I tried him on the Hill's Allergy food last year - can't recall the specific name but I got it in a pinch when PetSmart was out of Hill's I/D GI - using only 6 kibbles per meal and he had a bad, bad bout of N&V starting the next day, with some amount of N&V, loose stools for about 10 days despite the nausea and diarrhea medication!!! What is wrong with this boy's gut? I'm so scared of trying anything new on him because of his acute, always predictable reaction. But we'll see - if they recommend any diet changes I'll have to try them just to see I know - somehow we have to get a handle of this bad smell - like ultra bad Frito Feet all over. He's got one healing hotspot on his chest and little itching. I'm thinking if whatever is causing that smell gets into his organs or blood stream, it could be serious. I'm so out of ideas!

Thanks. I hope we find something to help poor, stinky, kinda itchy little Tibbe. Still waiting to talk to the vet on Tibbe and turns out my doc today said my right chest pain is a costochondral separation and only time will help, maybe some Voltaren cream or he could put a block in it! Nope! Said heavy lifting or too much lifting and strain did it and to "take it easy". How do you do that with a dog to bathe/rinse every day, groceries to carry in, beds to strip, life to live, etc.? Ah, well, at least it's not something drastic!

No, I didn't know...you are losing a vet too?

Jeanie, ask about the warm water and vinegar. Did you ever see the pics of Cody from years ago? He was covered with bacteria and yeast. They put him on antibiotics and advised baths in Selsun Blue Shampoo with a rinse of water and vinegar after.

If you have not seen before and after pics of that little miracle, here:

Index of /cody

One of the soaks I have used twice was warm water and white vinegar but the amount of vinegar I used is about 1 tbsp. to one cup of water. Also tried mixing in a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in another rinse, together with the tablespoon of vinegar to little effect. Tried a tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water another rinse - no difference in post-rinse odor. I changed the portions to 1/3 cup hydrogen peroxide and 1/3 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup water and Tibbe kept lifting up his feet, as if they were burning or something - acting uncomfortable. I quickly got him out of that and rinsed off his feet and he licked them for a while until I shampooed them off and dried them and put some vaseline on them. But they didn't stink for a while after that but of course I wouldn't use that combo again. I'll continue to rinse him in vinegar and water and up my portion of vinegar but should I try half- and half?

All I can say once again is God bless you, Linda, for your work with these babies! I CANNOT BELIEVE THE UTTER CHANGE IN LITTLE CODY IN THOSE PICTURES! He IS a miracle! Bless his sweet little heart! I hate to even see that before picture of that poor little baby. He looks utterly miserable and lost, hopeless. You sure made his life over by helping that baby get ride of that horrible infection! Imagine how good he felt getting free of that mess! If our early regimen doesn't work, we're changing to Selsun Blue and keeping up the vinegar/water rinses!!!

The vet would know if this is yeast or not if they looked under the microscope. An infection of this magnitude most likely will not clear with a topical antifungal.

If the food is causing this he does need to be switched. I understand..Ellie can only eat one food..but it may be necessary.

I don't want to get into my personal opinions of probiotics and coconut oil, just remember if it sounds too good to be true...Probiotics cause stomach upset in some dogs. And adding additional fat to a Yorkie's diet, even if coconut oil, is not always indicated. I think you should talk to a veterinary nutritionist.

We had quite a day yesterday, didn't get down until after 8 pm last night. My right costochondral joints are aching! My vet was back yesterday evening(wasn't supposed to be back until Friday or Monday) and actually saw Tibbe also and spoke to me about him. She said with a yeast infection, there is almost always a combination of bacterial-yeast infection in the skin and pads and gave him a shot of Convenia 80 mg., after we talked at length about it being safe, to assure me that the antibiotic wouldn't cause the yeast to flourish or be likely to put him into liver or IBS crisis, though either is possible. She put him on an anti-fungal lotion to use on hotspots called Conzol 1%(a miconazole nitrate), also on the pads and skin in between baths/rinses if I smell odor and also suggested applying a solution of the HexachlorK in between baths to his feet, rinse off and pat dry, if I want.

She said that she was a little worried about using Nystatin or Diflucan due to the toxic effect on the liver because of his MVD but said we'll have to use it if this infection/odor persists. She didn't think a culture or sensitivity was called for yet - wanted to try simple things first as this is early in his infection(SHE doesn't have to live around this poor little boy's rank smell or sleep with him on her pillow!!! lol! ;). I've used more air freshener and sprayed so much cologne in the air and over the couch cushions I'm running out of both!

She okayed the coconut oil, saying treatments often won't work longterm if an infection is deep-seated or returns quickly, advising trying only a tiny amount at first due to his IBS, probiotics, apple cider vinegar in small amounts at first his water and continuing the vinegar/water rinse, too, if I'd like, but I was so tired by the time I got there last evening, I forgot to ask her what proportions I should use and how often! We still had to drop by the store to pick up a few things and go to the pharmacy for my prescription so by the time we got home(for which Tibbe got the biggest thrill getting so much attention and my chest/shoulder got sorer - but it was worth it to see him lapping up all that attention and energy). Tibbe got his Hexachlor-K bath/10 minute soaking in it and drying, I got my shower and we both ate dinner, we were dead tired when we hit the couch.

Lisa(lisaly) called to check on us(bless her sweet heart - what an angel) and we spoke for a while and then Tibbe and I were both out for the night, spending the whole night on the den couch! We were just too tired to make the trek down to the bedroom and turn back the covers and I seriously doubted my right arm would work well enough to do it. I asked him if he wanted to "go to bed" and he just raised his head and looked at me and put it right back down. Needless to say, I'm very sore this morning from sleeping on the couch! Woke up with Tibbe right beside my face on the couch pillow and he wasn't smelly!

Is this for real? So far, no bad smell yet this morning and the part of my pillow and portion of the den couch Tibbe slept on is not stinky this morning!!! Could that shot and last night's Hexachlor-K bath have begun to work so soon? I'm almost in disbelief - I know the odor will come back because we have a long battle ahead of us fighting this infection but I'd have thought it would be back by morning as it has in the past after a late bath. I know the Hexachlor takes the odor away for a while but usually not for this long before I can catch a whiff of it beginning again after a bath.

I forgot to ask about the Betadine and how to use it - but will wait for now to see if this regimen works and we can go to that later if we need to. I'll also run the Selsun Blue past her, should be need to change from Hexachor, if it stops working, which she said might happen at some point if this persists.

That's all for now - chest is so sore I'm about to cry so I'll close and thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your help, ideas, caring, concerns, support and prayer. YorkieTalk is my "go-to" place for just about everything as I know I'll get so much help here!

Tibbe had a normal breakfast and has been outside this morning and seems perfectly normal, not sleepy or lethargic or anything right now. He's scratched about 4 times since coming back inside - something he always does as he's so short and the grass itches his underside. So far, so good. :)

Why is th vet afraid to use an antifungal? The bloodwork was "normal" you said so there's no reason not to.
My dog has MvD and has never had "normal" bloodwork and has had antifungal oral meds at least half a dozen times in her lifetime.

I would not be wasting my time with baths, probiotics, or coco oil.

I would call this vet back and insist she put him on oral meds! Omg I would be fuming over this!!

Oh, Cathy, I think she's just very cautious right now as Tibbe's reactions to meds are not very friendly and she's hoping we can get a "simple" handle on this as we've been some rough times with him. She will use those if this persists.

Ok good luck!

Jeanie, the rinse is 50/50 warm water and white vinegar. :)

Ah, okay, that's what I'll use.

So far, believe it or not, he's had just the tiniest odor in his pawpads starting up about 11:00 a.m., so I used the Conzol(miconizole nitrate) lotion just a few minutes ago on his pawpads and underbelly and it totally wiped out all odor on them, which heretofore, only a full bath in the HexaChlor-K has done. That stuff is highly medicinal smelling but it didn't seem to burn him or anything - he's had no reaction so far. I'll use the coconut oil on his pawpads when it arrives, too, and put some on his underbelly and a tiny bit to start on his food at first to be sure it doesn't kick off his IBS or anything. Been reading up a bit on the Convenia, too, and it seems an accepted protocol to use in yeasty skin infections! Who knew? I'm just hoping and praying it doesn't cause a wide-spread yeast overgrowth but obviously the vet weighed that in, as much as I questioned her before I gave my okay.

https://www.zoetisus.com/products/co.../convenia.aspx

I checked him over this morning - no hot spots at all remain, thank goodness. His ears are not smelly either.

I have had many pups with bacterial and fungal infections (Cody was the worst), but this is very common with allergy pups. I have never had a problem with antibiotics causing any type of overgrowth of yeast.

You have NO IDEA how comforting that was to read just now, Linda. Here's virtual (((((hug))))) for telling me that. Felt a knot just smooth out of somewhere. I know just enough to worry myself into spasms and worries.

Tibbe seems to be moving a little slowly this morning - but he's never absolutely normal acting after getting medicine of any kind or after a visit to the vet. But he's searching the floor now for his chewies like he wants to play chewie-chase so maybe he's feeling okay - just a little tired after his big day and evening in the shops. He loves going to the vet and seeing everybody up there, getting any attention he can from them all and being around all the other dogs up there if even in different cages and I usually hear him barking his excited bark the moment I walk in the door there. I fear he's one of their loud-mouth patients - barking for attention a lot of the time he's there. I imagine he's just a little tired plus medicine always seems to make him lethargic.