The big insecurity about cats to their owners are “Is Nutritional Yeast Safe for Cats?“. Cats are one of the most commonly owned pets in the animal kingdom. They’re inexpensive, hygienic, and loyal. These qualities make them a suitable candidate for being a pet. They also have a reasonably easily accessible diet. However, its longevity and health need to know what food a cat can or can’t eat. In this article we’ll discuss whether Nutritional Yeast is safe for cats and in what dosages.
What is Yeast?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or yeast, is a single-cell organism that requires a moist and warm environment. It also needs food to survive and thrive. Using fermentation, food is converted into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Carbon dioxide is responsible for making baked goods.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast is a healthy and inactive yeast containing protein, B vitamins, and other minerals. It may reduce cholesterol and help reduce blood sugar. This in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Nutritional yeast is often used to make vegan foods. It can be used as a substitution for cheese due to its yellow color and savory yet mildly bitter taste.
Is Nutritional Yeast Dangerous to Cats?
Nutritional yeast is safe for cats to consume as it’s not a leavening agent. In nutritional yeast, the active cells responsible for fermentation are killed. This makes it safer for feline consumption. It won’t be able to rise in a cat’s stomach and can’t produce alcohol as well. Although baker yeast is created from the same species of nutritional yeast, it behaves completely differently. This yeast still has active cells that cause fermentation. It can rise in your cat’s stomach which can cause severe bloating and health issues. In some cases, it can even be fatal. The fermentation process creates alcohol as a byproduct. This alcohol can cause alcohol toxicity and poisoning.
Benefits of Nutritional Yeast for Cats
Nutritional yeast provides cats with additional proteins and B vitamins. Vitamin B is responsible for maintaining red blood cells in cats. It also helps improve their nervous system. Certain vitamins such as Vitamin B12 come from a cat’s diet. It can’t be synthesized by their body itself. It’s important to note that cats are carnivores and require meat for consumption. Meat has certain proteins and amino acids such as taurine. Taurine helps improve vision, digestion, and heart muscle functions.
Should You Give Nutritional Yeast to Your Cat?
It depends on the diet your cat currently has. You should consult your vet before offering your cat yeast. Your vet can suggest the recommended amount of yeast suitable for your cat’s health. This is to avoid any health problems that can be caused by the consumption of yeast. It’s vital to understand that giving your cat a high dosage of yeast can cause severe health risks. One of the risks includes high dosages of phosphorus. Despite phosphorus being an important mineral, a high dosage can cause kidney disease, and urinary stones and can even deplete your cat’s calcium supply. Always remember to check in with your vet before feeding any additional supplements to your cat like yeast.
Pet care time suggestion
Supplementation with nutritional yeast is possible for cats and appropriate sparing of this product in combination with consulting a veterinarian. It provides beneficial nutrients such as protein and B vitamins that may benefit your cat’s general health. However, it is often a problem when people consume too much of the product or use it inappropriately, there may be problems with phosphorus.
Hence, always take your cat to a vet first before you try to feed him/her or give any new food or supplement to eat. The right feeding regime means that your pet should always eat good meals that will help her or him to live long.
