Hi! Yes, it has been a while and I couldn't believe just now that somebody actually still posts here (very old thread, lol) But I remember you and I'm the one who has a dog who has been going through the same exact issues as your dog! Improvement sure is fast but a COMPLETE turn around will take a LONG time! It took my dog over a year and he still has a little bit of elephant skin on his belly and *some* black spots but he doesn't scratch or bite himself anymore. My best guess is that this might be permanent skin tissue damage, but I have no scientific proof of this, just my own observations.... I know that expelling the yeast and rebuilding a normal, healthy immune system is very time consuming as the dog has to heal himself from the inside out and flare ups are typical. You're doing all of right things! You can soothe the dry skin (especially after a shave down) with
100% pure aloe vera gel. I have the Panama Jack brand but there are many good ones out there. I would also start to cut back on the baking soda washes as baking soda acts as a mild abrasive and oil stripper. It's a fantastic, natural way to rid the skin of the emerging toxins but it can be a bit harsh on the skin as well. Also be sure that the daily spray down vinegar/water solution truly is mild as vinegar can irritate if made too pure! Have you purchased the Chlorhexiderm Max 4% shampoo? I have tried so many different ones, but this shampoo REALLY helped my dog and what I did was bathe my dog every 2-3 days with this shampoo and once a week I bathed him with baking soda mixed with tea tree oil in castile liquid soap. Yes, the armpit and chest/belly area is THE spot for itching from the yeast. Also the groin/privates areas so they're the last, stubborn areas on my dog as well! I suspect that your dog still experiences yeasty ears (as did my own dog) so make sure you frequently swab those out with the vinegar solution. DON'T pour it into the ear canal, just douse two Q tips with the vingear solution and gently swab out the entire outer ear canal area and don't forget the ear flap (cotton ball). Yeast's best friend is warm moisture, so I blow dried my dog after a bath and dried his ears good as well, followed by ear cleaning!
Hang in there! A yeasty dog's detox is a long, frustrating process and set backs are common as well! It truly is a battle but by doing all of the previously discussed things for your dog, he WILL get better, little by little!
Keep us posted!
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Originally Posted by Michmill  HI, its been awhile.
Chewy is doing better. I have been bathing him with baking soda and spraying with a vinager mix as instructed. He still claws and scrathes his arm pits and chest area. I have to keep little booties on him so he doesnt get all bloody. The smelly sores on his back are going away. The skin still seems so dry and tough. You know the elephant skin thing, and where he scratches, when it heals its turning black. Will this ever go away? Will his back always look like hes part elephant? lol. He doesnt smell at all any more unless he has a flare up. He no longer has itchy, watery eyes. His bad breath and dirty teeth are gone. I cant believe how clean they are. I am keeping him shaved to be able to get the baking soda and vinegar on the skin but he is scratching alot less. Used to he would only scratch his back end by his tail and as much of his back he could get (mainly it was all he could reach). He hasnt been scratching that anymore, its just chest and arm pits and under his ears. Maybe some one whos been thru this can let me know if this is a sign of major improvement. I see that it is. His back was so bad he chewed himself bald. Now the hair is growing so fast I am shaving all the time. didnt have to before. lol. |