Any one of these is a very strong indicator, regardless of how it got started. If there are two or more of these symptoms, it’s pretty much a given that the dog is systemically infected with yeast:

• Scratching the ears, or head shaking

• Lethargy and loss of appetite

• Chewing or licking the feet, and dark rusty-red hair between the toes

• Cyclic manifestation of symptoms (appearing in the spring and “going away” in the fall)

• Hair loss on the tail and upper back

• Speckles (like tiny black dots) on the underbelly or rust-coloration around the genitals

• A foul funky smell and greasy hair (seborrhea), often accompanied by heavy dandruff

• Baldness from having been closely shaved

• Any black skin, especially if associated with hair loss.

So, how do I know if it’s a yeast infection or an allergy? Or something else? 

Well, you don’t know for sure at first.  But if the condition responds well to a natural topical antifungal, the hair grows back, the black skin disappears, the itching and licking stop, and the underbelly returns to a normal pinkish white, that should tell you something.  All these symptoms respond to antifungals, especially to DERMagic Skin Rescue Lotion or Hot Spot Salve. 

It could well have been an allergic reaction to something that started all this, like a bug or flea bite or a bad reaction to grain in food, for example.  But what then happens is that the local immune system doesn’t function properly and this allows the yeast to bloom and invade.  This is what many veterinarians can miss.  They generally do not recognize the early signs of yeast, and allergy testing can give misleading false positives in many cases.  So, the pet parent accepts the diagnosis of allergies and spends a fortune on medications for the rest of the dog’s life, which may be considerably shortened by being on these meds long term.
Please check our website for more information on this important, and not-very-well-understood, dog skin problem.