually lick their paws more than normal. There may also be hair loss.
Dog ear yeast infections are quite common, and the ears often smell sweet or musty.
Usually, you will see redness, which may extend onto the flap of the ear, and the discharge is generally brown. The ear may appear to be greasy, and the hair may be matted.
Yeast infections in a dog’s ears can be very itchy, causing dogs to scratch their ears or rub their head excessively.
Treatments for Yeast Dermatitis in Dogs
If you believe your dog has yeast dermatitis or a yeast ear infection the first thing you should do is call your vet, the sooner their condition is addressed the faster your pooch will recover. Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose your pups infection by culturing or with cytology, they might also take skin and hair samples from around the infected area for additional testing.
When your dog is diagnosed with a yeast infection your vet will prescribe an antifungal medication which may include an ointment to apply to the infected area or a medicated shampoo to relieve symptoms. If your dogs infection is more serious your vet may prescribe oral tables such as ketoconazole, fluconazole, or terbinafine.
If your dog has a yeast infection in its ear that caused deafness your pup might require total ear canal ablation surgery.
Top 3 Steps to Stop the Itching caused by Yeast
If your pooch is rubbing their ear or tilting their head, they may have an ear infection caused by an overgrowth of yeast. A bacterial infection is also possible and can cause the same symptoms. So its important for your vet to establish what kind of infection your dog has.
Fortunately, a yeast infection of the outer ear is easy to spot. In addition to rubbing, the signs include a waxy residue and scabbing around the opening of the ear. The condition is usually simple to treat.
Unfortunately, an ear infection in your dog caused by yeast is sometimes associated with an underlying condition, such as
Once your vet has determined that Fido is suffering from an ear infection caused by yeast, they might conduct tests to check for other health problems. First, though, itâs important to treat the yeast infection. A yeast infection can be painful and can lead to deafness.