Brittany Ippolito
May 12, 2026
Why some dogs are prone to being yeasty
What if I told you your dog’s yeast problem has more to do with how their body moves, nourishes, and regulates itself?
In order for the body to stay balanced, there must be nourishment present, this nourishment must reach where it needs to go, and waste must be properly cleared. These tasks largely fall under guidance of your dog’s digestive system and their circulatory system.
The digestive system is what turns food into nourishment. The circulatory system is what moves blood throughout the body.
Blood carries nutrients that nourish your dog’s organs, tissues, eyes, paws, ears, nose, coat, and skin. It also helps transport waste to organs like the liver and kidneys, where it can be processed and eliminated.
When the circulatory system isn’t moving well, the body becomes undernourished, the pathways of elimination become blocked. This is when we see yeast overgrowths develop.
Yeast is a type of fungal organism that commonly affects the exterior of the dog, particularly the skin. The only way to definitively identify the specific species is through testing, but in most cases, it is associated with Malassezia.
We often recognize yeast overgrowth through changes such as a rusty-brown discoloration of the fur, musty odors, or buildup in the ears or under the eyes.
Contrary to popular belief, the yeast commonly seen on dogs thrives more in oily environments than sugary ones.
Malassezia is a normal resident of your dog’s skin. However, when the internal environment of the dog becomes unbalanced, it can create the ideal conditions for yeast to overgrow.
Excess warmth, moisture, and sebum provide a particularly supportive environment. This is why we often see yeast occur in areas on the dog that are naturally warmer and collect more moisture, like the paws, ears, groin, armpits, and under eyes.
Sebum is an oily substance your dog’s body naturally produces. In the right amounts, sebum keeps your dog’s skin and coat moisturized and healthy.
Internal and external conditions or imbalances can alter how much sebum/moisture your dog produces. When there is an overproduction of sebum, it not only creates that warm, damp, stagnant environment that yeast thrives in, but it doubles as an abundant source of food for them.
The question becomes: Why is my dog overproducing sebum?
“Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better.” -Albert Einstein
If you can understand how nature works, you can understand how the body works.
Imagine your dog’s circulatory system as a web of interconnected rivers. These rivers are filled with nutrient-rich water that nourishes the land. Your dog’s blood is the nutrient-rich water that fills the rivers. Your dog’s exterior is the land that is nourished by the rivers.
If the rivers are full, abundant, and flowing, the land stays balanced and nourished. When the rivers stop properly nourishing and regulating the land, the environment begins to change, and yeast thrives in those altered conditions.
When your dog has an abundance of nutrient-rich blood freely flowing through their circulatory system, their body stays balanced and nourished.
When your dog’s blood isn’t nourishing their body, the first place we visually see this show up is on the exterior of the dog. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Blood is viewed as a rich and nourishing substance. It keeps your dog’s skin barrier strong.
When there is a lack of blood to go around, TCM calls this a Blood Deficiency. The dog’s body prioritizes the health of their internal organs first and peripheral circulation decreases.
The dog’s skin becomes dry, and their body compensates by producing sebum in order to protect and moisturize itself. This creates that warm, moist, oily environment that yeast thrives in.
Why are some dogs prone to developing these issues and others aren’t? Keep reading!
The resources available don’t produce nutrient-rich water.
The rivers may have water in them, but if the resources they’re receiving are poor quality, then the water won’t be rich enough to nourish the land. The water may even be turbid and attract unwanted guests.
The foundation is diet. Building nutrient-rich blood starts with a fresh food diet that contains adequate protein.
Dogs eating kibble diets often fall short in this area. This is because protein levels are too low, or heavy processing strips the food of its vitality. Over time, this undernourishment develops into a Blood Deficiency.
Kibble diets also often contain poor quality ingredients, like high levels of omega-6 fats, rancid fats, and high glycemic carbs. These are ingredients your dog can’t effectively utilize to build strong Blood. Instead, they form a turbid substance called Dampness.
Dampness means there’s excess moisture in the body. It’s a thick, heavy, sticky, greasy substance, and we see this reflected onto the skin as that musty, cheesy, dirty sock smell.
The same way the temperature feels hotter on a humid day, Dampness can easily trap heat. That combination of excess oily moisture and heat, create the ideal conditions for yeast to thrive in.
When the resources are poor, the body can’t build what it needs to nourish itself.
The rivers can’t turn the resources into nutrient-rich water.
The rivers may have all the tools they need, yet they still aren’t producing nutrient-rich water that nourishes the land. Instead, the water is turbid and attracting unwanted guests.
In this case, you may already be feeding a nutrient-rich diet, but your dog can’t access those nutrients. This imbalance is rooted in Spleen Qi Deficiency.
When the digestive system is weak or overwhelmed, the body can’t extract what it needs. Instead of building Blood, it accumulates Dampness.
External factors can play a role here as well. Humid environments can add to a dog’s overall Dampness load, but this only becomes a problem when the body can’t properly transform and clear it.
When food isn’t being properly transformed, the body can’t turn it into the nourishment it needs.
The rivers aren’t freely flowing.
When the rivers stop flowing, water can’t reach the land.
This pattern is known as Liver Qi Stagnation. The Liver is responsible for the free flow of Qi, and Qi is the energy that moves Blood. Where Qi goes, Blood goes.
When Qi isn’t freely flowing, the periphery of the dog becomes undernourished and dry, and their body overproduces sebum to moisturize itself.
When the Liver stagnates, the dog’s body heats up and releases that heat through various exit points like their paws, ears, eyes, or groin.
We now have that infamous combination of warmth, oily moisture where yeast thrives.
When flow is lost, pressure builds, and the body looks for somewhere to release it.
Avoidance may not always address the root cause behind your dog's yeast, but cleaning up their diet and lifestyle is always worth doing.
Common Culprits:
From a Western perspective, yeast is an organism that needs exterminating. From an Eastern perspective, yeast signifies an imbalance with the internal terrain that allowed it to grow.
There are many ways your dog’s system can fall out of balance, which is why the focus is always on the individual. TCM aims at restoring balance between Yin, Yang, Qi, and Blood so the system can regulate itself again and the environment no longer supports the growth of yeast.
If you’re looking for a place to start, ask yourself these questions:
If you need help understanding the pattern behind your dog’s yeast and with building a diet that addresses it, book a 1:1 with me → https://www.dogfoodtherapy.com/consultations
Looking for advice and help with your dog's diet and nutritional needs?
Book a one on one call with me where we'll go through your dog's history, habits and any current health concerns. You'll receive tailored recipes and food/herbal therapy guidance on what will best meet their needs. I am also available to chat if you have questions along the way!
