My dog has chronic yeast & weight loss. Is it time to put him down?

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach! Poor Millie! If Millie has an infection, be it yeast or bacteria, she needs to be on either an antibiotic or an antifungal (for the yeast). If the steroids are not working I would discuss weaning and stopping them and ask to start apoquel or cytopoint for the scratching. If Millie has skin allergies you should get her either on a prescription hydrolyzed diet (royal canin HP, Purina HA or Hill's z/d) or an over the counter novel protein diet (chicken is the most common allergen, not grains) of either venison or fish. If you are looking for a weight loss diet there are prescription diets as well. Millie sounds pretty miserable with her skin and she should see your Vet to discuss the next steps in trying to get this under control. I've attached a link to some shampoos you can try. Bathe 2-3 times per week and leave the lather on for 10 mins before rinsing. Then apply the conditioner. I hope this helps and I wish Millie a speedy recovery! http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27307 http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=35843

Franklin needs to see a veterinary dermatologist. If he has a food allergy then a novel protein or hypoallergenic diet may help. However, dogs with atopy (allergies) can be allergic to many things such as dust, grass and fleas. Ideally, he needs to have an intradermal skin test to determine what he is allergic to and then a vaccine can be made to help him.

Hello. I am so sorry for your poor Emma. Yes, we all must make this final choice for our pets, & I am so glad that you can look at all the negative aspects of her life & know it is time to let her go. This is very hard for most people, but a calm, kind & loving death is the last best gift you can give her. Please contact your veterinarian or https://www.lapoflove.com to help fulfill this for Emma. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

A yeast infection is a good thought and the medicated shampoo would help that condition, but he may need stronger treatment to completely eliminate it. However, the yeast infection is not often the primary cause of the skin problem. More likely, it's due to an internal problem with the dog. It can also be caused by bathing too frequently with innapropriate products like human shampoo or soaps. Hypothyroidism is a condition that is a possible cause. If Kado is chunky, but doesn't eat that much, then that would raise my suspicion. This would have to be diagnosed and treated by a veterinarian. Either way, Kado likely needs a vet and it would be worth having an exam done to see what the possible causes are and the expense. In the meantime I would keep up the medicated dog shampoo baths once every other day. You should also add a dog conditioner to the routine after the medicated bath. I hope that helps and Kado gets better soon.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Leroy. I'm sorry he's not doing well, and deciding if it's time to consider euthanasia is a tough time. I always recommend looking at the dog's quality of life in making this decision. If it's a poor quality of life, then yes, euthanasia would be the kindest option. While I cannot ultimately make this decision for you, based on your description of him currently, it does sound like his quality of life has declined to a point where euthanasia should be considered. I apologize if that is hard to read, or if it upsets you. It's never easy to make this choice, but if it prevents him from having his quality of life decline more, it is truly a blessing for him. I hope this helps.

I'm sorry to hear Max is suffering from lymphangiectasia. This can be a very debilitating condition. Currently is diarrhea his only symptom or is he vomiting and losing weight? Has your vet started him on other medicines along with the diet change? If you feel that Max's quality of life has deteriorated, and with your vet's help you've exhausted all the common therapies, then euthanasia may be a valid decision. I would urge you to consider having a consultation with an internal medicine specialist if you haven't done so already, just to ensure you have tried all possible treatments before making that final decision. I am so sorry you are going through this.

Poor girl. If the preliminary medications from your vet didn’t improve her condition, then it’s time to consider getting Xena a culture done of her ear to determine what medicaiton can clear things up. This is a specific test that will determine what medicaiton combination is needed to get rid of he infection. I also am not sure if your vet has tried Posatex ear medication yet, but this is strong ear medicaiton that can help with resistant infections. Also pain medicaiton (steroids work well for ears when they are really inflamed) can also be prescribed by your vet to help with Xena’s discomfort. Discuss with your vet about the above recommendations. Best wishes moving forward with Xena and her ears. Take care.