Yucca Schidigera in Dog Food

[Athebeau]

This may be a very lame post
I noticed the other day browsing through the local pet store (I like to compare dog food prices to make sure I am the lowest... ). I picked up a few bags of food to read ingredients, it seems there are a lot of foods using Yucca Schidigera in the dog food and promoting the wonderful fact that this will reduce the smell of unpleasant odors in urine and feces. This of course is a big marketing scheme. Who wouldn't want less smelly by-products.

The reason yucca is good at eliminating odor of waste is due to the fact it inhibits the production of urease, and as a result, fecal and urine odors are reduced by up to 56% in dogs and 49% in cats. Ureaseis a natural by product of a natural metabolic process, and experts (in the holistic field) can only speculate about the long term results of our interference. People who accept this concept without question simply don't realize (or don't care) that poor-quality proteins produce excess urea and larger, more offensive stools. If an animal is fed a balanced natural diet, excess fecal and urine odor shouldn't occur. Although safe in moderation, no one knows the long term effects.

Herbs for Pets - Wulff-Tilford

In high quality foods you won't find Yucca listed as an ingredient.

I just thought I'd share this with every one. I have been using Yucca on/off for the past 5 years as an anti-inflammatory for my dogs. I did research after using for a couple of years and learned at that time the unknown danger of using long term. When I first started using Yucca I just took the advise of others and never researched it properly.

I now use it for about 3-4 months at a time 4 days on 3 days off, then I move to another natural anti-inflammatory (turmeric, alfalfa,Bosweilla etc.).

For this reason, I thought I would just mention this, and perhaps I am way off base, but, through my studies on Yucca it is never good to feed long term even in a pet food...if it has enough to stop the production of Urease, then it could possibly have some effect on your pet.

The main reason I bring this up is due to the fact when I first started using Yucca on my Rottweiler only. I used daily for about 1 year, she was doing fantastic on it, no more limping etc. (she has Hip Dysplasia). When I found out about unknown long term effects I started using occasionally. I often wonder now, if the daily use of Yucca for that 1 year weakened Athena's digestive system and perhaps the reason she is now susceptible to bloating. She had never had any gas problems, diarrhea etc. until I had been using the Yucca long term. I never connected it before. Then after reading this, I now wonder if I inadvertely harmed her digestive system and natural functions thus making her prone to bloating.

I will never know if this recent bloating was actually brought on by long term Yucca use, or stress of moving to a new house, or age related. But, just in case...perhaps my experience can help another. It's no problem feeding dog foods short term with Yucca in them...just be careful of long term feeding.

 

[Mordy]

while it is correct that yucca is a quite powerful urease inhibitor, i don't agree with the claim that any food that includes it is automatically not a good quality product.

one fact you need to know is that urease is not an enzyme that's directly produced by the dog's body for a particular purpose. it's produced by microbes, which then use it to break down urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. this process isn't anything the dog's body benefits from, on the contrary, sometimes it's problematic since it can cause UTIs for example.

the amount used also plays a large role, and generally it's a level of about 0.2% of a dried powder or so in good quality foods. in studies i've read on side effects, the percentage used was around 15% of the diet as fresh yucca root.

i agree that when giving herbs for a particular condition, they shouldn't be given long term without giving the body a rest (e.g. 5 days on/2 days off), but that's mainly due to the body getting used to the stimulant action, which defeats the purpose.

 

[Athebeau]

Thanks Mordy,
I was just being paranoid again that I somehow due to lack of knowledge at the time I ruined my dogs digestive system and made her prone to bloat.

I guess her bloating must be brought on by stress and chicken. I always think that somehow I managed to over do something that caused this problem

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I am forever the alarmist, and in some books they are really not "clear"...just

"Although safe in moderation, no one knows the long term effects. "

. That comment put me in panic mode.

Athena is doing better now that she is on a raw food diet in the evening. She is getting beef Nature's Variety in the AM. I no longer put her out in the kennel during the day...since doing this she has only bloated once and that was because I mistakenly fed her Beau/Dilon & Tori's chicken Nature's Variety. Funny how sensitive she is to chicken/turkey kibbles But, she can eat turkey necks, raw chicken, raw chicken skins, cooked chicken left overs....strange.

 

[Mordy]

bloat/GDV is still one of the things where people can't make a clear statement on what exactly it is caused by.

personally i believe that food intolerances and stress are definitely factors, but i've also heard from a number of breeders that genetics play a large role as well, e.g. some bloodlines of otherwise bloat-prone breeds don't have much or any occurrence at all.

as for processed vs. fresh types of meats, from my experience it's pretty common that dogs can't tolerate a certain variety of kibble but have no problems eating the same ingredients raw or freshly cooked. no matter how good the kibble, you just don't have much control over what goes into your dog.

 

[Athebeau]

Thank you Mordy,
I realize genetics has a lot to do with bloat. My Vet said with Athena's body type she shouldn't torsion unless she bloats too many times. It's quite scary, for her it seems to be excess gas she just can't get rid of.

I have even tried to burp her (this works on Tori ). I think with her it's stress + food intolerance. I was just really upset when I read this info about Yucca, thinking I "caused" the problem by weakening her digestive system.

 

[Mordy]

i assume you are using simethicone as well?

 

[Athebeau]

I never even heard of simethicone

When I see Athena starting to show signs of bloating (distended belly, drooling etc.) I immediately give her 5 of the Nux Vomica crystals. Within 5 minutes the bloating goes down, drooling stops etc. I am very pleased with the effects of Nux Vomica. The best thing is I can buy a package of it at the natural food section for only $5.99 for a lot of crystals. One package should last me a year.

My Sister has emergency training in treating a dog that torsions. She has the tube and knows how to use it...haha. She also learned how and where to make a hole in the belly if it's gone past emergency status. I'm very glad I live with her

Before she started grooming she worked as a lifeguard and had her Royal lifesaving certificate and participated in Royal lifesaving competitions throughout Canada. So, I feel confident she can keep her head in an emergency.

 

[Mordy]

looks like you are in good hands there then!

simethicone is the drug sold under the name gas-ex, phazyme and a few others. it's a gas-relieving product that acts on the surface of gas bubbles, breaking the tension and making it easier for the accumulated gas to "escape".

it's a harmless product without any serious side effects.

 

[Athebeau]

Thank you Mordy. I will speak to my Vet and keep it on hand...you never know the day the Nux Vomica may not work

It's always good to keep these on hand in case of an emergency...having bloat prone breeds.