First the good news. Lucky is down to 74lb., from 84lb this time last year! I was worried that he might be too thin, but the vet said he's just fine, could even stand to lose a few more pounds, but overall is very fit and muscular. This is good, will hopefully prevent his right knee from blowing out (his left ACL tore, and he had a TPLO; not something either of us wants to repeat!!!). He's a Labrador, by the way.

Now for the bad news. His recurring yeast infections of the ears has got to be stopped. Simply managing them is inadequate, as his reaction to whatever is causing them is severe enough that the vet is very concerned that he may need surgery in a couple of years if we don't put a stop to it now.

So here's the story. I put him on BARF last August, and saw some slight improvement, but overall, his ears have been pretty bad. The change in diet and regular cleanings have not helped much if at all. I *have* been pretty bad about treats; he gets lots of treats, and occasionally he gets into the cat food.

I need to formulate a "hypoallergenic" or elimination diet, to try to figure out what he is allergic to, if it is food.

Has anyone been through this? Any ideas? Suggestions? Right now, I'm doing as much reading as I can, and will be conversing with my vet on Monday. I'd like to have some good questions for him by then.

I've been doing some research since Thursday, when Lucky's trip to the vet revealed that his ear problems are more severe than I was aware of. The vet advised me that we should clear up the current yeast infection, then try an elimination diet to see if he has a food allergy. We're supposed to speak about it again on Monday.

Here are my questions: 1) If it is true that only a small percentage of allergy problems in dogs are actually to food, and that the majority of allergies are really atopic (inhalant), to things such as dust, mold, and pollen, then shouldn't I have a scratch test done before I change his diet? Or should I do the elimination diet, and if that doesn't help, then do the scratch? If it was a food allergy, wouldn't it be manifesting as itchy skin or digestive upset? His feet are fine; he does not chew them, they are not irritated, and he does not appear to itch.

2) I have recieved a lot of conflicting information on the nature of food allergies. The current school of thought among allopathic veterinary professionals is that the allergies are to the protein source. Therefore, the elimination diet needs to consist of a protein that the dog has never had before, and a starch that the dog has never had before. However, the current school of thought in the holistic veterinary community is that dogs do not need starches/complex carbs, because they get their energy from protein, and that it is these complex carbs and starches (grains and potatoes) that most dogs are allergic to. They cannot process them adequately, resulting in the allergic reactions. One suggestion I received was to eliminate all grains and root veggies from the diet.

I have been researching the availability of different meats, and I found that I can get duck for $1.29/lb. I can get turkey necks for .98/lb. With such a huge difference in price, I am tempted to make the elimination diet consist of turkey as the protein source (each meal would consist of one or two turkey necks, two tablespoons of spinach mush, one Osteo BiFlex capsule, and I'm still undecided if I should cut out the fish oil and the kelp powder; for training treats, the only ones that I know of that consist of one ingredient are the dehydrated lamb lung, or I could make my own turkey jerky). Lucky has eaten turkey; it is not a protein source that he has never been exposed to. However, he has been on chicken, lamb, and beef based foods, and had his ear problems long before I introduced turkey. This is one of the reasons that I'm not sure it's the meat source that he is allergic to.

Sigh.......anyone else out there been through this???? Any thoughts?????

Don't have any allergic dogs anymore but the one time that I had a dog on an allergy diet it was fish based. Fish might be cheaper than duck-
How about rabbit? they are pretty fast and cheap to raise.

Thanks, Tiggy, I'm a city girl, so raising my own rabbits to um, er,...."harvest" isn't on my list of options. I will call the meat suppliers and ask about rabbit, though. Hopefully I can get parts and not whole ones.

What I'm leaning toward right now, is greatly reducing the amount of different foods that he has been eating. When I switched him to BARF, the idea was to cut grains out of his diet, but I have been guilty of using treats that contain flour, such as the liver treats he loves. Plus, I didn't cut out all starchy veggies, either. He's been eating sweet potatoes, carrots, peas, russets, and a host of other veggies and fruits that are sugar producing. So, here's my plan.

One or two turkey necks
2 Tbs. dark green leafys (run through food processor)
one fish oil capsule
one Osteo BiFlex capsule
probiotic/vitamin and mineral supplement that I haven't found yet......(ideas, anyone?)

In addition, I may ask my vet to purchase some Zymox ear solution (www.petkingbrands.com/zymox.html). Has anyone tried this stuff?

Okay I haven't posted here in a longf time but I do stop by every so often to see that all of you are still behaving...so far it hasn't happened!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Anyway one GSD that I had until a few weeks ago have severe allergies. He was raised on BARF but smart me decided to try and go the easy way out and try regular kibble. One month later he was covered in scabs with yeast on his body, in his ears and even on his testicles...not a pretty or comfortable site to say the least. And this is when he was only 6 months old or so.
I did put him back on BARF and he was cleared up within 2 weeks. No more scabs, odor and most important no yeast showing up on skin scrapes or cultures. I did learn by trial and error that I could not use white potatoes and only a few carrots. Corn and things like that with a lot of starch I did not use at all. It was amazing the difference in him.
I still feel for him it was more getting rid of the grains and not JUST the raw diet. I know the raw is better anyway but it is also a great way to get rid of anything that you think may be causing the problem.
I think you are on the right track with getting rid of starchy foods in his diet...that may be the main cause of his problems.
Good luck and let me know if I can help.

I would try at least 2 months with a single protein source - no treats (or cat food) - and if you go with turkey, homemade turkey jerky for training is a great idea to keep the protein the same. I know it's a pain, but worth it. I would personally go 2 months without the fish oil too, just so you know for sure. My gal had terrible yeasty ears before coming to me, a hematoma and surgery etc and my vet said it would be life long. With her - it was as easy as no yeast in her food - and some supplements. She is fine with every other food. The yeast only ever expressed itself in her ears, no paw or behind chewing.

Have you tried YeastCleanse by Solaray or things like that? Garlic, acidophilus, Pau d'Arco, Grapefruit Seed Extract, caprylic acid etc. http://shop.store.yahoo.com/suzannes4u/allnatfor90c.html

I swear by it. Oral supplements are a great idea in my books, the new thinking with many docs for human yeast infections is to take the meds orally, as yeast can be present in many other areas, not the usual one.

Have you ever used the Blue Power Treatment? I have all the ingredients for it - but she cleared up and has not has a recurrence in a year.

I home cook alot of my gang's meals, some raw, some cooked, and I have not seen any problems with starches and carbs.

LOL, yes, I have to figure out what to do about the cat food! We have a baby gate that we put up to block the cat feeding area, but sometimes folks forget......gonna have to get hubby to make a raised platform; he'll be so pleased! Another project for the "honey do" list.

I'm going to go down to the local holistic pet supply store tomorrow and see what kinds of probiotics and ear washes they have in stock (if they are open on Veteran's Day). Right now, we're using the ear wash that the vet gave us; it's specifically for yeast, and it seems to be doing the trick at the moment. But I will probably need to find something to use for maintenace long term, especially if it turns out that it's atopic allergies and not food after all!

I have been reading that the fish oil is supposed to help with this kind of thing....you really think I should cut it out, just temporarily?

So how do I make turkey jerky, anyway? Just slice it thinly, with the grain, and put it in the oven on a cookie sheet at 200 degrees for a few hours? Should I oil the pan?

So many questions......thanks for your input!

Turkey's in the oven, now to figure out what to do about that cat food......

BLUE POWER EAR TREATMENT

"Fortunately, my dogs and cats have not have ear problems. However for those
folks whose dogs do need special ear treatment, the following information may
prove useful to others.

The formula has been handed down from a wonderful veterinarian, now deceased.
Many have found it also effective for cuts, fungus between toes, and small
tumor-like cysts, but must be done faithfully as instructed. I would remind
you that the ears are very sensitive and your dog may appreciate having it
warmed up a bit. I've found that the best way to warm up a solution is to
place it in a cup or glass of very warm water for about a half hour or so.

"Blue Power Ear Treatment"

INGREDIENTS:

16 Oz. Isopropyl Alcohol
4 Tablespoons Boric Acid Powder
16 Drops Gentian Violet Solution 1%
Mix together in alcohol bottle and shake well. You will also need to shake
solution every time you use it to disperse the Boric Acid Powder. To use,
purchase the "Clairol" type plastic bottle to dispense solution to affected
ears.

TREATMENT: Evaluate condition of ears before treating and if very inflamed
an sore do not attempt to pull hair or clean out ear at all. Wait until
inflammation has subsided which will be about 2 days.

Shake the bottle each time before using. Flood the ear with solution (gently
squirt bottle), massage gently to the count of 60, wipe with a tissue. Flood
again on first treatment, wipe with a tissue, and leave alone without
massage. The dog will shake out the excess which can be wiped with a
tissue, the Gentian Violet does stain fabrics.

The SCHEDULE of treatment is as follows:

Treat 2x per day for the first week to two weeks depending upon severity of
ears.
Treat 1x per day for the next 1-2 weeks.
Treat 1x per month (or even less frequently, depending on the dog).
All of these ingredients should be available at a pharmacy. Maryann and the
others have found that despite the alcohol, the dog will not object to even
the first treatment. The Boric Acid Powder soothes the ear. The Gentian
Violet Solution is an ant-infection agent.

The solution appears to work well on any and all ear problems from mites to
wax to canker. After the 2nd or 3rd day you can clean out the ear with a
Q-tip or cotton balls. Their success rate for this treatment is 95-99%.
Those who do not succeed have usually not done the treatment long enough or
have not been regular about it. Dogs on the verge of ear canal surgery have
been returned to normal with only the regular follow-up treatment to keep the
ear healthy. If an infection seems to be remaining in the treated ear after
the above course of treatment, ou may also have some Pseudomonas bacteria in
the site. This can be eradicated by using a gentle flush of raw apple cider
vinegar and water (warm). Use 2 Tablespoons of vinegar to one cup of water,
2 x per week.

They have found the Blue Power Solution to be effective for treating
fungus-type infections on the feet and elsewhere on the dog, for cuts on dogs
or people, and for hot spots. You may find other uses for this simple
anti-infective agent. Remember it is for external use only and be careful
not to get into the eyes."
-------------------------------------------

I have never tried this, but since someone mentioned it I thought I would give you the recipe.

Thanks for posting the recipe. It will stain clothes, your skin, walls, etc so you need to be careful with it. And it stains ears too. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Gentian violet was also used in hospitals for babies with Thrush (yeast infections in the mouth) and their nursing mothers on their nipples. I remember many babies with purple/blue tongues when I was a volunteer. It also is used with animals - I saw pigs at Farm Sanctuary with it painted on their wounds, and an elephant was in a magazine this week with it being spayed on his feet to combat infections from flooding in the area.

It can be hard to find, try drug stores, took me calling about 15 including ones located in hospitals to find it. I actually found it in the pharmacy closest to an AIDS hospice, thrush is one of the many problems that many AIDS patients face. (If you can't find it e-mail me private and I will send you some.)

I have also read about it being used with latent fingerprint processing - and a caution about toxicity and being a carcinogen in very large amounts, and it was revoked from approval for use in Canadian livestock feeds. All things to think about.

For cat food, mine eat behind baby gates, and one actually eats on the kitchen counter, his dish on top of one of those vinyl $1.00 placemats.