Red Dog Pet Products

10/09/2025

28/06/2025

"WORKED BRILLIANTLY AFTER THE WORST YEAST ATTACK"

This just in:

"After a cut on my dogs face got infected he was put on several courses of antibiotics and steroids as the infection wasn’t getting any better. He was even put under and shaved.

After 3 months of medication, it had cleared. Then the trouble began.

He always smelled a little bit of yeast, in the ears and wrinkles, but that was easy enough to keep on top off. But after the meds his gut health was shot to pieces. I changed his diet as I suspected yeast but then the yeast issues began.

On his tail, there was a bald patch and daily, he would lose patches of fur with these crusty little bumps and sore patches on his skin. Almost all of the fur on his underside had gone. He was sore. His ears were infected, he started limping occasionally and then the eyes began emitting thick goop (which I was told was dry eye).

We tried antifungal baths a few times a week and natural remedies that we added to his food, then I came across Yeast Defeat. I knew we had half a chance because it had the ingredients that I’d read about.

The relief was unreal when I could see it finally working. We have just finished the second tub and within a month there are slight signs of a return. I am about to order a third tub."

***
Who should use Yeast Defeat? Owners of dogs with chronic, itchy, ye**ty skin issues that they just can't seem to get right any other way.

The order of things for such dog owners is attached - first get the poo score great (forcing you to focus on first making the gut, whatever the issue might be).

Secondly, we explore if any food intolerances are at play (years of chemical and kibble abuse can take a toll in that respect).

Third, we tackle the symptoms on the surface with Propythium, the wonderfully effective, natural yeast killer for TOPICAL issues, be they skin, ear or paw.

However, should it come back, we start to suspect an issue under the hood, a little fire inside and what you see on the skin is just the heat and smoke.

In our experience, the very next thing you should suspect is an INTERNAL YEAST dysbiosis, not bacterial (which we hope Step 1 & 2 would somewhat take care of...).

An internal yeast bloom is very hard to diagnose. You can't count cells in the poo as, in its new ultraparasitic form, whereby yeast changes from being free-floating in the gut mucous, feeding on what it can find there to an ultra-invasive form where it moves to the gut lining for sustenance (we suspect driven by that change in diet you see above). In these cases of candidiasis (Google it, it's like little mushrooms on your gut lining), they don't shed cells like its free floating form. It just grows more.

Bar antibody tests, which won't tell you how active it is, your conventional vet is almost certainly going to miss this one. Worse, as proper yeast infection upsets the resident gut flora, a next generational poo test, as we all used to do for €150, will show you that their bacterial gut flora are in dysbiosis, and they ARE, only they're not the issue, the yeast infection is, the forgotten half of the biome equation.

Also, the yeast chemicals available today - azole medication - are potent hormone disruptors with very bad history of side effects (and won't kill off a yeast infection in the gut lining which is protected by a biofilm).

Yeast Defeat is for these cases.

When you click on the product, you will see many happy customers, but you will also see one or two where it doesn't work. We don't hide these reviews as we're tying to teach you that if you have properly conducted Step 1, 2 and 3 and now, in Step 4, Yeast Defeat doesn't work to heal your issue, well, now you know it's NOT yeast, and it only cost you €25 to find out.

For people that feel they're in a dark room and lots of people are punching them, that was info you NEEDED in order to progress to the next thing. You need to eliminate potential causes one at a time.

Defeating long-term, chronic skin issues, the vast majority of which arise in the gut, is like playing Guess Who with the kids, you should first begin by asking the questions that get rid of the majority of issues in front of you - good food, good poos, food intolerances, yeast bloom.

(I would add to this list Step 5 a gut flora reset using FMT by Legacy Biome, use code DOGSFIRST15 for 15% off).

Only after all this is considered would I consider getting into the bloods etc as the above steps fix 80-90% of the chronically itchy dogs coming into us today (and we only get the bad ones here!).

Hope that helps all the itchy, ye**ty dogs out there (looking at you Frenchies!)

28/06/2025

Today is World Microbiome Day - a day to celebrate the invisible but vital ecosystem that keeps you and your pets healthy - the microbiome.

Trillions of microorganisms live on your skin, in your body, on your pets and even on your sofa. Together, they make up the microbiome - the ecosystem that supports everything from immunity to allergen defence, and from wound healing to mental well-being.

But harsh chemicals, stress, antibiotics, pollution, and over-cleaning can throw the microbiome out of balance -or “in dysbiosis”.

When the microbiome becomes unbalanced, the good bacteria (probiotics) are reduced, allowing harmful microbes like yeast and harmful bacteria to thrive.
For your pets, an imbalanced skin microbiome can weaken skin defences, and increase the risk of irritation, inflammation and infection.

In the home, an unbalanced microbiome can also affect air quality and reduce the natural microbial diversity that helps support long-term health and well-being.
This is where ‘spray on’ probiotics come in. Our probiotic sprays are like a ‘microbiome in a bottle’. They are infused with billions of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) that clean, protect & restore microbial balance from the outside in.

Whether you're caring for your pet’s itchy skin, irritated ears, or dental health, or freshening their bedding and your home, our Provilan products work with nature to reintroduce healthy bacteria exactly where they’re needed.

E.g. LUCAA+ Ear Care Spray helps rebalance the delicate ear microbiome to reduce itching and infection risk; LUCAA+ Dental Care restores oral microbial harmony for fresher breath and healthier gums; and our probiotic home cleaning range supports the indoor microbiome without harsh chemicals. These friendly probiotics outcompete harmful bacteria, and break down dirt, bio-allergens, and odours, to create a cleaner, safer home for all.

Read our news post ‘Microbiome in a Bottle – the Role of Surface Probiotics’ in the comments below to discover how easy it is to support your pet’s health and your home’s microbiome:

20/06/2025

While making your own pet food is quite simple there are a few simple guides to follow to ensure that they are receiving the nutrients that they require.

Raw Meat Based Diet (RMBD) – This diet is classed as the gold standard from a nutritional point of view and is generally made to a ratio of 70% - Muscle Meat, 10% bone/cartilage, 10% organ meat (half liver), 10% Fruit & Veg

Prey Model Raw (PMR) – This diet, while similar to the RMBD the PMR Diet leaves out the fruit & veg component and is generally made to a ratio of 80% Muscle Meat, 10% bone/cartilage, 10% organ meat (half liver)

Gently Cooked – Gently cooked meals are a great alternative to ultra-processed dry food and a popular choice if your pet is immunocompromised, but there are a couple of changes which need to be made. Cooked bone can never be fed to a dog whether it is a whole bone or crushed as it is not digestible once it has been cooked. Bone is often just thought of as calcium, which is certainly not the case. Bone is made primarily from hydroxyapatite along with other minerals and compounds (glucosamine, chondroitin) which are essential to the development and overall health of your pet. Water soluble vitamin (B Vitamins and Vitamin C) and enzyme levels naturally found in the food will also start to drop when cooked. Therefore, it is essential that the meal is only gently cooked to maintain as much nutritional integrity as possible but also that a ‘bone replacement’ is included and not just calcium.

With any of the above diets, it is highly recommended that the protein and any fruit/veg be changed regularly to avoid any deficiencies. What may be lacking in one protein, can be picked up in another.

Common Ingredients to avoid -
Aside from the well-known foods which are toxic to dogs such as grapes, raisins, chocolate, onion, leek, chives, xylitol (birch sugar) here are a few which can cause longer term issues. The issues may not be apparent immediately but certainly lead to issues in the future.
Starchy Carbohydrates (potato, pasta, rice, tapioca) – These are essentially sugars and should be avoided for dogs and cats as they are carnivores. They are highly inflammatory and feed the bad bacteria in the gut, constant feeding of these can lead to issues such as gut dysbiosis, early onset arthritis, periodontal disease and pancreatitis.
Pulses (Peas) – These can inhibit the absorption of taurine which dogs have a limited ability to synthesise themselves and cats have no ability to produce taurine at all and therefore must be contained in their diet. If their diet is lacking in taurine (found in fresh meat) and peas are included in their diet, then this can lead to serious heart issues such as myocarditis.
Dairy – Both dogs and cats from around 6-8 weeks of age (when they are weaned off their mother) are lactose intolerant as their pancreas stops producing lactase (dogs would not normally have any dairy products aside from their mother’s milk). From this age, there is no requirement for them to have any dairy, and it can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, gas, bloating.

So following these simple guidelines, it is quite simple to make a fantastic meal for your pet that they love and is full of the nutrients they need. Feel free to send us a message if there is anything you are unsure of :)

20/06/2025

A bit of information on dental hygiene for your pet.

Why is dental hygiene important?
Gum disease is a serious issue that goes far beyond unsightly teeth and smelly breath. Left untreated it can cause your dog serious discomfort and they may lose teeth. The constant bacterial invasion at the gum line is a daily drain on your pet’s immune resources. This is why patients with gum disease are more susceptible to other diseases. Over time, the body can become flooded with immune debris which can cause heart, liver, and kidney problems.

What causes dental issues?
There are two main reasons dental issues occur with our pets. The first reason is too many carbohydrates in their diet. As carnivores, dogs do not have amylase in their saliva (the enzyme to break down carbohydrates). These lingering carbohydrates (sugar) fuel the bad bacterial growth in the mouth and cause periodontitis and calculus (plaque & tartar) buildup. The second reason is lack of abrasion (hassle factor) in their diet. While it is commonly thought that ultra-processed dry food (Kibble) helps clean their teeth, this is quite untrue. While their may be a slight benefit to the back teeth if the kibble is the correct size, the damage from the carbohydrates far outweighs any benefit, this would be akin to saying that potato chips clean our teeth which we all know is not the case. A dog would naturally be eating meaty bones as part of their diet. The action of ripping meat from the bone and crunching the bone with their carnassial teeth scrapes calculus away. The chunks of raw meat that they are biting into also contain enzymes that breakdown tartar build-up.

The Solution
So how do we keep our dogs’ pearly whites, pearly white? The solution is quite simple. Give your dog a bone. A dog requires the biting, shearing, crushing action of chewing cartilage and meat on a bone. This abrasive action on their teeth and gums clears away any food residues and scrapes off any calculus build-up on their teeth.

The Studies
Brown and Park (1968), periodically replaced the moist kibble ration fed to 30 dogs that were displaying dental calculus and tooth loss, with beef oxtail. Two-thirds of the dog’s calculus was removed within 24hrs after the first oxtail feeding, this increased to 95% by the end of week 2. Interestingly, the same authors note that oxtails, consisting of spinal vertebrae, were fed to over 200 dogs for more than six years and “no harmful effects were observed”.