Malassezia in dogs

Many vets consider dermatitis caused by the fungus Malassezia to be a secondary condition - in the sense that the cause often lies in other conditions, such as diabetes, bacterial (staphylococcal) pyoderma, demodicosis, endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, Cushing's), allergies, parasitic infestations, seborrheic or atopic dermatitis.

In other words, this fungus attacks dogs with a weakened immune system due to a pre-existing condition or recent illness. There is also evidence of a genetic component in certain breeds.

Most often, the problem is caused by the fungus Malassezia pachydermatis, which is usually found in the ears and on the skin of dogs. Although this is normal, the fungus sometimes grows faster than usual and causes yeast infection and dermatitis.

Most cases are caused by an environment that is too warm and humid, for example in dogs with very folded ears, the fungus that is there can cause ear infections (otitis externa) and deep tissue infection (cellulitis) and spread to the rest of the skin (that is the most common, but not the only scenario). This condition can affect the whole body or just small areas of the skin, but the ears and skin folds are the most common areas this fungus can control.

What are the symptoms of yeast infection in dogs?

• Biting or licking paws
• Dark rust-red hair between the toes
• Black skin (often with hair loss)
• Bad smell and greasy hair (seborrhea)
• Ear infections or head shaking
• Spots on the lower part of the abdomen (these spots are different from the pigment spots that appear in summer in some, usually light-colored, dogs)
• Loss of hair on the tail and upper back
• Grayish or rusty color around the genitals
• Diarrhea
• Seasonal allergies
• Secondary bacterial infection

It is important to treat them, because the longer your dog's yeast infection goes untreated, the harder it will be to get rid of it. If your dog has more than one symptom, it's high time for treatment!

How is Malassezia diagnosed?

Give your vet all the details about your dog's medical history and the symptoms you've noticed, but keep in mind that the vet will still need to rule out other disorders to confirm the diagnosis, as many other illnesses can manifest in the same way. They will also perform a physical examination including scraping the skin to take a small sample of tissue to be used for smearing with methylene blue or a similar agent to determine the number of yeast cells in the tissue.

The normal amount is about three to six per high power field, but if your dog has Malassezia, the amount of yeast cells will be much higher. In addition, the veterinarian will perform some other laboratory tests such as urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC), chemistry panel, and blood culture. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) testing is also useful to determine if and what allergy is present.

How is Malassezia treated?

Dermatitis caused by Malassezia can be difficult to treat if there is an underlying condition that has not been treated. The dog can be treated topically, orally, or both, depending on the severity of the dermatitis and the underlying cause - if detected.

Local treatment

When the condition is localized to small areas, miconazole cream can be used. If your dog has an ear infection, he will be given antibiotics and eardrops that contain an antifungal solution.

Oral medications

Some oral medications that are effective in treating Malassezia dermatitis include fluconazole, posaconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, and itraconazole.

Shampoos

A shampoo that removes lipids from the skin is important in clearing the infection because Malassezia is attracted to lipid-enriched skin. Some shampoos your vet may suggest are those that contain benzoyl peroxide and selenium sulfide..

The course of recovery

You must carefully follow your veterinarian's instructions to fully heal your pet. Some of the above shampoos and medications can be dangerous if not used properly, so call your vet if you have any questions and take your dog for regular check-ups to assess the progress of the treatment.

There are a few other steps you can take to help stop yeast overgrowth in your dog:

1. Stop feeding the yeast

Yeast has two different forms, which makes it a dimorphic organism - namely, the conditions in which it lives can change it from one form to another. When yeast is benign, it is a single-celled organism that lives quite peacefully with bacteria and does not present a problem in that form. But sometimes it can grow out of control, usually when there aren't enough gut bacteria to compete with it.

This can happen most often after taking antibiotics, but there are also other causes.

The problem is that yeast that does not have to compete with other organisms - swells! In short, under favorable circumstances it changes from a unicellular structure to a larger and more complex multicellular fungus. When this happens, the yeast needs more and more food, and releases more than 60 different toxins that can travel anywhere in the body. These toxins most often irritate the intestinal mucosa, causing its permeability.

So the first step to stopping a yeast infection is to stop feeding the yeast!

Yeast loves carbohydrates that turn into sugars, so eliminate them from your diet if possible.

2. Yeast cannot grow out of control if your dog's gut has a healthy population of bacteria.

So it's time for probiotics!

There are many probiotic supplements to choose from. Not all probiotics will fight fungus, but these strains are regular inhabitants of our dogs' intestines and very useful allies in the fight against fungus:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus casei
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus reuteri
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Bifidobacterium bifidum
• Bifidobacterium longum

The best probiotics for yeast infections in dogs are soil-derived probiotics that have been proven to directly help fight fungal overgrowth:

• Bacillus coagulans
• Bacillus subtilus

Pediococcus acidilactici is an additional probiotic that deserves special mention. It prevents the 

accumulation of undigested food in the intestines and the attraction of unwanted fungi and bacteria. One study showed that it protects the intestinal lining from harmful organisms.

Attention! Avoid fermented food until the dog is cured!

Although many foods are rich in probiotics, such as yogurt, kefir, acidophilus or sour milk, you should avoid giving fermented foods until the fungus is back under control. This may seem counterintuitive since your dog needs probiotics, but fermentation occurs when the carbohydrates and sugars in the food are eaten by bacteria and yeasts.

So the prebiotics found in fermented foods will also feed the yeast in your dog's gut! It is therefore best to temporarily forget about fermented foods until your dog's yeast infection is resolved.

3. Fight yeast with yeast

There is a special probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii. What is unique about this probiotic is that it is not a bacterium but a yeast. S. boulardii has been shown to prevent another fungus, Candida Albicans, from exiting the digestive tract into the bloodstream and organs. It also reduces inflammation caused by fungi and reduces their colonization.

4. Add prebiotics

It is important to remember that probiotics only live in your dog's gut for a few days. So, you can't stop at probiotics. If you want to increase the bacterial army in your dog's organism, you need to do more - give him prebiotics. Just as yeast likes to eat carbohydrates and sugar, friendly bacteria like to eat starch, which should not be confused with carbohydrates, because the starch that feeds the yeast is a type of starch that the dog cannot digest, and it is stored in fiber.

So, if you want to increase the number of bacteria in your dog's intestines - give him fibrous food! Prebiotics will do a much better job than probiotics alone, because most of the friendly bacteria in a dog's gut are not found in probiotic supplements, and probiotics do not increase the bacterial population as well as prebiotics. Here are some prebiotic supplements you can add to your dog's food:

• Dandelion root
• Burdock root
• Chlorella (also detoxifies the brain from mercury)
• Berries with low sugar content (such as raspberries)

And yes, VetHealth Broad Spectrum oil!

Even though it cannot cure Malassezia by itself, with regular administration it can strengthen the dog's organism so that it can more easily fight against this annoying and persistent enemy or its allies - allergy and atopic dermatitis. And they will be especially useful for dogs that are prone to these problems so that they never get sick.

Be sure to contact us for a free dosage consultation via our social networks or by email.

Vaš VetHealth

#volimoihbezuvjetno #vethealth_hrvatska