So many dogs suffer from yeast issues- whether its on the skin, in the ears or more of an internal issues causing gut and other problems, chronic and recurring yeast issues are one of the most common problems I see. While there are a number of reasons why dogs can have ongoing yeast problems, in todays short video I want t explore the link between heavy metals and how this can lead to a pattern of chronic yeast infections as well as looking at a few tips to help reduce heavy metal exposure so stay tuned to learn more.
Yeasts such as Candida albicans and Malassezia are normal yeasts that live in your dogs gut and form part of the microbiome. When the gut and immune system are in balance these yeast generally causes no issues. But if an overgrowth of yeast occurs this can lead to inflammation and damage to the intestinal barrier leading to leaky gut and this of course can lead to a wide range of other health issues in addition to the chronic yeast infection due to that overgrowth.
While there are a number of triggers to yeast, something that can often be overlooked is the link between heavy metals and yeast. We all know that yeast cells love sugars and starch but did you know they also equally love heavy metals and one of the most problematic metals here is mercury. Other problematic heavy metals include arsenic, cadmium, and lead.
By now you are probably saying well my dog hasn’t been exposed to heavy metals. So lets look at some of the ways that heavy metal exposure occurs. Firstly if your dog has ever been vaccinated heavy metals including mercury, aluminium, cadmium and lead can be present in the vaccine carrier base. Maybe your dog has drunk from a contaminated water source such as a creek or stream where chemical run off has been allowed to flow into this. Similarly if your dog has ingested soil that contains heavy metal residue this can also cause exposure. Certain dog toys made from rubber and other materials may have heavy metal contaminants or additives as can household items and medications and processed foods as well as fish. General environmental exposure can also lead to heavy metals building up in the system from general pollution. So as you can see there are a number of ways that your dog is being exposed sometimes without you even knowing it.
Because your dogs immune system can struggle to eliminate these heavy metal residues, these can then build up over time leading to all sorts of health issues including exacerbating existing yeast problems. In a strange way, yeasts help stop heavy metals from moving from the gut to other parts of the body by binding to them and holding onto them. As I said before- yeasts really do love heavy metals. But the downside to this is that heavy metals kill off good bacteria levels in the gut, leaving a door open for those yeasts to start growing out of control. The more heavy metals they bind to, the stronger the yeast population becomes. And yeasts have a protective coating around each yeast cell known as a biofilm. Unfortunately heavy metals actually strengthens this making it even harder to kill yeasts off.
And don’t forget that your dogs immune system is negatively affected by heavy metals, causing it to become weak or out of balance, therefore making it much easier for yeasts to proliferate.
So you can see just how heavy metals can lead to that yeast overgrowth and help keep it in that chronic or recurring pattern.
So what can we do?? Well the first thing of course is to avoid heavy metals where possible- this means avoiding vaccination where possible, offering only filtered water, avoiding fish like tuna that tend to carry higher mercury levels and feeding a diet that is as organic as possible. Fruits nd vegetables that are grown in soils where products such as roundup may be used will have more heavy metals as these chemical products are loaded with them.
What else can we do in regards to detoxing those heavy metals to start bringing those yeast numbers back down. Here are a few suggestions aside from avoiding the things I just mentioned:
Three things that can help remove these heavy metals out of the system are Coriander, Chlorella powder and French green clay.
Firstly the combination of chlorella and coriander can naturally remove around 85% of heavy metals when given over around a 4-6 week period. When using it with your dog I would recommend starting slowly with both of these- chopping fresh coriander leaves into the diet as well as giving a small amount of the chlorella algae powder can start the process of drawing out those heavy metals in a natural chelation process. Like any detox process, this may cuase some changes in bowel habits so if this happens you can always reduce the doses.
Similarly, French green clay powder (also known as illite) has a powerful ability to draw out and remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body by sending them into the digestive system for elimination. And clay is so rich in minerals that it can really help improve overall health and immune function.
In this fine illite form it is just perfect for detoxification of heavy metals, microbes and pesticides. How do we use this with our dogs? I will leave a recipe below in the comments section but basically we are working on ¼ tspn per 10kg bodyweight daily. This of course may vary depending on your dogs situation.  A clay mixture is made up with purified water the night before and allowed to sit overnight. Add the dosage amount to food (or syringe with a plastic syringe)  first thing the next morning. If mixing into a bowl use a non metal bowl and spoon. And then wait for 2 hours before feeding a main meal.  I would suggest giving this for 2 weeks. If any bowel changes such as diarrhoea occurs please cut back the dose and always check with your vet or practitioner before starting any detox regime to make sure this is suitable for your dog. Of course if you would like to find out more about using these supplements to help shift out heavy metals in your yeasty dog then feel free to reach out below.
So by reducing that heavy metal load we have a much better chance of getting on top of chronic yeast issues as well as helping to build and strengthen your dogs immune system and overall health.
GENERAL RECIPE:
USE A NON METAL SPOON AND GLASS OR BOWL TO MIX WORK ON 1/4 TSPN PER 10KG BODYWEIGHT ONCE DAY FOR 2 OR SO WEEKS 1 tablespoon French green clay 340ml cool spring or purified water 1 small plastic syringe Mix the clay with water as specified above and let this slurry stand overnight Give 1/4 of this mix per 10kg bodyweight next morning on empty stomachc by syringing into the mouth or adding into a small amount of food. Wait 2 hours before main meal offered. AVOID IN PREGNANCY/LACTATING ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR PRACTITIONER BEFORE COMMENCING ANY DETOX REGIME!!!!
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