The Bark Side

06/22/2025

Sweet and playful doodle puppy Poppy just came to Dogwood Animal Rescue at 8 months and sadly had never been previously groomed. Her puppy coat had started changing to adult coat and she became a pelted mess. Her neck, chest, and underbelly were like a wool sweater that had been tossed in a dryer. Peeling it off with a very short blade took a long time but she was a patient girl and became more relaxed as the painful, yes PAINFUL, mats were removed. These mix breeds have very special coats that require lots of maintenance. When left unattended they mat quickly and can cause a multitude of issues. Thankfully she has those days behind her 🩷

06/16/2025

Sweet sweet Chloe came in for her “after the adoption” makeover. She was thrilled to leave behind her old mess and look to her bright future with her new mama. We received lots of kisses and tail wags ❤️

05/17/2025

Maverick can’t resist magnetic personality. I think he asks her to hold him a dozen times a day. She never says no. 🩷

05/05/2025

The Battle of Yeast

During the span of a groomer's career they can find a yeast infection in one of their client’s dog’s ears almost every day. It is that common and as common as the almost immediate questions from the pet parent “What is that?” “How do I treat it?” “How did they get it?”

Yeast is a fungus that lives in your dog’s intestines in small numbers. It’s a normal inhabitant of your dog’s digestive tract and it helps him digest his food.
�The problem begins when yeast overgrows and your dog will start to suffer from a fungal infection. Symptoms of a yeast infection include:

Chewing or licking the feet
Dark rusty-red hair between the toes
Black skin (often with hair loss)
Bad smell and greasy hair (seborrhea)
Ear infections or head shaking
Rusty-red sticky smelly goop in ear
Speckles on the underbelly
Hair loss on the tail and upper back
Grayish or rust color around the ge****ls
Diarrhea
Seasonal allergies
Secondary bacterial infection

The actual diagnosing of an ear infection from a groomer is off limits and as well as any medical issues. They can only be officially diagnosed by a veterinarian. We can however make the statement “It appears your pet has a yeast infection, you should make an appt with your vet.”

We also can give you the information that is given to us by veterinarians, dermatologists, and nutritionists. Here are the leading causes of yeast in your dogs ear and in the body:

Food allergies

Foods high in carbs

Feeding your dog sugary snacks

Antibiotics (my personal dog is currently being treated for yeast from this)

Cleaning the ears

Exercise in humid environments

Immunodeficiency

Water entering the ear canal frequently

Frequent swimming

Debris stuck in the ear

Ear mites

Heat and humidity

Pharmaceutical drugs

Please note that the top of the list is food and then goes on to break that down with sugary snacks and foods high in carbs. The number one question I ask a parent is “Has your dog’s diet changed?” This includes kibble, treats, licking dinner plate, anything outside of regular diet.

Almost 90% of the time the answer will be “Yes” The other times, it will either include something else on the list or the dog is now over the age of 3-5yrs. Getting older can mean the dog either can’t tolerate an every day food or the food has caused a build up of sugars in the body and now is showing up as yeast. What are the contributing foods to yeast build up? Starches. Here are the top ones:

Rice
Millet
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
Wheat
Corn
Oats
Peas

Some proteins can cause them too, but that is usually more of an intolerance issue.

If your pooch lived in the wild their diet would contain only about 4% starch. But most commercial pet foods have over ten times that amount. Even grain-free foods can contain potatoes, sweet potatoes or tapioca and making them have just as much starch as other kibbles.

So what can you do about it?
While waiting to be able to get into your vet, go back in your dog’s diet history. Eliminate that new or outside the norm food, stop having them clean your plates, and if their food contains high carb ingredients, look for one with less or none of the above ingredients in it. Sweet potatoes seem to be the new craze for treats or kibble filler and they are just like their name says, sweet and full of sugar.

If you find that your pet is struggling with yeast and needs extra help, your veterinarian can prescribe a medication to help the yeast die off. Sometimes this can be a tricky route as lots of my clients say their vet will not prescribe it to their pet.
I prefer a more natural route as I know what I am giving my pet and it has added benefits. A regimen made by Four Leaf Rover called Yeast Guard Plus is my personal favorite. It contains 3 blends:
Yeast Guard: a blend of herbs selected to maintain yeast balance.
Digest: Digestive enzymes and probiotics that help promote healthy digestion.
Gut Guard: Gut-soothing herbs and probiotics to restore gut health.

I have used this product on many of my own dogs and my clients have as well and are so happy with the results. Not only does the yeast die off but the symptoms go away and don’t easily return. The probiotics balance the gut biome helping ease anxiety in dogs and helps their skin and coat normalize and not be greasy.

Waiting to treat yeast will only make the yeast grow and become harder and harder to treat. I have had a client battle treating a yeast infection for a year after ignoring the problem for several years. Another ignored fungus on a back toe and eventually it took over the whole body of the dog. Being elderly and its’ immune system lowered from years of the yeast growing, the mom spent thousands of dollars trying to help her dog overcome the infection. Eventually the loss of hair and immune system being compromised, that poor dog got a mrsa staph infection and he did not live out the year. While these two cases seem extreme, it is not uncommon. Yeast is also something that is very itchy and burns, so your beloved pet is extremely uncomfortable.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that your pet is in your care and is counting on you to make good choices for them. They don’t know that daily nibble of cheese or the nightly ritual of licking the plate isn’t good for them. They can’t read the ingredients on their kibble or treats to tell you which one is upsetting their stomach or causing their ears to itch. They are solely dependent on you to look out for them and be informed.

If you would like to dive into the world of nutrition and natural care for your pet I would highly recommend the website https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com . Their articles are written by vets, nutritionists, holistic vets, trainers and other professionals.

-Heather Ausburne

Sources:
Germantown Parkway Veterinary Hospital
Small Door Veterinary
Animal Dermatology Dlinic
PetMD
Dana Scott, founder of Dogs Naturally Magazine

04/28/2025

There is still 7 days of voting left and you can vote every day! I fixed the link in my bio so it works now 😍

04/19/2025

We are finalists! You can now vote for us every day! The link is in our profile page 😍😍😍

04/19/2025

We made the cut! Now we just need your votes and you can vote everyday!

04/07/2025

I can’t believe it has been 14yrs since we fostered Ozzie and my 10 year old daughter Abigail drew a portrait of him. She called it her “messy art” It was originally black pen on a white dry erase board. I snapped a picture and later added color for my business logo.

Ozzie found a great home in San Rafael with a woman experienced in owning Tibetan Terriers. She picked him up in a new Mercedes with a snazzy crate with a lamb skin rug to lay on. I think he went from pound puppy to prince real fast 😂🩷

03/17/2025

Does your dog or cat need a dental cleaning but either cannot not have anesthesia or your wallet can’t handle the bill?

We’ve had three very successful non-anesthesia dental clinics by Pawsitively Dental since last December. The dog’s or cat’s teeth are cleaned with a sonic cleaner getting under the gum line and removing all buildup. Dental scrpaers and plaque removal tools are also used and the teeth polished. Recie ing the same dentsl treatmetn as when under anesthesia at the vet.

I have just been thoroughly impressed and all the clients as well. I got all my personal dog’s teeth done as well and they look amazing.

Our next clinic, held at our grooming shop, is April 5th and cleanings are $300. Please call or text to get your spot 707-544-4838

These are photos of my clients dog’s teeth as well as one of my own. 😍

02/23/2025

Hey friends and family! Would you like to help The Bark Side get nominated for Best of the Bay Area 2025? Just go the Retail section and Pet Groomer category is under it. You can nominate daily until March 18th. We would super appreciate it!

12/30/2024

As we look into the start of a brand new year, why not start with a better dog food for your pup?

Here is a great article in understanding the ingredient list on the pet food package. While The Bark Side gives two thumbs up for going raw or raw and kibble, that isn’t in everyone’s budget. So if you are a kibble family, understanding the kibble you feed is a great way to start your friend on a better health journey.

We also love dogfoodadvisor website for their ratings on dog food.

*if your dog has to be on a Rx diet, check out Farmina’s new high quality Rx food Vet-life. One of the most frustrating things about Rx food is the cheap low quality of the ingredients with the highest price tag. Now you have a choice!

Figure out how pet food industry disguises unhealthy dog food as healthy ingredients. Here are 5 ways to de-code the ingredients in your dog's food.

12/19/2024

Handsome Tim getting all ready for his first Christmas in California ♥️