Diet and Dog Yeast Infections: What Food Can and Can’t Do
No dog food has been shown to cure a yeast infection. Yeast overgrowth on the skin or in the ears is usually secondary to something else, most often an allergy, and your vet needs to find and treat that cause. Diet matters when a food allergy is involved, but changing food alone rarely solves it. Be wary of any product or site that promises to cure yeast through diet.
What a yeast infection is
Dogs normally carry small amounts of yeast, including Malassezia, on the skin and in the ears. A review in The Veterinary Journal describes how, with an underlying disease present, these yeasts can multiply and cause dermatitis or ear infection, and notes that allergic skin disease is one of the most common underlying causes. That is why treating only the yeast tends to bring it back. A veterinary guide from BluePearl makes the same point about relapses.
The usual signs are itching, a musty or sour smell, greasy or flaky red skin, darker thickened skin in long-irritated areas, paw licking, and head shaking. Fleas, bacteria, mites, and allergies cause some of the same signs, so only a vet can say what is going on, usually by looking at a skin or ear sample under a microscope.
What food can and cannot do
| Diet can | Diet cannot |
|---|---|
| Help if a food allergy is the underlying cause of the irritated skin | Cure a yeast infection. Vets treat it with medicated shampoos, wipes, or ear products, and sometimes oral medicine. |
| Be tested properly through a vet-guided elimination trial | Fix an environmental allergy or any cause that is not food |
| Support overall health when it is complete and balanced for the life stage | Be replaced by grain-free or low-carb food. We are not aware of solid evidence that grains or sugar feed yeast on a dog’s skin. |
An elimination trial usually runs 8 to 12 weeks. Your dog eats only the diet your vet chooses, with no other treats, chews, table scraps, or flavored medicines, and ingredients are then reintroduced one at a time to find the trigger. If a food allergy turns up and is avoided, it may reduce the skin trouble that lets yeast grow. If the cause is something else, a diet change will not help. The limited ingredient dog food guide covers what those foods mean, including the grain-free question.
Other things that feed the problem
Environmental and food allergies, flea bites (see what flea shampoo can and cannot do), and moisture in skin folds, wet ears, or damp coats all raise the odds. Some breeds, such as West Highland white terriers and basset hounds, are predisposed, according to WSAVA proceedings on canine microbial overgrowth. If yeast keeps coming back, the vet may check for other underlying conditions.
Questions to bring to the vet
- Is this yeast, bacteria, or both, and how do you know?
- What could be making it keep coming back?
- Should we try an elimination trial, and which diet do you recommend?
- Which treatments, and for how long?
- Are any supplements, home remedies, or treats off limits?
Meanwhile, avoid switching foods again and again, since it hides what helps or hurts, and make any change gradually. Skip homemade or raw diets without professional advice, because they are hard to make complete and balanced. Skip anti-yeast supplements and home remedies unless the vet agrees, as some irritate inflamed skin or delay real treatment. A growing puppy should not go on a special diet without a check that it is complete and balanced for growth.
Book a visit for constant itching, a strong smell from the skin or ears, red or greasy skin, hair loss, or head shaking. Call sooner if your dog seems to be in pain or has very red or swollen ears, ear discharge, or open sores. Have a vet check the ears before you put anything in them.
This guide has not yet been reviewed by a veterinarian.