Jazzie suffered from Yeast infections too both on her nail beds and ears in addition to severe dermatitis. After talking to her dermatologist and her alternative medicine doctor we switched her diet to Natural Balance Duck & Potato formula and she has not had ANY allergy related problems since the switch.
The trick is to get rid of any foods high in Gluten.
From
www.dogtorj.tripod.com:
Dog foods and treats many times contain the food ingredients that have been most often incriminated in food allergies and intolerances. Historically, the main allergens have been dairy products, cereal grains (wheat, barley, corn) and beef in the dog.
So, when deciding which foods to buy for your pet, especially for the allergic pet, try to follow these basic guidelines first:
Things to Eliminate:
1) Wheat, barley, rye - ALL of them. (including bread, snack crackers,treats, wheat/gluten, etc.)
2) Dairy products - ALL of them. (including milk, cheese, whey, casein, dried skim milk, etc.)
3) Soy – ALL (This is also a major problem in people. See
www.mercola.com‘s Soy Index Page)
4) Corn- ALL (including corn gluten meal)- This is important in asthma, pain syndromes, and epilepsy.
5) Beef and fish - (only if allergy symptoms are present/persist. These are “secondary“ allergies.)
6) Artificial preservatives and colors - (You want to see “preserved with vit.E“)
By eliminating the above items, you will be taking care of at least 80% of all food allergens and all three of the major sources of food intolerance (gluten in grains, casein in dairy, and soy protein.)
This must be considered in ALL foods, including TREATS and TABLE FOOD. Milk Bones and Beggin’ Strips, for example, are loaded with wheat, artificial preservatives, and many of the animal proteins to which pets may be allergic.
Safe Pet Foods:
*Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice Adult formula (available at pet shops)
*Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Duck and Potato (available at B&B PetStop, Cottage Hill)
*I.V.D. - Potato-based diets available through veterinarians. The “Cadillac”.
*I.V.D., and Nutro Treats- Available here and at pet shops.
*California Naturals- Chicken and Rice dog and cat foods. (available at pet shops)
*Canidae and Felidae Pet Foods- None of the "big 4" but many different proteins present.
If symptoms persist after 3-6 weeks of starting these diets, then blood testing is available to identify other food allergies.