Fixin’ Furry Frito Feet

Hello Steemian friends! We just had our summer solstice about a week ago, and for a few days it was a cool start to summer. Then it got a bit steamy here in the Southeastern part of the United States.

During the last storm, we had an AC failure, and ever since it has been quite a bit warmer than we would like in the house. Several others were in line ahead of us, so we had to wait a couple of extra days for the HVAC technician to pay us a visit.

With a bit of creativity and ingenuity (such as putting a pot of ice in front of the fan) it was tolerable enough. But all this extra heat and humidity had poor Arlo extra itchy with a yeast infection, namely Malassezia. Otherwise, known as “Frito Feet!”

(A lot of people think Malassezia has an odor like corn chips, hence the name Frito Feet.)

When Arlo Met Cindy

I first adopted Arlo in late September of 2018. I was supposed to be his foster Mom, because the animal shelter considered him “unadoptable.” He was 12 years old, heartworm positive, and had large bald and crusty patches of skin.

After his first dinner, Arlo asked to be held and fell asleep in my lap. He is such a sweet, gentle and funny old soul. I couldn’t help but fall in love with Arlo that night! I loved everything about him; and, in spite of everything, I loved him. It was that night I discovered a furry soulmate.

We had made so much progress since September. Arlo’s fur had grown back, he has gained weight and the medication has really helped the heartworm cough. I thought we had everything under control. But, the extra heat and moisture ignited the Malassezia.

Arlo is the kind of dog that is especially susceptible to Frito Feet. Due to taking medication for secondary problems caused by the heartworms, his immune system is compromised.

And his seasonal allergies make it easy for the Malassezia yeast to quickly get out of control. The extra heat and humidity was enough to cause an imbalance of yeast that just had to be fixed!

By the way, in this part of the south, fixin’ is a status or a verb depending on the situation. You can:
-be fixin’ to go somewhere,
-fixin’ dinner,
-fixin’ a broken toy, or
-fixin’ problems!

The Fix

The yeast infection causes both greasy fur and bare patches that crust over. We already had an anti-fungal shampoo that the vet gave us, so we used that. However, you can use your own mild soap or shampoo, and add tea tree oil and/or lavender to help disinfect and sooth the itching.

After the bath, I used a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water as a rinse. Arlo gets a weekly bath for a few weeks, then a bi-monthly bath, until the yeast is back under control!

This yeast is pretty prolific and Arlo’s feet are really bugging him, so more than a bath is required.

Every other day I fix (prepare) a foot dip for him. The foot dip is also a 50/50 combination of apple cider vinegar and water. I pour a few ounces in a small glass and add a couple of teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide. Then I dip each paw in the glass and make sure it is thoroughly soaked. I have a towel ready to pat the feet dry as they come back out of the glass.

On alternate days, I rub coconut oil on Arlo’s feet and on his pits (yes, dogs have pits!). The coconut oil is very soothing and it also works as an antifungal.

I am also working on finding just the right diet for Arlo, and have started giving him a bit more of my CBD oil. He takes it neat (straight)!

Current status: We now have our AC back and little Arlo is resting comfortably, snoring away!

I took all the pictures with my iPhone!