Red Star Nutritional Yeast

Why would anyone want to eat yeast? And why would anyone feed it to a dog?

You may have heard some pet owners add brewer’s yeast to their dogs' diets. Pet companies such as Pet Smart and Doctors Foster & Smith sell brewer’s yeast supplements for dogs to promote skin and coat health.

Like brewer’s yeast, nutritional yeast is a dietary supplement available in most health food stores. Both are rich in B-complex vitamins.

Vegans (people who eat no animal products) and vegetarians often use nutritional yeast to replace Parmesan cheese or to flavor popcorn and other foods. It has a somewhat cheesy flavor.

Unlike the kind of yeast used in bread making, nutritional yeast is deactivated. In the book, "Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats," (click here for my review of that book) author Richard H. Pitcairn suggests feeding nutritional yeast to dogs. Pitcairn includes nutritional yeast in a recipe for, "Healthy Powder," a dietary supplement he suggests feeding dogs regularly.

Red Star’s brand is reportedly the most beneficial nutritional yeast so that’s the kind I give Gracie. I add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to three of Gracie’s meals each week.

*** POST UPDATE: Since writing this post I've decided to stop including Red Star Nutritional Yeast in Gracie's meals. Click here to see my 12-30-08 post explaining why.