My 14 year old American Bulldog foster dog has the worst skin problems. He came to me with an awful skin infection all over his neck and belly. It was like a fungus and something else. His skin was wrinkly, scaly, and hard. It made his nipples swell up so bad they looked as if they would fall off. It was not mange, I just can't remember exactly what it was called. He is constantly itchy, has runny eyes, and can't stand to be wet, not even a drop. I keep his bedding and feet clean and he only goes outside to potty or for walks. He has been licking and chewing at his paws even when he's given Benadryl. After close inspection I noticed a yellow flaky looking growth on the skin inside of his paws which is a yeast infection. I've dipped his feet in an apple cider vinegar mixture as directed, I've gotten special wipes, I've given him yeast infection medicine but nothing seems to make it better. Any other home remedies out there?
Aw poor guy, sometimes Bulldogs can get the worst skin infections. At the animal hospital I work at they usually use something called Malaket wipes and it's used in the folds of the skin and feet. I've also seen improvements from using an antifungal shampoo and leave in conditioner. Is your Bulldog scratching at his skin? If he is, I'd recommentd an e-collar because scratching can cause irritation and make it worse. Did the vet also give him antibiotics? Sometimes there's a secondary bacterial infection that occurs from licking, scratching, etc. and that can make it even harder for the yeast infection to clear up. The vet usually combines antibiotics with a steroid, which greatly reduces inflammation. I'd see if your veterinarian can take another look at him. It should be getting better. Good luck.
Dr. Mercola has a great video that explains everything that you would need to do to help get rid of the yeast infection with your dog.
He suggests changes in diet, since yeast feed on simple sugars, and many of the foods and dog treats have sugar or corn syrup in their formulas.
They also suggest using a peroxide/vinegar solution to disinfect the dog, and get rid of the dead yeast stuff that is clogging up the dog's skin.
Then you bathe the dog, using an anti-fungal shampoo, like Melaleuca (tea tree oil).
After bathing, then a vinegar or lemon rinse will also help, and a big plus, is that your dog will now also smell much better !
