Black cornwith a soft and sometimes shiny appearance, with an smell that recalls that of rancid butter? Here it could be a case of Otitis from Malassezia in the dog. A fairly frequent event caused by this yeast that often takes advantage of allergic or atopic dogs to complicate and chronicize the clinical picture. And that arouses frustration in owners and veterinarians precisely because of the difficulty of eradicating it completely.
What is Malassezia?
There Malassezia Pachydermatisthis is his scientific name (at least until they decide to change it again since it was previously classified as Pityrosportum), is a yeast Similar to the candida that normally lives on the skin and the dog’s ear (and the cat if for this). In addition, Malassezia is also present in humans. (Read also: Dandruff in the eyebrows? Discover why it happens and how to treat it)
Malassezia is therefore not a bacterium (which explains why antibiotics tickle them), neither a virus nor a parasite: it is a mushroom actually.
Usually on the skin and ears of healthy dogs we find very little, with quantitative variations depending on the breed and parts of the body. However because of factors such as:
Here this yeast begins to proliferate in an uncontrolled way, thus complicating the predisposing disease to the base. Which means that if a dog has a dermatitis (or dermatitis) from Malassezia, there is always some other underlying pathology that is unleashing it. And among the most frequent we have precisely the allergies and atopy.
In addition, Malassezia tends to grow better in fat -rich environments, which means that more cerume and sebum That dog produces, the more Malassezia will find fertile ground to proliferate.
Symptoms of otitis from Malassezia in the dog
We can see an otitis from Malassezia in dogs in patients of any age, sex and race. However it is undeniable that we have of the breed predispositions. If you have a dog belonging to one of these breeds, it is almost certain that, sooner or later, it will develop an otitis (or dermatitis or both) with Malassezia in the middle:
Having said that, here is aOtitis from Malassezia it presents itself with symptoms as:
Frequent, then, further complications from Secondary bacterial superinfitationswith Pus formation also possible.
Therapy for Malassezia in the dog’s ears?
There diagnosis of dermatitis from Malassezia It plans to withdraw a little bit of the cerume and carry out a cytological examination. Possibly you can also combine a crop examination, but often it is not necessary.
Once established that that otitis is from Malassezia, you will have to do two things:
- Set Malassezia therapy
- identify and treat the underlying pathology that triggers it
As for the first point, there are products with local application, oral drugs and supplements that can be administered.
As for the second point, however, it is essential to understand what the cause at the base. Most of the recurrent forms of otitis from Malassezia It depends on the fact that the primary cause is not adequately cared for. Which means doing blood tests to exclude hormonal pathologies, skin tests to exclude parasitosis and make trials with hypoallergenic diets to establish what the cause at the base is. If you do not take care of this too, over time the otitis will reappear continuously.
Natural remedies for dog Malassezia?
There are gods natural remedies to help in care e Oil therapy of dog Malassezia To help keep the ear duct free from the cerume. Just as there are remedies based on fatty acids, currants, probiotics and vitamins To help keep itch under control and to restore normal skin balance. Ask yours veterinarian which products to use.
What foods to avoid if the dog has Malassezia?
The problem is not so much What foods in general to avoid when the dog has Malassezia. The problem is to be able to establish whether proliferation Malassecy in that specific dog because maybe at the base it has anfood allergy To those animal proteins, to those additives, to those cereals and so on.
So if it is suspected that Malassezia in that patient is caused by a food allergy will have to do or do the Allergic tests or, even better, one exclusion diet Made well, for a couple of months, to understand what is allergic to.
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