Candida overgrowth in dogs?

Question
Hello Susan,
I have asked about this subject with another 'expert' and they could not give me an answer.  I hope you have heard of this condition and can give me some advice on what to do.

I know this subject is controversial in the medical community, but being a big advocate of holistic and naturopathic medicine I have educated myself in many areas of alternative, holistic, and naturopathic modalities.  Which brings me to my dilemma...

I have a mixed breed (lab,sheperd,beagle,?) female dog, approximately 45lbs, and is 12 years old.  Her previous owner told me that when she was about 6 months old she had discovered a dead deer in the woods and began eating the deer,
resulting in her being very sick and requiring an extended course of antibiotics from the vet.  When I took ownership of her shortly after that she seemed very low key, sometimes
lethargic, but energetic when we had the opportunities to 'play'.   

Fast forward 11 years (today) and she is showing signs of even worse lethargy, very low on energy, her coat is coarse and dry, and sometimes she will vomit her food after eating, and there is almost always a "white mucous" surrounding the
regurgitated food.  She has begun scratching with more frequency, even though a very close inspection shows so signs of fleas or ticks.  I take VERY good care of her.  She only gets DOG food, no PEOPLE food, and it is the highest quality I
can buy.  I have had on her on Blue Buffalo dry food and Hill Science canned food for the past few years, but recently switched to Healthy Balance dry because she began losing interest in the Blue Buffalo for some reason. And I still give her Science Diet canned food daily mixed with the dry food.

Her eating is another issue...she has suddenly began losing her appetite. Sometimes she will go 2 days without eating. This came on rather suddenly, about 2 or 3 months ago. And again, periodically she will vomit her food and it is always covered with that white mucous, which I suspect may contain candida.  

I have done extensive research on Candida fungus, as I have experienced this condition since childhood due to regular use of antibiotics.  All the symptoms I mentioned above are listed in the category of candida overgrowth.  I recently discovered a candida remedy for humans called "Chitin Inhibitor", which destroys the candida's 'exoskeleton', making it vulnerable to
our body's natural defenses (immune system).  It is also available for pets, originally for use in controlling fleas and ticks, and in fact, my understanding is that it is only obtainable from a Vet's office.  It is called "The Program", which uses a product such as this, only in lower doses, for flea control, and supposedly also for candida, but not that many people are up on this subject.  Are you familiar with this?  

I would just like your input on what you think about attacking this issue with 'The Program', as I'm very sure she has candida involvement.  I know how dangerous this can be as I, myself, have been battling a candida infection for many years.  I have just ordered a course of this Chitin Inhibitor (for humans) and their claims are that it is guaranteed to eliminate all candida from the body.  If you would like to check it out the website is candidacleanser.com. I have researched the web about
using this product for pets but all I have found is the reference to "The Program", which is only available at a Vet's office.

Thank you for taking the time to read my long message. I welcome any thoughts you may have on this subject.  :)

Thank you,
Gary

Answer
Gary,
Sorry to have taken so long but my computer was out of service.
as to your issue, I would recommend getting a free copy of my book "Simple Steps to a Healthy Pet" by filling out the pop up form at http://naturalsforanimals.com . It will give you a lot of information that you really need to know.

I would recommend switching to a grain free food, and if possible a variety of frozen raw food since the enzymes are living. If you don't go raw, add a quality enzyme and probiotic formula to the grain free (not one of the very high protean formulas). You can also ad a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the new food. If there is still an issue after about 2-4 weeks, there is a product called Agrumax that is very good for bacteria and candida used internally and externally.

Needless to say,if I can write a book, there is more information than I can tell you here, but that is the intro. You may in the future contact holistic vet Dr Gerald Wessner at 325-245-0205. He uses homeopathy and does phone consultation. He is awesome.

Hope this helps.

Sue Griffin