The short answer is yes, dogs can eat nutritional yeast. There are quite a few health benefits that nutritional yeast can provide for a dog, and it’s also easy to serve up. Nutritional yeast can also help pep up the taste of your canine’s normal dog food. Keep in mind that this is not baker’s yeast you use in most recipes for bread or rising dough, which is quite dangerous for dogs.
As always, you must ask your regular vet before going ahead and sharing any human food with your resident canine, including nutritional yeast. Here’s what you need to know about nutritional yeast and dogs.
Why is nutritional yeast good for dogs?
Nutritional yeast is a food supplement that’s packed with B vitamins. It’s also a complete protein, so it can help add more protein to your dog’s daily diet.
When it comes to the specific B vitamins that nutritional yeast contains and their effects, vitamin B1 can aid with metabolism issues, vitamin B9 can help with mental agility, and vitamin B2 works on the immune system. It also contains glutathione and selenomethionine, two antioxidants that can help with inflammation.
You can also use a little nutritional yeast to help improve the taste of your dog’s current dog food. This is due to the glutamic acid contained in nutritional yeast.
How can I safely give my dog nutritional yeast?
While nutritional yeast is widely available at health food stores and many supermarkets, you should select a brand that your veterinarian recommends.
The same thinking applies to the amount of nutritional yeast that you should serve your dog. Half a teaspoon can be enough to start with, but consult with your vet, and take into account the dietary needs and size of your dog.
Finally, it’s worth noting that while uncooked yeast can be very dangerous for dogs, especially if they eat some dough that’s been left out to rise, nutritional yeast is not toxic.
