Yeast Infection In Dogs [Causes, Symptoms & Treatment]
Yeast infections can affect your dog in different ways, from skin irritations to ear infections or even digestive issues. These infections might be localized, like in the ears or paws, or more widespread, affecting multiple parts of the body. But don’t worry—yeast infections aren’t contagious between dogs or people. Often, they can signal an underlying health issue, so it’s important to get to the root cause.
What Is the Cause of Yeast Infections in Dogs?
Yeast infections in dogs can occur for various reasons and are often a sign of something else. Yeast thrives in warm, moist environments, which makes certain areas of a dog’s body, like their ears, particularly vulnerable. Dogs with narrow ear canals, floppy ears, or lots of ear hair are especially at risk because debris and wax can easily get trapped, creating the perfect environment for yeast to grow.
Similarly, skin folds are another common area for yeast overgrowth. These folds provide warm, moist spaces where debris and moisture accumulate, encouraging yeast to thrive.
Dogs with allergies are particularly prone to yeast infections. Allergies like pollen, dust, or certain foods can irritate the skin, causing scratching and creating openings for yeast and bacteria to take hold.
Other factors that can contribute to yeast infections include:
- Foreign objects in the ear
- Poor hygiene
- Hot, humid weather or seasonal allergies
- Products that disrupt the natural balance of the skin or ear
- Ruptured eardrums
- Tumors or polyps in the ear canal
What Are the Symptoms of Yeast Infection in Dogs?
Recognizing the symptoms of a yeast infection early on helps ensure your dog gets the right care. Watch for:
- Red, irritated skin
- Excessive itching or scratching
- A strong, unpleasant odor, especially from ears or skin folds
- Greasy or flaky patches of skin
- Thinning fur or hair loss
- Signs of ear infections (like head shaking or ear discharge)
- Licking or chewing affected areas
How Can Yeast Infections be Diagnosed in Dogs?
As Dr. Joshua Montgomery stated in his article that was reviewed by Laura Fontana, DVM: ‘’Fortunately, it’s easy to diagnose yeast infections. The vet will thoroughly check your dog’s skin over their whole body looking for any changes and look down their ear using an otoscope.
Samples of the affected area of your dog’s skin can be taken such as hair plucks, skin scrapes, or swabbing their ear canal, and then analyzed under a microscope to look for yeasts. It’s common to also find bacteria on your dog’s skin. Once diagnosed, yeast infections and ear infections are easy to treat.
How Can Yeast Infections Be Treated?
Yeast infections are usually easy to treat and need to be managed alongside any underlying allergies or problems.
Potential treatment for yeast infections and underlying causes include:
- Topical treatment – antifungal creams and antifungal ear drops are the most common treatment
- Oral medication – more severe or chronic yeast infections need long courses of oral medication
- Anti-inflammatory medication – these reduce skin inflammation and help your dog feel more comfortable
- Medicated baths – a medicated shampoo to use once or twice a week can help prevent yeast overgrowing on your dog’s skin, soothe the skin, and keep the skin healthy.
- Ear cleaners – it’s important to keep ears clean and free of wax/debris. Using an appropriate ear cleaner every so often or before starting a course of topical antifungals can help treat and prevent infections
- Anti-allergy medication – if your dog has underlying allergies, the vet will recommend you start on long-term treatment. There are several options available that you can discuss with your vet including tablets and injections
- Hypoallergenic diet – these prescription diets will prevent flare-ups if your dog has food allergies.’’
How Can Pet Insurance Help You if Your Dog Needs a Treatment?
Pet insurance can be a valuable tool in managing the costs of treating a dog’s veterinary expenses. By having a pet insurance policy in place, you can have peace of mind knowing that you can provide medical care for your furry companion without worrying about the financial burden. Pet insurance can help cover the costs of veterinary consultations, diagnostic tests, medications, and even specialized treatments if required.
Reimbursement
This method is the most common for pet insurance companies. You pay out of pocket for the veterinarian bill, and then the insurance company reimburses you for what’s covered under the insurance plan. The steps look like this.
- You pay the vet bill after your dog’s visit.
- You fill out the pet insurance claim form.
- Submit the claim form and other required documentation to the insurer.
- After the claim is approved, you will be reimbursed for eligible expenses.
What Does Odie Pet Insurance Cover?
Pet insurance covers various veterinary expenses, providing financial protection and peace of mind for pet owners. Here are the details of the coverage options offered by Odie Pet Insurance:
Illness & Injury Plan
The Illness & Injury Plan is an all-inclusive insurance plan designed to cover a wide range of medical needs for your pet. This plan includes comprehensive coverage for various illnesses, injuries, and veterinary services. Some of the covered items include:
- 24/7 Televet Chat
- Emergency vet visits
- Overnight hospital stays
- IV Fluids & Medications
- Medical Supplies
- Surgeries
- MRI/CAT Scans
- Rehabilitative Care
- Prescription Medications
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Laboratory Tests
Accident-Only Plan
The Accident-Only Plan is designed for pet owners seeking coverage specifically for accidents. This plan provides financial protection for emergency veterinary care resulting from accidental injuries. It includes 90% reimbursement up to $10,000 each year, with a $250 annual deductible.
Here’s an overview of the Accident-Only Plan:
- Coverage for broken bones, sprains, eye injuries, and traumatic dental fractures.
- Coverage for wounds, including bite wounds, lacerations, snake bites, and bee stings.
- Veterinary treatments covered for accidental injuries include X-rays & ultrasounds, laboratory tests, emergency care, hospitalization, CT scan & MRI, and surgery.
The Wellness Add-on Plan
The Wellness Plan is an add-on for routine care coverage you can purchase with an insurance policy. It focuses on preventive care and covers routine veterinary services. Odie has two wellness plan options available:
Basic Plan:
- Covers services such as spay/neuter and teeth cleaning, rabies vaccination, flea & tick prevention, heartworm prevention, vaccination/titer, wellness exam, heartworm test or FELV screen, blood, fecal, parasite exam, microchip, urinalysis or ERD, and deworming.
- Reimbursement up to $305 per year.
Plus Plan:
- Ideal for puppies and kittens.
- Covers services such as spay/neuter and teeth cleaning, rabies vaccination, flea & tick prevention, heartworm prevention, vaccination/titer, wellness exam, heartworm test or FELV screen, blood, fecal, parasite exam, microchip, urinalysis or ERD, and deworming.
- Reimbursement up to $535 per year.
