Yeast Infection on Dog Jaw

by John Fraser
(Saipan, Northern Marianas Islands)

My 6 year old Golden Retriever has a wide, flat, leathery, sometimes raw patch underneath her jaw downwards for about six inches.

She frequently rubs her jaw on the lawn. It smells a little, even more than the normal slightly stinky smell of a golden retriever. I live on an island in the pacific. I've heard of dogs being allergic to coral dust among other things.

Do you have any idea of what the patch under my dog's jaw is and how to treat it?

Thanks,

John

Vet Suggestion

Hi John,

I can’t diagnose your dog without first performing an exam, but the symptoms you describe sound fairly typical for a yeast infection, possibly secondary to allergies.

You can safely try a few over the counter remedies, but if they don’t work or if this is a reoccurring problem, get your dog into a veterinarian’s office for diagnosis.

Try washing the area gently once a day with a medicated dog shampoo for yeast infections (e.g., one that contains miconazole such as Malaseb or ketoconazole which is found in the shampoo Ketoseb-D). Follow the instructions on the bottle; you’ll probably need to keep the shampoo in place for a couple of minutes and then rinse thoroughly.

Once the area is dry apply a little clotrimazole ointment (often found in athlete’s foot remedies) and reapply the ointment at least two more times throughout the day. If the area is super itchy, you can also use a little hydrocortisone ointment on itfor the first few days as well.

Keep up with this protocol until the affected skin has started to heal and hair is beginning to regrow.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM