My adventures dealing with 2 GSDs with canine atopic dermatitis, scratching, chewing, etc., has been going on for about 10 yrs. ago. I started with home cooking and soon switched to raw feeding. That helped, but in spite of all those years of fine-tuning diets, my ongoing search for more info, trying various supplements, antihistamines, prednisone and more, I never found a complete (non-prescription) solution for the dogs. The questions continued. Was it a food allergy? Chemicals in the food? Inhalant allergy? Dust mites? Pollen in the air? Laundry detergent? Too little/too much bathing?

Turns out the answer may have been in the supermarket dairy section all this time - yogurt, or more specifically, probiotics.

This stuff in not new. Over 100 years ago, Russian microbiologist Mechnikov speculated that the reason Bulgarian peasants lived longer than any other group in Europe, even the most privileged, was due to their diet unusually rich in fermented foods, including yogurt. Mechnikov died at age 71, which was either luck, or further proof of his own theories.

I'm in the middle of a fascinating new book, The Probiotics Revolution by Huffnagle. He really only addresses human ailments and only mentions his own dogs in passing. His research and that of others tends to establish that an imbalance in our "gut microflora" can be a contributor to a lot of seemingly unrelated health issues, including a number of digestive disorders, allergies, eczema, asthma, yeast infections, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancer, autism and more. I initially thought those claims seemed to be an exaggeration, but after reading most of the book, I've become a believer. It's a 400-page book, so I won't even attempt here to delve into the biology of what's going on.

But I decided to test out his theories with my current GSD. I had be giving her a couple Tbsp. of yogurt 2-3 times a week. After some selective reading of the book, I upped the dosage to at least 1/2 cup per day. Within a couple days, her chewing, biting and scratching is 99.9% gone. Her "normal" pinkish skin and ear coloration (from constant inflammation?) has also gone away.

Without coming across as some kind of zealot or nut job, I can only strongly suggest that if you or a human and/or canine family member has symptoms of any of the above mentioned problems, you owe it to yourself and them to read this book and form your own opinion. For me, it seemed easy to accept. YMMV.

JMO - I have no medical / health background or training.

Mike

Mike, how cool! How long has she been on the "yogurt diet" in total? Has she had any problems with it at all...stool still normal and all that?

I've heard about the Bulgarians and their yogurt habits and even witnessed it for myself (they do eat a TON of yogurt, even when here in USA). It would be cool if the benefits of lots of yogurt translate to dogs as well.

I'd be interested in hearing updates about what impact this has on her symptoms long-term, so keep posting!

I am SO GLAD Mike posted.

He recommended the book to me and I have been reading it with great fascination too.

I have already started my one allergic dog, who (like Mike's GSD), has gotten his allergies 90% controlled with Hydroxyzine, rinsing, fish oil plus E, and of course a fresh diet.

But he too has that last bit of itchy toes at certain times of day (when there's a breeze) and at certain times of year (spring and now).

I went yesterday and stared at every yogurt label in the natural food store and finally got the ones that had the specific "bugs" that the author had on the chart under "allergies."

But even prior to that, I had started him on the additional daily yogurt (quite a bit: I am using about 1/2 cup), one with several strains of active cultures, and within 4 days I was seeing normal ear color (inside). They are now pale pink-gray, rather than rosy inflamed-looking pink.

I think the toes look better, too, but I will give it a few more days and post back.

If he completely stops licking at his paws, I am going to be so excited that I will explode.

The whole first part of the book, I was emailing Mike every two seconds to say "Hey! Did you read this part?" (Sorry, Mike. )

Now I am reading up on the chapter on leaky gut (IBS/IBD in general) for a forum member.

I have to say that this information is as exciting to me as the information about the benefits of and need for long-chain Omega 3s for dogs.

THANK YOU, MIKE!

P.S. I would add that the book is completely accessible reading, but also that it's a good one to cherry-pick from. If you don't really care about the mechaninism (which is clearly explained, with actual citations), you can go straight to "how to use" and "what type to use."

I plucked enough info from it at first to run down and buy a large package of good yogurt, but now I'm completely immersed in the book. :> I am even reading the actual studies he cites (online). It is fascinating.

And again, THANK YOU, MIKE!!

Amber,

I haven't seen any unusual or negative effects as of yet... but it's only been a week. Big deal, huh? That was the problem I saw in posting this info here. Probiotics is a complex subject and a lot of questions will follow. It's difficult to convey how the theories and studies discussed in the book all come together to create a very convincing case for paying a lot more attention to probiotics in your diet. Yogurt may be the easiest, most readily available source, but there are innumerable different strains and blends of probiotics available in other foods and in supplement form. So the probiotic combination that's in this yogurt may not be the "best" choice. I may have to tweak the dosage and blend somewhat.

While she's only been on the increased yogurt a mere week, nothing else has worked this well this quickly other than a big dose of prednisone. And her energy and playfulness has increased - the opposite of a prednisone dose.

I have heard and read concerns about whether yogurt is good for them because it's a dairy product. If those concerns are valid. then soy yogurt would be the logical choice. Even if probiotic supplementation (through food, pills, powders) doesn't live up to all the expectations of the author and other researchers, I don't think you can lose by improving the functioning of your immune system...or the dog's.

Mike

Great post Mike - thanks for posting this. I am all keen to blow the dust off of the old yogurt maker.....(which is back in the cupboard with the alfalfa sprouter - can you tell what era I am from? )

 Quote: lynn cheffins

Great post Mike - thanks for posting this. I am all keen to blow the dust off of the old yogurt maker.....(which is back in the cupboard with the alfalfa sprouter - can you tell what era I am from? )

< gathers everyone into a circle and holds hands while singing "kumbuya my Lord..." during which Jefferson Airplane plays in the background....>

 Quote: Lynn Cheffins

... the old yogurt maker.....(which is back in the cupboard with the alfalfa sprouter - can you tell what era I am from? )

I know, I know! (hand waving wildly)

 Quote: Lynn Cheffins

Great post Mike - thanks for posting this. I am all keen to blow the dust off of the old yogurt maker.....(which is back in the cupboard with the alfalfa sprouter - can you tell what era I am from? )

Actually, Lynn, the author does mention making your own. Not in any way required, of course, but he mentions the possibility of experimenting with introducing different probiotics into your own yogurt. You could use a starter of the standard L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, and then add the contents of a capsule of a probiotic supplements with different strains.

 Quote: Mike Armstrong

Amber,

I haven't seen any unusual or negative effects as of yet... but it's only been a week. Big deal, huh? That was the problem I saw in posting this info here.

No, not at all! I think it's VERY cool that you had such a rapid response! I asked about the stool because my dog is prone to diarrhea in response to the slightest diet change and so I was wondering if that could have been something you experienced on that much yogurt, before I upped my dog's dosage. This is actually something I've been considering for awhile, so I'm following your thread with interest.

I HATE, and I mean HATE steroids. The Corgi had to be on them to save his life once, and I accept that, but there's no way I would have kept him on them permanently. He was a miserable, miserable wreck on them...a ghost of the dog I had before the drugs.

I know that steroids have their place, but now when a vet mentions steriods as a treatment for anything at all, my first response is to see what other, gentler, treatments there might be instead.

Are you just sticking to your basic plain full-fat yogurt?