No stupid questions, right? Can dogs drink milk?

[Jennifer Carr]

When I have a glass of 1% milk, my dog is very interested in having some herself. On a couple of occasions I've put some in a bowl and she laps it up.

Any negative consequences in doing that healthwise? It's low fat....

[Rowena Fry]

The only problem I can see would be if she were lactose intolerant, in which case it would make her sick. But since she doesn't seem to be getting sick from it, it should be okay.

I would wait til I hear from someone with more experience in dog nutrition to reply just in case though, cos I'm in NO WAY an expert!

Take care!

[Maria Juliano]

When I have a glass of 1% milk, my dog is very interested in having some herself. On a couple of occasions I've put some in a bowl and she laps it up.

Any negative consequences in doing that healthwise? It's low fat....

A little milk once in a while is okay, but it could lead to diarrhea...here is an explanation:Feeding Dogs & Cats Milk
Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith, Inc.


Q.Should I feed my pet milk?
A.http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20000619180022/www.peteducation.com/images/articles/7436cat_drinking.jpg Dogs and cats do not have the proper enzymes (http://javascript<img%20src=&quot;images/smilies/icon_razz.gif&quot;%20bor der=&quot;0&quot;%20alt=&quot;&quot;%20t itle=&quot;Razz&quot;%20smilie id=&quot;5&quot;%20class=&quot;inli neimg&quot;%20/>opupWin1('/dictionary_term.cfm? term=enzyme&cls=1', 50, 50, 350, 300)) to properly break down the sugar in milk which is called 'lactose.' You may have heard of people who are lactose-intolerant. They are also missing these digestive enzymes. If the proper enzymes are not present, the lactose remains undigested and tends to ferment in the intestine and cause diarrhea. Some pets can tolerate a little milk, others, none at all. If your pet enjoys and appears to tolerate milk, you can give your pet small amounts. Better yet, give your pet one of the special cat or dog milks on the market that have had the lactose removed.

Hope this helps.

[Missy Stewart]

I really would not reccomend it for several reasons. One is that many dogs cannot tolerate dairy which could lead to an allergic reaction (exsessive biting and itching). Another reason is that milk, and products made from milk, contain foreign hormones and sugar (as well as lactose). A lot of dogs are not equipped with the lactose enzyme which is needed to digest it. Milk is also mucus-forming.. which could cause some discomfort.

I suppose if you wanted to give your dog a lick of it every once in a while... but as a whole, I would not use it regularly.

Is there a certain objective that you are trying to reach by using milk?? Just curious? Perhaps there is something that would work better.

[Peggy Jensen]

I have heard of a lot of people giving their dog yogurt, and I have seen some dog foods that list cottage cheese as an ingredient, do they not have lactose? Also there are recipes out there for frozen dog treats using plain yogurt, so I am confused. Anybody have experience with yogurt?

[Missy Stewart]

I tried using plain yogurt with Sonny to get him to take a powdered supplement for a while. But he ended up with a hot, red belly and several weeks worth of itching and biting at himself. Once I discontinued it, the problems disapeared. I have heard of people though that use it with success, so it really just depends on your dog ;)

[Jennifer Carr]

Thanks all so far for input....

There is no reason for giving her milk, it just seems unusal that when I reach for it or drink a glass she is there waiting and did lick my glass the first time - as I was drinking it. IT's only been twice where I've given her a little in a bowl - last time was last night which sparked the question.

She doesn't need milk, I'm not looking to supplement anything...so it's not an issue to stop. (there goes that Got Milk ad she was tryng out for - kidding!)

But good points - I have also heard of yogurt used for dogs, and cottage cheese. I think it was used to mix in the kibble to make it more enticing.

Oh, then there is giving cheese as training rewards of course.

[Susan Baxter]

Jennifer, I know what you mean about your dog waiting near you for a sip of your milk. Ours wants a sip of EVERYTHING. We've caught her licking the inside of our empty coffee cups if we leave them on the low table and we've caught her standing on the arm of the couch with her tongue in the neck of my husband's empty beer bottle. (It would have been an adorable photo. Thank goodness it was empty!!)

We learned very quickly that when we finish our beverages the empties go in the dishwasher or in the recycle container, not on the coffee table.

Coffee and beer, who knew dogs had such tastes. :-)

[Maria Juliano]

I have heard of a lot of people giving their dog yogurt, and I have seen some dog foods that list cottage cheese as an ingredient, do they not have lactose? Also there are recipes out there for frozen dog treats using plain yogurt, so I am confused. Anybody have experience with yogurt?

I give my shih tzus a bit of plain, low fat yogurt everyday mixed with their kibble. They seem to like, no gas and their stools are firm.

[Valerie K]

Most people who are lactose intolerant can eat yogurt and it has probiotics which are good for digestion. So most dogs should do okay with plain yogurt. I supplement with probiotic powder as my girls have such fussy tummies that it isn't worth it to try the yogurt. I know that some dogs do cottage cheese just fine, (it is often recommended to add to stuffed kongs and freeze) but most shih tzu and other sensitive digestive types don't.

[Valerie K]

By the way, our dogs have NEVER had a bite of anything we were eating, never a table scrap, never treated at the time we eat. And still, EVERY time we get something to eat, they sit there and stare like it is a real possibility that this time it will finally be for puppies.... ;)

[Rebekah Hartman]

We had family in town last month and when the dog was whining downstairs at night (which we ignore so as not to reinforce), my brother-in-law took it upon himself to take the dog outside and then give him a big bowl of milk to settle him down. I wasn't thrilled, but what can you do? It's also nice to have family that takes an interest in our dog.

The next day? Diarrhea. The only change in diet was the milk and the family had been there for several days, so it wasn't schedule/excitement related.

On the other hand, we give him plain yogurt and it does not affect him. I know that humans that are lactose-intolerant don't normally have problems with yogurt because of the way it is made (I guess it has very little lactose and maybe the active cultures help break down what is there). He loves cottage cheese, too. Funny thing - if I offer a Kong with canned food (meat) or with yogurt inside, he picks yogurt. Weird.

[Chris Smith]

Nalu gets lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese and yogurt fairly often. I put about a tablespoon into his kibble in his bowl or his kongs several times a week. It doesn't seem to bother his stomach or poop.

[Andre Mendizabal]

I think it depends on each dog... Nala gets around 1/4 cup of low fat milk in seldom occasions, just as a really really special treat and she doesn't seem to have a problem with it. She also gets plain yogurt (not the flavored ones) more often, she also gets around 1/4 cup of it... she doesn't seem to be intolerant of lactose and it hasn't developed into rashes or allergies... Molly likes them too and she gets some like Nala but in fewer amounts since she's around half the size of Nala.

My dogs are on a 1/2 raw food 1/2 kibble diet and they do great... they eat different kind of dairy (not too often) and they seem to be fine. My vet told me that as long as I don't over do it, it should be fine, specially knowing that they are not lactose intolerant or allergic.

Good luck

[Grace Erick]

Capri gets a little cottage cheese, because it's in her canned Innova dog food. She loves that stuff.

Why is everyone giving their dogs cottage cheese and yogurt? I know some people do it to make their hard food more palatable, but does it have anything to do with helping the vitamins in their food be absorbed better? I know there was something that's in food that does that. I see in hard food something that is milk, but has the lactose taken out of it and thought that was what helped in vitamin absorption.

Bye, Grace

[Jo Russell]

Here's an excerpt from this page, http://www.thedogscene.co.u k/articles/nutrition/fresh1.htm , a short guide to raw feeding which contains some good basic information. I've linked to it just so folks can read for themselves, not as an endorsement of every word on the page. :)


"Cottage cheese is another good food for sick dogs, as well as healthy ones of course! But it is particularly high in proteins which aid healing of wounds and help to build up muscle. However, it should not be fed in large amounts to a dog which has heart problems as it is moderately high in sodium.

Plain bio (live) yoghurt is excellent because of the presence of living culture. Yoghurt helps to keep the dog's bowels healthy and to normalise the bacteria there. When a dog is put onto antibiotics, it should also be given yoghurt. Antibiotics kill all bacteria - good and bad, feeding live yoghurt helps keep the good bacteria."