Can dogs eat cheese

Can Dogs Eat Cheese?

NOTE: Always check with your veterinarian before giving your dog any new foods, especially people foods. What might be okay for one dog might not be good for yours, depending on multiple factors such as their age, health history, health conditions, and diet. Dogs on prescription diets should not be fed any food or treats outside their diet.

Have you ever seen someone use cheese as a treat or training tool for a dog? Dont worrycheese is not toxic and is completely fine for most pups. However, some dogs can be lactose intolerant, meaning their body does not react well to dairy products.

But even if your dog isnt lactose intolerant, its still a good idea to keep their cheese consumption to a minimum. Heres everything you need to know if you let your dog eat cheese.

Is Cheese Bad for Dogs?

Again, cheese isnt toxic to dogs, and for some pups its completely fine. But dogs can be lactose-intolerant, causing flatulence, discomfort, diarrhea, or vomiting. So if youre giving cheese or any other dairy product, including milk, to your dog for the first time, give them a small amount to see how their body reacts.

In addition to concerns with lactose intolerance, cheese has high amounts of saturated fats and salt. Eating a treat like this repeatedly over an extended time can cause health issues for your dog, such as obesity. Some dogs can even develop pancreatitis the first time they eat cheese if theyre sensitive to fat.

Puppies generally have more sensitive stomachs than adult dogs. So even small amounts of cheese can trigger vomiting and diarrhea in younger dogs.

The type of cheese also plays a big role in whether cheese is OK for dogs. In general, pet parents should choose a cheese thats low in fat, sodium, and calories, and always pay attention to any added ingredients that can be dangerous to Fido.

Better-for-Dogs Cheeses

• Cottage cheese

• Swiss

• Parmesan

• Cheddar

• Mozzarella

OK Cheeses

Not-So-Great Cheeses

Can Dogs Eat Cottage Cheese?

Cottage cheese is one of the better cheeses to feed your pup because of its low-fat content, its low calorie content, and a lactose content thats lower than many other cheeses. Its also a great source of calcium and protein. And if you buy a low-fat, no-added-sodium cottage cheese, it usually only has about 29 mg of sodium per cupwhich is much lower than most other cheeses.

Can Dogs Eat Cream Cheese?

Cream cheese has a pretty low lactose content, which is helpful for dogs with lactose intolerances or sensitivities. It also has a lower sodium content than other cheeses. But its still high in fat and often contains certain additives that are toxic to dogs, like chocolate, nutmeg, xylitol, garlic, and onion.Overall, its best to avoid feeding your dog fatty cream cheese.

Can Dogs Eat Mac and Cheese?

In addition to the potential for lactose intolerance, feeding your dog mac and cheese isnt a healthy choice because of the high fat content, very high sodium content, all the preservatives, and the fact that boxed mac and cheese is highly processed. And while plain pasta fed occasionally in small amounts is OK for your dog, too much may upset their stomach.

Plus, whether youre making it from a box or from scratch, there are often other toxic ingredients in mac and cheeselike garlic and onion.

Can Dogs Eat String Cheese?

String cheeses are typically lower in lactose and sodium than other forms of cheesebut this depends on the type of string cheese and brand that you purchase. In fact, skim mozzarella string cheese has one of the lowest amounts of lactose found in cheese. However, the stringiness of the string cheese can be difficult for your pup to swallow, and it can become a choking hazard or cause an intestinal blockage.

Can Dogs Eat Cheese Puffs or Cheese Balls?

Although eating just a couple of cheese puffs or cheese balls isnt toxic for your dog, its not healthy either. These types of foods are filled with lactose, preservatives, fat, and lots of sodium.

How to Safely Feed Cheese to Your Dog

Its always a good idea to discuss your dogs diet and nutrition with your veterinarian. Certain foods may be better or worse for your dog, depending on their individual health, weight, and whether they are lactose intolerant.

If you choose to use cheese as a special treat for training purposes, or to hide your dogs pills, keep the portions small and infrequent. Treats of any kind should only make up 10% of your dogs diet. The other 90% should come from a well-balanced dog food. And remember: Always choose a low-fat, low-sodium, and preferably low-lactose cheese.

The amount of cheese a dog can typically handle is based on their size. Check out the general portion sizes for each breed size listed below.

• Extra-small dog (2-20 pounds): one or two pieces (-inch wide by -inch thick)

• Small dog (21-30 pounds): two to three pieces (1 inch wide by -inch thick)

• Medium dog (31-50 pounds): five to six pieces (1 inch wide by -inch thick)

• Large or extra-large dog (51+ pounds): five to six pieces (1 inch wide by -inch thick)

Featured Image: iStock/Maryviolet

Can dogs eat cheese?

How is cheese made?

Knowing how cheese is made will help us understand if giving cheese is safe for dogs, or if it will cause any serious gastrointestinal (GI) problems.

Cheese comes in many types and variants, each with its own distinct texture and flavor, but all undergo the same basic process to become the yellow, flavorful, snack and food ingredient we have all come to love. All cheese products are derived from the milk of different animals such as cows, goats, sheep, or buffalo. In certain types of cheese, more than one type of milk is used to create a distinct flavor.

Milk is curdled on purpose to make cheese. It is initially poured into a vat and a bacterial culture is added to convert the lactose in the milk into lactic acid, making it more acidic. An enzyme called rennet is then added to the milk to curdle. The curds are then processed, and the whey is drained, salted, and shaped to produce the final cheese product. Variations of this step happen in different types of cheese, but pretty much all of them go through this basic process.

Is cheese safe for dogs to eat?

In general, yes, most cheese and cheese products are safe to give to dogs. In controlled amounts, cheese is well-tolerated and easily digested by most canines. But not all cheese is safe for dogs, and not all dogs can tolerate eating cheese without showing signs of illness.

While most cheeses are safe and do not contain any toxic components, some can cause serious health problems when ingested by dogs. Blue cheese is one of the types of cheeses that should be avoided.

Blue cheese is made by adding a fungal mold called Penicillium into the mix during the cheese-making process. The mold growth creates the distinct smell and flavor blue cheeses are known for. While humans can tolerate the fungal mold in blue cheese, dogs are very sensitive to it. When ingested, blue cheese can cause severe GI and systemic signs in dogs. Initial signs include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weakness. If a dog ingests a large amount of blue cheese, the mold can cause severe infection, resulting in fever and seizures. If your dog accidentally ate a huge chunk of blue cheese and shows the symptoms mentioned above, its best to bring your dog to a vet immediately.

Another concern most dog owners have with cheese is the risk of GI reactions due to its lactose content. Almost all dogs are lactose-intolerant to a certain degree, with individuals more sensitive than others.

As young puppies, their GI system produces an enzyme called lactase that helps digest lactose in their mothers milk. But as they grow older, the enzymes in their digestive system change, and lactase pretty much disappears. This means older dogs have very minimal capacity to digest lactose in milk and are practically lactose intolerant.

Fortunately, concerns for lactose intolerance in cheese are very uncommon, as most cheese products lose their lactose content during the acidifying process. Lactose is transformed into lactic acid during this process, and the longer a cheese is aged, the less lactose it contains. Therefore, adverse reactions to cheese due to lactose intolerance are very uncommon in most dogs and most cheese types.

There are, however, dogs that are highly sensitive to lactose that even a tiny amount can trigger GI signs such as vomiting and diarrhea. There are also types of cheese that contain a higher lactose amount, enough to cause problems to severely lactose intolerant dogs.

Cheese also contains high amounts of fat, which can be a problem if fed to your dog in huge quantities, especially on a regular basis. High-fat food in dogs can cause rapid weight gain and obesity if not controlled properly. Overweight and obese dogs are highly predisposed to developing heart and joint problems.

The high fat content can also trigger pancreatitis, a serious and sometimes fatal health problem in dogs. Pancreatitis is always considered an emergency and is usually characterized by severe abdominal pain, profuse vomiting, and severe weakness.

Safe Ways to Treat Your Dog to Cheese

Most health hazards concerning cheese in dogs are mainly due to ingestion of excessive amounts regularly. The best way to avoid these hazards is to give cheese to dogs in small quantities at a controlled frequency. Cheese is a great tool for training and giving small cuts of it as positive reinforcement can help speed up the training of your dog.

Cheese also works best as a way to administer oral medications in dogs. Hiding tablets and capsules in a small chunk of cheese will make giving oral medications at home significantly easier. However, antibiotics should never be hidden in cheese as it can bind with the medicine and cause improper absorption.

Are there health benefits to feeding my dog cheese?

In theory, cheese contains great amounts of protein, calcium, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. But these nutrients can also easily be obtained with a regular, well-balanced dog food. Giving huge amounts of cheese for its nutritional content is counterproductive, as it significantly increases the risks of adverse food reactions.

Read more:

Can dogs eat tofu?

Can dogs eat carrots?Can dogs eat almonds and other nuts?

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3 Types Of Cheese To Never, Ever Feed Your Dog

According to theAmerican Kennel Club, "Fatty, rich cheeses, and cheeses that contain herbs or food items harmful to dogs like garlic can cause intestinal upset. In keeping with the AKCs advice, there areseveral types youll want to stay away from, mostly to avoid excessive weight gain and gastrointestinal upset. Here are a few cheeses to avoid.

Blue cheese, Roquefort, and other French cheeses DogPack advises that dog owners skip these cheeses not only because of their high fat content but also because When blue cheese starts to get super-ripe, it can produceroquefortine, a potentially lethal toxin for dogs to consume. In addition, these cheeses tend to be among the highest in sodium.

Cheese with herbs, garlic, or other flavorings Many types of cheese, such as Havarti, or even cream cheese, contain herbs or garlic to enhance the flavor. Keep these out of your dogs reach since some of their additives can be dangerous garlicand onionsare both toxic for dogs.

Brie, goat cheese, and feta cheese Its best to avoid these, even though they taste delicious for us. They also contain some of the highest saturated fat levels of any cheese. Excessive amounts of fat in a dogs diet can lead to pancreatitis, a serious and often life-threatening condition in dogs.