Hannah Zulueta It Was Never Yeast
Why what the dog world calls yeast is really Damp-Warmth, and how Chinese Medicine treats it.
Almost four years ago, I wrote about a Yeast Cleanse Protocol. It’s another one of those articles that hasn’t aged so well. Not because what I wrote is wrong. Because I see the world entirely differently now.
During that time, I, along with the rest of the dog world, would look at dogs that itched, and if they had tear stains or that Fritos smell, we’d declare “YEAST,” and the Yeasty Beast Protocol would be unleashed.
We’d outlaw certain foods and blame it on those ingredients. I’d even say avoid these high-histamine foods. Well, I still recommend you avoid them. But the whole approach, how I see what you call yeast, I now see differently.
What you call yeast, I now call Damp-Warmth.
Back in 2022 I embarked on a quest to earn my Doctorate in Chinese Medicine. Who knew I’d be going back to medicine school at 49? Yet here we are, years later, and almost done. It changed how I see this entirely.
Chinese Medicine, for humans, was the best detour I could have taken, because the depth we go into theory and practice is more than I could have expected had I gone the animal route. Our teaching school sees 40,000 patients a year.
And yes, for transparency, I’m not a veterinarian. You should always go to your veterinarian for medical advice. I’m simply here to give you a deeper, different perspective on how I see things through the lens of Chinese Medicine.
Dampness is characterized by turbidity, stickiness, stagnation, and above all, tenacity. Among all pathogenic factors, TCM considers dampness the most difficult to treat. And when it combines with heat, it’s even harder to resolve.
Our teachers say that damp combined with heat is like mixing oil with wheat flour.
What does dampness look like in dogs through the TCM lens? It looks turbid, and it’s sticky.
Crud, wax, or a substance in these places:
- Between the toes
- In tear stains and in the ears
- In the yin parts of the body: groin, armpits, neck
- In severe cases, the neck feels like a wet chamois cloth
If you see redness along with these, you have damp-warmth, and 95% of dogs fall into this category. Rarely do I see damp-cold, but it exists.
If you don’t see this, your dog doesn’t have yeast. Stop reading. You’re barking up the wrong tree.
If you’re still reading, then your dog has damp-warmth. According to Wen Bing theory in TCM, to treat it we have to resolve the heat and the dampness as thoroughly as possible.
Clear only the heat with bitter, cold ingredients, and the dampness worsens. Drain, dry, and transform only the dampness, and the herbs injure the yin, and the heat blazes brighter.
To get around this dilemma, both dampness and heat must be cleared at the same time.
Lesson 2: look at your dog’s body. Where are they itching, or licking? What parts are affected? Note whether it is damp, with stickiness, turbidity, or a substance, and whether it is warm or hot.
This part gets a little advanced. In TCM we pay attention to where the qi is stuck, and we see the body through different systems. Damp-warmth will sit in one of the three burners.
Translation: different ingredients and different formulas depending on where the dampness sits and what we want to do. We also see the body in different levels, and in most cases dampness resides in the qi level.
Then ask which is worse. If dampness predominates, we use bitter, acrid, and warm. If the heat is more severe, we clear it with bitter, acrid, and cold. And if fire is present, we must clear the heat and generate fluids before we do anything else.
Qi is the commander of blood. It is also the commander of fluids. To eliminate dampness, we have to promote qi circulation. Once qi circulation is normalized in the spleen and stomach, dampness is no longer produced.
One of the easiest ways to promote qi circulation is through cooked food with some qi herbs added, such as Chen Pi.
So how do we remove dampness? We feed foods that encourage it to be transformed and eliminated by the body. As the body escorts it out, you may notice a few temporary changes on a therapeutic diet and herbs.
- Urine may turn slightly more turbid, carried out by the San Jiao and Bladder meridians.
- Flatulence may increase, as circulating qi moves the dampness.
- Stool may be temporarily softer, as some dampness leaves through the bowels.
There are a few places you can purchase formulas without needing a holistic veterinarian. That said, if you get it wrong, you could make things worse.
Escorting dampness out of the body involves a downward direction. If your dog does not have dampness and simply has a regular itch, the wrong formula can drive the pathogen deeper into the body, according to TCM theory. Please consult your holistic vet first.
The damp formula Dr. Steven Marsden created for Kan Essentials is called Damp Derma, available on Amazon. It’s a combination of two formulas: one for conditions affecting the gallbladder and liver meridian, the other to dry dampness out.
Another company you can buy from directly is CMD Pet Solutions. Her line is more sophisticated, differentiating among dermatological conditions within the TCM framework. You can review her remedies and decide which makes the most sense for your dog.
These are just two approaches. Some cases need a different formula to drain off excess dampness in the middle jiao, and others need aromatic herbs. Either way, seek out your TCM practitioner for assistance if you get stuck.
I used to recommend Adored Beast, but many years ago I used it on my own dog, and it set us back at least a year. I also don’t recommend the Four Leaf Rover line. Nor do I think your dog needs a microbiome product, an FMT, or a probiotic.
For context, I prefer TCM solutions because they work when the pattern is matched to the right ingredients and herbs. That is the key part.
Many things, and it varies from dog to dog. One characteristic is that it did not show up overnight, or even in the last month. By the time you notice it, it has taken hold. Remember that tenacity? It comes in dribs and drabs, quietly accumulating. It happens so slowly you brush it off, and that is the nature of this pattern. It establishes itself, so by the time you address it, it is challenging to resolve.
My personal opinion is that it comes through what we call an external pathogen in TCM. A tick bit the dog, or some other parasite was ingested with food, or the dog had unclean food.
If you have access to a holistic veterinarian skilled in treating damp-warmth, they can guide you on a plan. If you’re a DIY dog parent confident in your assessment, you can try the formulas above. And if you’ve tried it all and are stuck, book the Allergy Reset package with me, where I get your dog on a cooked diet and guide you on the ingredients and herbs, which may include customized formulas, your dog needs.
Book the Allergy Reset packageUnderstanding damp-warmth is what actually changes things. That’s why I spent four years going back to school to think about this differently.
This article is educational and reflects the author’s clinical perspective through Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is not veterinary advice. Always consult your veterinarian. Brand mentions are the author’s own opinion and are not sponsored.
Hannah Zulueta obtained her Certificate in Canine Nutrition from CASI Institute. She is also studying for her Doctorate in Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Herbalism from the esteemed Pacific College of Health and Medicine. If you’re as keenly interested in health for yourself, visit her website for human health: Satori Acupuncture and Herbs.
She resides in San Diego with her three dogs, Maggie, Orbit, and Mr. Higgins.
She is available for one on one consultations. She develops evidence-based recipes that meet both NRC and AAFCO nutritional standards while integrating the therapeutic food principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine into her formulations.
Additionally, you can find her sharing free content on Instagram.
