Milk is a very common ingredient that is found in most homes across the world. We use it daily for drinking, cereal, and even in our coffee, but can dogs drink milk? Can we share this delicious drink with our furry best friend, we are going to find out the answer to that question today in this article.
Can Dogs Drink Milk?
The most common milk consumed in the world is milk that comes from a cow. So, naturally, that is the milk you will most likely have inside your refrigerator. Some dogs beg for anything they see their owner consuming, so you may want to let your dog try some of your milk. Well, is it safe?
Yes, cows’ milk is fine for a dog to consume as long as it is not in huge amounts. Just like human’s dogs can also have an intolerance to the lactose sugar that is found inside milk. Cats can also develop this as well.
Your dog or cat could have an allergy to lactose, so you may have to switch the type of milk you are giving your dog or just don’t give your dog milk at all at that point since they don’t really need it. You may be wondering how do you identify a lactose allergy? Let’s discuss it below.
How to Tell if Your Dog Has a Milk Allergy
There is a difference between a food intolerance and an allergy. If your dog has an intolerance to milk, it usually means that your dog will have a gastrointestinal problem. This will usually upset your dog’s stomach or cause them to have diarrhea.
An allergy can affect the entire body from a reaction to drinking the milk. This can affect the dog’s skin, making it itchy, red, or even making the skin break out in a rash. If your dog seems very out of sorts, you can consult a veterinarian to see if it is an actual allergy or intolerance.
How Good is Milk for Your Dog?
Milk has some great vitamins and nutrients that our bodies as humans need. Your dog could get a good source of calcium, vitamin D, and Vitamin B12 from drinking milk, but they can still get this from their regular high-quality dog food.
Now your dog can have some milk as a nice little treat with you. Just give it to your dog once in a while, not all time. The fat content in milk is quite a lot, which can lead to obesity in dogs. So just make sure you don’t give your dog to much.
Can Dogs Drink Goat Milk?
Now that we have thoroughly talked about giving your dog regular milk, let’s dive into the question if dogs can drink goat milk. Goat milk is a great alternative for many people who have an intolerance or allergy to cow’s milk.
Goats milk when it is compared to regular cow’s milk actually has more calcium in the milk. It doesn’t have as much vitamin B12 as cow’s milk, but it does have less lactose, which is good for people and dogs that can’t have very much lactose.
Dogs that do have allergic reactions typically have less when drinking goat’s milk. It also doesn’t have as much fat content, so it can be easier for your dog to digest.
So, can dogs have goat’s milk? The answer is yes; just still keep this as a treat, not a daily thing. If your dog does have a severe issue make sure you consult your veterinarian.
Can Dogs Have Soy Milk?
Soy milk is an alternative to milk from an animal. Soy is produced from a plant, and it can be used to make a variety of products, one of them being soy milk. Soy does contain a lot of protein and also a protein called phytoestrogens, which is essentially estrogen, which is found in the female hormones.
This is not completely safe for a dog to consume in large quantities. If you would like to share some soy milk with your dog, do it in small quantities.
It is rumored to have benefits to help your dog with urinating issues. Sometimes veterinarians prescribe a soy medicine to help dogs that have trouble urinating, so this could be a solution to an answer you have been searching for.
Can Dogs Have Almond Milk?
As you know, almond milk is made from the nut almond. Some nuts are actually extremely toxic to dogs. The almond is not harmful as other nuts are to dogs, but they can be much harder on the dog’s stomach to digest properly.
Almonds are quite high in fat content, so again to many almonds or to much almond milk can cause obesity issues. You will also want to stay away from the sweetened almond milk. Now, this is fine for humans to consume, but dogs should not consume the sweetener xylitol.
If you do want to share some almond milk with your dog, just give your dog a spoonful or two, not a bowl because they will be way too much, and surely it will upset your dog’s stomach.
What Happens If Your Dog Gets into the Milk?
If your dog gets into a whole gallon of milk or just an abundance of milk, it can be very dangerous. Dogs can only disgust a low amount of lactose, so if they drink to much milk, it can have serious repercussions. Some more serious symptoms of your dog consuming too much lactose are:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Itchy Skin
- Infection
- Upset Stomach
Conclusion
So, can dogs drink milk? The answer is yes in moderation. Please do not give your dog to much because it can have serious consequences to their stomach and other parts of their body. Dogs can only consume a certain amount of lactose from milk. So make sure if you want to share with your dog, do it responsibly and only share a little bit.