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Does Brewer's Yeast Keep Fleas Away?

by Marika

Reader Question
I have a lovely white, tan-eared rescue terrier-chihuahua mix I adopted 2 1/2 years ago. She was pink-skinned and hairless except for a streak of hair down her spine, and she weighed only 5 lbs at 11 months. After discovering that canned and kibbled food gave her bloody diarrhea, I began to make her food myself: mostly meat or fish, with vegetables, a starch, eggs and a little oil and flax. Within days her stools were normal, and a few weeks later she weighed 10 lbs. She now has a full, shiny coat.

When I was a child, my mother gave me brewer's yeast every day, as well as cod liver oil, so I thought they would be good for my dog too. How much yeast would you give a healthy 10 lb, 3-year-old dog, and can I give her raw vinegar? What do you think of cod liver oil and flax?

For the last two years I used a flea prevention product, and as soon as it wore off she needed another dose. This year I didn't start it because she had no fleas. I read online that yeast may prevent fleas. Must be the yeast, you think?


Answer from Our Team

What a transformation, and thank you for sharing it. Unfortunately, the yeast probably isn't the reason your dog has stayed flea-free. Studies have found that neither brewer's yeast nor vitamin B1 stops fleas from feeding on

pets. Flea numbers rise and fall a lot from year to year, depending on the weather, wildlife and other animals nearby, so a quiet flea year is a more likely explanation. Two years of regular flea treatment may also have cleared most fleas from your home and yard, so there were fewer left to come back.

Brewer's yeast made for dogs can usually be given in the right amount, but it commonly causes stomach upset and isn't suitable for dogs with kidney disease, a weak immune system or a yeast allergy, so ask your vet first given her sensitive stomach. Only use products made for dogs, and avoid any that also contain garlic, which can damage a dog's red blood cells. We don't recommend vinegar. It doesn't prevent fleas and can upset the stomach. Please ask your vet how much of any supplement, including cod liver oil and flax, is right for her. Cod liver oil contains vitamins A and D, which can build up if a dog gets too much.

Because she's on a homemade diet, it's worth asking your vet or a board-certified veterinary nutritionist to check her recipe. Homemade diets often look healthy but can be short of minerals such as calcium. Keep an eye out for fleas, especially in warm months, and restart a flea product your vet recommends at the first sign of them.

See home remedies for fleas and fleas on dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.

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