Hopeful Epiphany

So I was driving home thinking about Joy and her itchys.

I remembered six years ago when we had a litter of seven Jack Russell Terriers. When the pups were six weeks old, pooping and peeing everywhere, they all came down with a itchy rash that made their hair fall out. It was in different places on different pups. One had it on front legs and paws. One had it on his belly. One had it on his back. One had it on all four paws.

So I collected one pup and headed to the vet. He did a scraping and determined that it was neither lice nor mites. He gave me a bottle of anti-bacterial shampoo and a bill for $100 and sent me home. A week later, the pups were no better. So he said “Come on down and I’ll give you an anti-fungal shampoo.” $35 dollars later, I was back home washing puppies.

Let me tell you something. Seven Jack Russell puppies is a LOT of puppies!

A week later, the pups were still no better. My husband and I were just getting ready to give yet another bath, when I had an epiphany. What if it was a yeast infection? I mean humans can get yeast infections in areas where it stays moist. After all, my son had gotten one when his sitter didn't change his diaper often enough. The puppies piddle and walk in it, then lay in a big pile. Even though we changed the newspaper twice a day and the bedding nightly, they still could have it.

So I jump in the car and head to Walmart and buy a quart of plain yogurt. We slathered the puppies in yogurt, then placed them in the tub and let them lick themselves clean. The puppies got yogurt on their meals and within 24 hours were 100% better. By the end of the week, no more itchy skin, no more red. They all survived it and fully recovered.

So, if Cathy has used anti-fungal shampoo and treatments, what if Joy has a topical yeast infection? I mean she’s from western Washington and it’s been a very wet spring. She had rainrot, which is a fungal infection. Why not a yeast infection?

I have a round stripping brush with rubber nubbies on one side. It’s WONDERFUL for shedding out horses. I worked Joy over from her poll to her tail and I was surprised at how much hair came out from her withers back. And it was oily, but that’s not where I put the MTG. So again, I’m thinking yeast infection.

Joy is currently on a probiotic meal for the INSIDE. I’m headed to Walmart for some plain yogurt for the outside. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the cure for the terrible itching was a simple as a $2 quart of plain yogurt???

Updated photo at here. It's not a close up, but she looks better already....doesn't she?