Bloat - Allergies and Yeast Overgrowth in your Dog

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Bloat and Allergies:The Relationship to Yeast Overgrowth and/or Pathogenic Bacteria

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SUPPORT KIT FOR THIS PROBLEM:If you are concerned about bloat, I recommend using CORE 4 Kit #40 BLOAT and a food from my list of better foods.

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It seems in 2013 we know little more about the cause of bloat than we did 30 years ago, in spite of the GDCA and other breed clubs dumping considerable research money down a deep dark hole at Purdue University for the so called bloat research. In this article I would like to take it one step further than my previous article on bloat, and suggest another approach to the cause and treatment of bloat and the connection between it and leaky gut/toxic gut and systemic yeast overgrowth in dogs, which is usually diagnosed as food allergies. So I offer this as food for thought.

We know bloat and allergies are not specific to Great Danes, or even the giant breeds for that matter. These conditions/diseases are common in other breeds of varying sizes and shapes and it can happen in any other breeds, some more than others, probably based on their inability to handle stress.

We have learned using a "meat based" diet (raw or kibble) and the use of probiotics (good intestinal bacteria); are beneficial in helping to prevent bloat. These components are part of the CORE 4 Kit #40 Bloat Support, which is the basis for every one of my Blackwatch Feed Programs.

In the past years we have seen the overuse of antibiotics in humans and animals, with little regard for the ramifications of this overuse on the environment of the beneficial bacteria of the gut (intestinal flora). Antibiotics are necessary at times, but need to be use judiciously, and at the same time as we are using antibiotics, we need to supplement probiotics (beneficial bacterias) to reestablish the intestinal flora of the gut lost to stress or antibiotics.

Consider this… What if bloat and some allergy like symptoms are due to the destruction of the natural flora of the gut and an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and fungus/yeast (Candida) causing Leaky or Toxic Gut Syndrome.

Let’s take this breed, for example. It is not at all unusual for a puppy under 1 year to have been on antibiotics more than once. With ear cropping, puppy acne, bladder infections and septicemia (often misdiagnosed as HOD), these animals are treated with antibiotics multiple times often before they are 6 months of age! The results of this is destruction of intestinal flora and suppressed immune functions. Just the stress of growing alone is enough to compromise the immune system on large breed dogs, let alone with the use of antibiotics. Now, do not shoot the messenger here, the use of antibiotics are needed at times, but there are other ways to handle some of these problems without rushing into the use of antibiotics at the drop of a hat.

The Bad Guys

I believe that Leaky Gut Syndrome and Toxic Gut Syndrome can be the silent killers behind the cause for Bloat/Torsion and also the misery of skin issues that are always diagnosed as allergies. In this article I would like to explore what happens when a system is overrun with toxic levels of fungus, also known as yeast and high levels of pathogenic (bad) bacteria.

Candida Albicans and others are a Fungus/Yeast and a common microorganism that lives in the gut. But when there is an "overgrowth" of this fungus/yeast in the gut, it is called a systemic yeast infection, and it affects the health and well being of the whole animal.

When on antibiotics or stressed, the pH balance of the gut is out of balance, and beneficial bacteria in the gut may be destroyed, and this insidious fungus and/or other pathogenic bacteria can take over and this overgrowth is very detrimental to our health and well being. The by-products of a pH imbalance in the gut due to pathogens,could be bloat/torsion or allergies.

Changes in pH and Causes of Fungus/Yeast Overgrowth

• Overuse of antibiotics - Killing of good bacteria in the gut
• Poor nutrition
• Not a meat based diet (raw or kibble)
• A diet too high in carbohydrates.
• No probiotics (beneficial bacteria) given to off-set stress or antibiotic use.
• No digestive enzymes to get the most nutrients out of the diet
• No dietary enzymes present to cleans the toxins from the body i.e.: yeast dying off
• Poor quality unusable minerals (minerals run the body’s electrical system).
• Over vaccinations (Purdue Vaccine Study) - allergies, thyroid problems
• Thyroid problems /Endocrine - metabolic problems (the body's electrical system)
• Stress (seasons, whelping, lactation, vaccines)
• Stress (environmental, genetic, physical, emotional etc.)
• Anxiousness (males when bitches are in seasons)
• High strung hyperactive dogs
• Death/loss-emotional stress
• Change in environment - weather/hot, cold
• Change in home or home environment
• Boarding
• Compromised Immune System - antibiotics, drugs, inbreeding, stress in all forms
• Illness that compromises the immune system
• Sensitivity to stimulus (light, sounds, movements)
• Travel (showing)
• Medications
• Flea preparations
• Heartworm medications
• Toxic Gut Syndrome - pathogenic bacteria overgrowth

The results of this yeast/fungus overgrowth manifests itself in external and internal expressions of disease. Based on clinical and research studies, Candida overgrowth in your intestines may create what has been called as "Leaky Gut Syndrome". Toxins and food allergens may pass through this membrane and go to other parts of the body, making one feel generally sick all over. Since antibiotics don’t destroy fungus/yeasts,they keep on multiplying and making more yeast, which in turn, puts out more toxins and weakens the immune system. It is a vicious cycle.

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"External" Expression of a Systemic Yeast Infection are:

Skin Irritation
Itchy skin or feet
Licking paws, genital or vaginal area
Itchy mouth, throat, face
Rubbing nose

Redness, Inflammation and Odor
Underarms, Folds of Skin,
Inner Thighs, Between Toes, Lips
Joint pain

Reoccurring Secondary Bacterial Infections
Ears
Bladder
Skin or Feet
Sensitivity to light, sound, movement

You can see by this list of symptoms the animal is often misdiagnosed as having a food or contact allergy, or a bacterial infection, when in fact the origin of the disease is yeast/fungus overgrowth.

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"Internal" Expression of a Systemic Yeast Infection

Gastrointestinal tract problems
Gas/bloating
Bloat/torsion
Lethargy
Seizures
Depression
Fatigue
Arthritis
Suppressed immune system
Inadequate absorption of nutrients
Other

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Other Facts About Candida Overgrowth

Systemic yeast infections (fungus) are extremely difficult to detect and kill. Stanford University studies report a 497% increase in systemic infections in humans in the past 10 years due to overuse of antibiotics and stress.

When pH balance of the gut is out of balance, an environment is ripe for pathogenic bacteria and fungus to multiply at an alarming rate. The byproducts of bacteria and fungus produce "toxins." These can result in systemic disease, as well as bloat, stomach gas and foam. Many diseases are often misdiagnosed in humans when the actual underlying cause is Candida Albicans (a systemic yeast infection).

Some examples in humans include:

Fibromyalgia
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Some forms of Schizophrenia (Huxley Foundation Research)
Arthritis or joint pain
Diabetes
Depression
Schizophrenia
Fatigue
Lethargy
Mood Swings –
Carbohydrate / Sugar cravings

When fungus overgrowth flourishes in the gut, the toxins from the yeast keep the pH unbalanced, causing a vicious cycle. Unbalanced pH balance in the gut alters the body's chemistry and unbalances the metabolic/hormonal chemistry. Many homeopathic physicians and veterinarians feel as though a systemic yeast infection is one of the most overlooked and misdiagnosed diseases in medicine.

For information about handling systemic yeast in humans I have an article at this website.

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Ways to Control Fungus /Yeast Overgrowth

After reading this article - you need to read my article called mini-course in systemic yeast so you better understand and know how to treat this problem.

Some of you reading this may recall the article in Whole Dog Journal (Feb. 2007) where I was interviewed and we talked about the yeast removal kit and the success they have had with this product.

Note: If an animal or human has Candida Albicans, during the detoxification process you may witness or experience symptoms flu-like symptoms, nausea or loose stools even more itching and shedding - this is temporary, sometimes up to 2 weeks, but remember the skin is the biggest filter organ on the body so that is where the toxins leach out of the body. Be patient, this whole process will take time 2 - 6 months, depending on the severity of the problem.

It is critical to feed a meat based diet (raw or super premium kibble). Recommended Products are listed at this link: Acceptable Foods For Yeast Issues.

To Purchase the Yeast Removal Kit at www.FirstChoiceNaturals.com

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For Yeasty Ears:

There is an excellent ear wash K-9 Ear Solutions at www.firstchoicenaturals.com

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Where to Purchase a Bloat Kit

Where to Purchase the CORE 4 Kit# 40 for Bloat Support

Click Here for a Bloat Symptom Chart

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BLOAT AND NUTRITION

If you are reading this article because you are concerned about Bloat, please click this link to understand how poor nutrition can set the body up for conditions like bloat and other diseases.

Mini-Course for Understanding Sustemic Yeast in Your Dog

BLOAT AND IT'S RELATIONSHIP TO NUTRITION.