salt in food - Page 2

Opps yes well spotted Hodie it is chloride not chlorine my bad, as to the dog with the yeast problem it occurs to me that in humans it is often advised to quit grains for a while as they of course are carbs which do convert to sugars. There are other foods that would also be cut from a humans diet but I doubt a dog would be eating them in the first place. I have no idea what kind of food the dog with the problem is eating but if it has grains in it they could be adding to the problem? Again I am no vet and dont know if it works the same way in dogs but worth asking the vet about maybe?

Disenchanted,

The theory is that grains add to yeast problems, but I have never seen any scientific studies on this. The reason pathogens can take over is that they are often already on the skin or in the ear canal and live there happily in check with the good bacteria and yeast, or are kept in check by the good guys. When skin pH is altered, or when conditions change that favor the bad guys growing (and perhaps the death of the good guys), then yeasts and bacteria can take over that are problematic. More often than not, a dog that has recurrent ear infections has a problem with ventilation, from too much fur there, or a narrowed ear canal. When the ear canal is not kept dry, the right mix may exist for the harmful organisms to proliferate. Ear wax can also help keep things in balance and if the ear does not produce enough or the proper substance, problems can also arise. It is certain that in some dogs, ear problems can be very difficult to get rid of. Changing to a grainless food is certainly worth a try, along with proper cleaning and antibacterial and/or antifungal medications. Sometimes the treatment needs to be oral as well as treating the ear externally.

Dogs don't need salt in their diet, so i wouldn't get them used to having salt. maybe once in a while, very rarely you could add some as a treat, but dogs don't need it...

 Almost ALL living creatures need salt and without it, they will die. But dogs do not need salt added to their diet.

I want to add just a little side note .. Most Table salt has Iodine added to it.. many GREAT supplements have Sea Kelp in it which would contain Iodine... The reason that Table salt has Iodine added to it is because in America there is no Iodine in the soil that our plants grow on.. the only plant that I have found on American soil that produces Iodine is the Walnut Greens which we all call Black walnut hulls.   Anyone have any to add please do .
Cooking procsess as in dog foods will not distroy Iodine . The Kirkland brand dog food has Kelp added as one of its premium veggies.. good choice.

Iodine is an essential mineral that helps the thyroid directly .. without it you can have hypothyroidism - ie a form of Malnutrition. http://thyroid.about.com/cs/vitaminsupplement/a/iodine.htm     

What impresses me the most is that the Thyroid which is in charge of most of the bodies hormones is compleatly dependent on this mineral.

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/dog-hypo.htm 
This website discribes what happens when the thyroid has issues with dogs .

Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
Bacterial infections of the skin
Dry skin
Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail (“rat’s tail”)
Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
Slow heart rate
Chronic ear infections
Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
Depression

The pituitary gland is the "master" gland producing hormones in the body, not the thyroid. These glands produce important hormones:
 
Pituitary
Hypothalmus
Thymus
Pineal Gland
Testes
Ovaries
Thyroid
Adrenal Glands
Parathyroid 
Pancreas

The thyroid gland produces only TWO important hormones, T3  (tri-iodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). Thyroid diseases can result in either over or under active production of these hormones. So it is important to know which condition exists, and the signs and symptoms of each are very different.