Nutritional yeast is a great way to give your pup's diet a boost of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. While it's perfectly safe for your pup to consume, it's important to remember that it's not intended to replace their regular meals or normal protein consumption. It's also important to note that dogs most dogs like the savory, almost cheesy flavor of nutritional yeast, so you don't need to worry about them not liking it. If used correctly, nutritional yeast is a great way to give your pup an added boost of health benefits!
Is Nutritional Yeast Good for Dogs?
Nutritional yeast, also known as brewer's yeast or torula yeast, can be beneficial to your dog's health. It is not the same as baker's yeast, and you should only use nutritional yeast for dogs. However, nutritional yeast doesn't contain all the vitamins and minerals found in meat-based proteins. This means you should never rely on nutritional yeast as your dog's primary source of protein, but rather as an occasional supplement to their regular diet. A little bit goes a long way, so a pinch or two should do the trick.
Nutritional yeast is different from baker's yeast, also known as active dry yeast. Nutritional yeast is deactivated, while Baker's yeast is activated, meaning yeast cells are active and alive.
What is Nutritional Yeast?
Nutritional yeast is a type of food supplement that is made from a single-celled fungus called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is grown on molasses and sugarcane. This type of sugarcane is then harvested and dried out in order to create the final product. This substance has a nutty, creamy taste, and it is often used as a substitute for cheese topping or Parmesan cheese when cooking recipes. It also has many vitamins and minerals in it, as well as amino acids that can benefit your dog's health greatly.
Benefits of Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast offers several benefits for dogs:
- Improves digestion. Nutritional yeast contains high amounts of vitamin B complex, which supports healthy digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Helps improve liver function. It also contains folic acid, which helps maintain a healthy liver.
- Supports healthy skin and coat. Nutritional yeast contains selenium, which supports healthy skin and coat in dogs. Selenium also helps fight off free radicals that cause oxidative damage to cells in the body.
- Supports immune system function. B vitamins promote immune system health in dogs, which helps prevent infections such as parvovirus and distemper virus from entering their bodies through exposure to other animals or toxins from their environment.
One big benefit of nutritional yeast is that it can be used to improve dietary palatability for your dog. As a food topper or extra treat, nutritional yeast can help coax picky dogs to eat.
Follow the Guidelines
When your dog first starts eating yeast, they may experience flatulence. If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you may also notice diarrhea as their body becomes accustomed to the yeast. Be careful not to provide too much at a time. If you purchase from a manufacturer, take a look at the recommended guidelines for feeding.
Giving Your Dog Nutritional Yeast
How much nutritional yeast to give your dog depends on their size. These guidelines can help, but follow the manufacturer's recommendations if you're unsure. Also, always consult with your veterinarian before you make any dietary changes for your dog.
The recommended dosage per day is ½ teaspoon for every 10 pounds of body weight, but this can vary depending on the product and brand of nutritional yeast you are using. So, if your dog weighs 15 pounds, then he should get about ¾ tsp. per day in their food or, as a supplement, added directly into their bowl.
If you want to use a supplement instead of adding it directly to their food, which may alter its taste, then follow these instructions: Add ¼ tsp. per day for every 10 pounds they weigh until they reach adulthood at about 18 months old. After that point, increase this amount by ⅛ tsp. every month until reaching full maturity at 2 years old, when they will require no additional supplementation.
Add Extra Nutrition With Yeast
If you're looking for an easy way to add some extra nutrition to your dog's diet, nutritional yeast is a great option. It's packed with B vitamins and other nutrients that help support their immune system and overall health. Nutritional yeast can be added to food or used as an oral supplement for dogs who need extra help with their diets.
