5 reasons: Why brewer's yeast is so healthy for dogs

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What is brewer's yeast?

Brewer's yeast consists of spherical, unicellular yeast fungi. These are microorganisms that reproduce by sprouting.

Brewer's yeast is a waste product that is created during beer production. After fermentation, it floats on the beer as beer sludge. Nowadays, manufacturers filter out the brewer's yeast from most types of beer. The yeast particles produced during fermentation cloud the beer and make it less durable.

But even today there are types of beer that contain yeast. These include yeast-clouded wheat beer or Zwickel beer.

In 1725, the physician Dr. J. F. Heckel said: "Breweries are the noblest pharmacies." He knew about the healthy effects of beer, like so many scholars and physicians before and after him.

It is not the beer itself that is so healthy, but the yeast it contains. People were already aware of its many valuable properties 5000 years ago. The use of brewer's yeast as a medicine is as old as beer brewing itself. In Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, people used beer sludge to treat wounds and skin diseases.

Knowledge of the effects of yeast continued in ancient Greece. Even Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine, appreciated the remedy. From the late Middle Ages onwards, doctors also used brewer's yeast as a medicine and anti-ageing agent. It was an integral part of the recipes of Paracelsus and Hildegard von Bingen.

Scientific studies drew the attention of manufacturers to the healthy effect of brewer's yeast. Therefore, it is no longer processed as a residual product, but is specifically produced and marketed as flakes, powder or tablets.

Today, the range of brewer's yeast products is growing. As a cosmetic or dietary supplement, it has convinced many people. Dog owners can share the benefits with their four-legged friends.

Brewer's yeast is a purely natural product and contains no chemical additives. The main groups of ingredients are:

• B vitamins
• Amino acids
• Minerals
• Antioxidants

B vitamins are important for many bodily functions such as metabolism and cell structure. However, the dog's body stores the vitamins insufficiently, which is why our dogs have to regularly take them in through food or supplements.

Amino acids, the building blocks of the body, are important for metabolism, muscle and cell building. The body cannot produce the so-called group of essential amino acids itself. Like the B vitamins, they enter the body through food.

Brewer's yeast contains many essential minerals that are responsible for a variety of bodily functions. There are two groups of minerals: trace elements and bulk elements. The body needs significantly more of the latter than of the trace elements.

The trace elements in yeast include iron, zinc and selenium. The bulk elements include sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium.

Yeast also contains antioxidants such as vitamin E, which protects cells from free radicals. Free radicals are partly responsible for a number of diseases. Brewer's yeast is also low in fat and free from sugar and cholesterol.

Brewer's yeast is an all-round talent. As brewer's yeast contains so many valuable substances, it is an ideal supplement to dog food. No matter how hard we try to provide our four-legged friends with the best food, hardly any diet plan is perfect. And even the best diet cannot protect against every illness.

Brewer's yeast can do both: act preventively or compensate for a deficiency. If you feed it regularly to your four-legged friend, its effect will unfold. The most important areas of application are

• Skin and coat problems
• diabetes
• Gastrointestinal complaints
• Liver problems
• Small wounds

For a shiny coat

Dry or shaggy coats become softer and shinier just a few days after the first dose. Brewer's yeast is particularly suitable before the change of coat, in addition to regular coat care.

Yeast also helps with flaky skin, lichen, itching or rashes. If your pet is prone to sweet itch, for example, the condition can be alleviated or disappear completely by administering yeast as a preventative measure.

Tick protection

As a dog owner you come around the topic Tick protection not around. Among all the annoying parasites that can infest our dogs, the tick is particularly unwelcome. In the warm months, they lurk in every meadow and woodland. Since they can transmit dangerous diseases, they are a serious threat to animals and humans.

Brewer's yeast helps against these parasites. The ticks avoid your furry nose because they do not like the smell of the yeast. If a tick nevertheless gets lost in the fur, it often does not bite immediately and you can simply remove it.

Nevertheless, brewer's yeast is not a perfect protection against the little beasts. Unfortunately, there are few scientific studies on most natural means of tick defense.

It could not be found out in the studies carried out which ingredient in the yeast the ticks do not like. Probably an interaction of several substances is responsible.

Despite incomplete data, we can draw on testimonials. Many dog owners do not want to miss the yeast anymore.

Moreover, as a natural product, yeast can be combined with other natural means to be on the safe side. Thus, it is absolutely recommendable as a gentle and natural method to get the tick problem under control.

If brewer's yeast is not effective in combating ticks, you are welcome to read our article on Black cumin oil or Coconut oil study

As a supplement for dogs with diabetes

Brewer's yeast contains no sugar and is suitable as a supplement for dogs with diabetes. It stimulates the production of insulin in the dog's body.

For constipation

Thanks to the fiber, brewer's yeast helps with constipation or an unbalanced intestinal flora. You can give it as a support for a stressed intestine, for example after the administration of antibiotics.

For liver dysfunction

In the case of liver dysfunction, brewer's yeast helps stimulate the healing process.

For dry patches

For dry spots or smaller wounds, you can use brewer's yeast for external application. Mix the yeast with a little water to make a paste and apply to the wounded area.

Brewer's yeast has a bitter-spicy, slightly cheesy taste. Most four-legged friends tolerate the taste and accept the yeast well. The product is available in various forms, so there is something for every furry friend.

Whether tablets, flakes or powder: Simply mix into the dog food and you're done! Some dogs also eat the tablets as a treat.

You can buy brewer's yeast in large supermarkets, health food stores, drug stores, pharmacies, over the internet, or in pet stores.

Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for dosage. The amount depends on the weight of your pet.

You can give fewer tablets or powder on the first day and increase the dose over the next few days. Some dogs get slight flatulence, but as soon as the body gets used to the yeast, it disappears again.

Dosage orientation:

• Small dogs from 5 to 10 kg: from 1 g per day.
• Medium dogs from 11 to 20 kg: from 1.5 g per day
• Large dogs from 21 to 40 kg: from 2 g per day.
• Very large dogs from 41 kg: from 3 g per day

If the yeast is used during the change of coat or as a tick remedy, the dosage can be a little higher for the desired period.

Apart from the flatulence mentioned above at the very beginning, very sensitive dogs can react with diarrhea. However, this problem also normally resolves itself after the body has become accustomed to the yeast. Otherwise there are no known side effects.

Please note that the use of brewer's yeast is not recommended for four-legged friends with kidney disease. You can find out more about this in the guide to kidney diets for dogs. If you follow the dosage recommendations of the manufacturer or vet, your pet will have no further problems.

However, if you experience unexpected side effects or a noticeable change in your pet's behavior, you should call your veterinarian immediately.

Brewer's yeast is particularly suitable as a dietary supplement and for coat and skin care. As an additive in the feed unfolds its effect from the inside.

Many dog owners who give their pets brewer's yeast are convinced of the effects. I started feeding brewer's yeast to my dog about a year ago and have also been positively surprised. His coat has been particularly shiny since then.

Since you can't go much wrong with brewer's yeast and there are no problematic side effects, I recommend just giving it a try.