Nutritional yeast

[Kristin]

Hello everyone, firstly I would like to thank everyone for wishing my hubby and I the best in our new home and secondly would like to say I should be back to posting regularly - yay!!

Anywho, I decided to spend some time looking for the dietary needs for hamsters as I really want to provide them with a great source of nutrition and variety in their foods. Well I came across this site called Hamsterific and was wondering whether anyone had seen it before. If you type it into google it should come up straight away

Well I was reading through their information on the nutritional information for hamsters and noticed that they mentioned yeast quiet a bit. It stated that providing them with Nutritional yeast, which is found in health food stores, it can help relieve stress and is rich in vitamin B. It says if you just sprinkle a pinch of nutritional yeast over their grains once a week can be beneficial.

I know hamsters can gain Vitamin B from meats and wheat but is it essential? Do any of you use yeast for your hamsters?

Ive never heard of it before and was actually very interested in finding out your opinions on this.

Thanks for taking your time to read and answers

xx

[Tammy22]

Hiya,

i am not sure if it is the same thing but i use Debittered Brewers Yeast in my hamster food and also mix in to Porridge and Weetabix when i make it up for them. It gives them (and people!) a better appetite and provides extra vitamins and minerals too.

I know a lot of breeders that use this.

Tammy x

[SnickersTheFirst]

I've only heard of Debittered Brewers Yeast being used but this was in cases of hamsters that were old or had fur loss as it seems to restore fur growth.

[wandofwillow]

There's actually a difference between nutritional yeast and brewer's yeast. Brewers Yeast vs. Nutritional Yeast that link explains a little more. They're the same nutritionally, about, but one is gross. =p I'm a vegan and nutritional yeast is common in recipes I make. It's recommended for vegans because it contains B12 and B6 from a non-animal source (and it has a cheesy flavor). As far as your hamster NEEDING it (the yeast), I think it depends on the dietary breakdown of the rest of his food. but animals need certain minerals and vitamins just like people do.

[Kristin]

Thanks for your replies everyone
Im still looking around at the different types of Hamster food that is available on the market and comparing them to each other. I do like the look of Burgess hamster food but it all depends whether I have to buy online or whether I can purchase in a shop.
Im still pretty keen on the nutritional yeast/brewers yeast but will see how things pan out

[MzWiz0915]

I've been looking for an appropriate source of yeast for my hams to supplement their diets, I read some research that claims it helps regulate their moods and decrease their natural stress response.

[wandofwillow]

Whole Foods sells it. It's in the supplement aisle. A big canister is about $10-12, which sounds like a lot until you realize that a little bit goes a long way. As a human eating it, I haven't even used half in an entire year. xp