anyone give "brewer's yeast" supplements to their cats?

[diane jean]

Dough yeast and brewers yeast are not the same thing. Brewers yeast is non-living dried yeast from brewing beer. It is very healthy for pets and my Holistic Vet has prescribed it for my dog.

 

[bugsybaby]

I gave my cat Flea Away which is mostly brewers yeast and he has having horrible diarrhea and doesn't want to eat. I'm trying to figure out how to counter the effects of the brewers yeast. Any ideas?

 

[stephanietx]

Take your kitty to the vet and be sure to let the vet know what you've tried.  Kittens with diarrhea are really in danger of becoming dehydrated.

 

[purrsnickety]

Dough yeast and brewers yeast are not the same thing. Brewers yeast is non-living dried yeast from brewing beer. It is very healthy for pets and my Holistic Vet has prescribed it for my dog.

Webmd is the only source I’ve read so far communicating this. My understanding is that Dried Brewer's Yeast is very much a yeast (fungus) and a different strain from Baker's Yeast, also dried when you receive it. Beer is made by activating it, and you can also make beer from another beer. Inactive doesn’t mean non-living—both require sugar and water for the yeast to become activated.

We all have yeast as do our pets, but if by chance there’s an undiagnosed imbalance or disorder going in your system it can cause a real problem. Same with feline demodex cati which causes feline acne or blackheads. All cats have the demodex, but if something is physically wrong complications can cause a skin disease though for the most part this one's treatable. Again, that’s what I’ve taken away from numerous articles I’ve read.

Thought I’d bump this thread since I’ve been reading about this ingredient. I can see why it’s added to so many pet products as it’s high in B-12 and helps repel fleas among other things, but it’s something I’m staying away from for now. I get the impression that not enough research was done before every pet food company began adding it to their food for its benefits.

 

[vince]

Funny this should get mentioned. This discussion proved informative because I had asked on the nutrition forum about whether Marmite (which one of my cats accidentally ate, in a small amount) was harmful or not. The primary ingredient in Marmite is spent brewers yeast, a by-product of beer production.

From the replies there, it seems the yeast in the Marmite isn't a problem. Marmite does contain some potential problematical spices, though.

I haven't noticed any problem with the cats, but the amount they ate was probably small.

 

[purrsnickety]

Funny this should get mentioned. This discussion proved informative because I had asked on the nutrition forum about whether Marmite (which one of my cats accidentally ate, in a small amount) was harmful or not. The primary ingredient in Marmite is spent brewers yeast, a by-product of beer production.

From the replies there, it seems the yeast in the Marmite isn't a problem. Marmite does contain some potential problematical spices, though.

I haven't noticed any problem with the cats, but the amount they ate was probably small.

From one source:
Foods that Contain Yeast Extract | Livestrong.com

“Because yeast extracts contain nitrogen and growth-stimulating compounds, they are used to cultivate microorganisms in foods, in particular dairy cultures. Cheese, including cottage cheese and yogurt, contains yeast extract. The European Association for Specialty Yeast Products reports that yeast extract is widely used both in Europe and the United States to highlight the cheesy notes of dairy products, and although it is an additive, the FDA considers it a natural flavor.”

It’s alive.

I can’t imagine that Brewer's Yeast and yeast extract is used interchangeably on labels. Yeast extract might be processed, but looks like it still grows.

FWIW I haven’t seen anything that says yeast in general has a negative effect on all cats. I really think it depends. My cat's a bit sensitive and had an ongoing allergy which probably weakened his immune system. He'd been ingesting it every day for months.

 

[Ki ki]

Webmd is the only source I’ve read so far communicating this. My understanding is that Dried Brewer's Yeast is very much a yeast (fungus) and a different strain from Baker's Yeast, also dried when you receive it. Beer is made by activating it, and you can also make beer from another beer. Inactive doesn’t mean non-living—both require sugar and water for the yeast to become activated.

We all have yeast as do our pets, but if by chance there’s an undiagnosed imbalance or disorder going in your system it can cause a real problem. Same with feline demodex cati which causes feline acne or blackheads. All cats have the demodex, but if something is physically wrong complications can cause a skin disease though for the most part this one's treatable. Again, that’s what I’ve taken away from numerous articles I’ve read.

Thought I’d bump this thread since I’ve been reading about this ingredient. I can see why it’s added to so many pet products as it’s high in B-12 and helps repel fleas among other things, but it’s something I’m staying away from for now. I get the impression that not enough research was done before every pet food company began adding it to their food for its benefits.[

 

[Ki ki]

No b12 in brewers yeast. b1,2,3,5,6,7 and 9 but not 12. You can find B12 in nutritional yeast which has been fortified. Different yeast. And yes baking yeast rises as it created carbon dioxide. Brewers yeast does not, it filters. Totally different strains, that do totally different things, so yeah their application is totally different. They are not the same, nor should it be assumed that you can substitute one for the other and get the same results. They are Similar in some ways but drastically different in others. It’s like trying to substitute Oregano for marijuana or an uber driver for an airplane pilot. “damn-it, Jim! I’m a doctor, not a dill hole” .....seriously though, B 12 deficiency is no joke, it’s hard to obtain enough especially for vegetarians/vegans. So Even though Brewers yeast is awsome , and it has lots of B vitamins, it does not contain B 12. Your going to have to supplement this for this elsewhere.