In this article…
- History;
- Lactose Tolerance in Dogs and Cats v.s Lactose Intolerance;
- Worried About Your Dog or Cat Gaining Weight?
- Plain Natural Yogurt and Kefir;
- Health Benefits;
- How to Choose a Good Product
- Cheese;
- Health Benefits;
- How to Choose a Good Product
- DIY Treats;
- FAQ
Some organizations and companion pet owners/ guardians are quite adamant that dairy can never be anything but detrimental to a dog’s and cat’s health. But is the outright condemnation of dairy as part of a dog’s or cat’s diet right or wrong? In my opinion they are wrong...
History
A Glimpse Back in Time
Dairy products have been fed to dogs and cats for many centuries. Kefir is one good example…
2000 years ago, the shepherds of the Caucasian Mountainsdeveloped Kefir, a fermented dairy product made from the milk of cows or goats. The dogs that accompanied the shepherds of the Caucasus Mountains where fed fresh kefir as part of their daily diet.
Prior to the mass popularization of commercially manufactured grain-based dog and cat food (during and prior to the 1950’s), people fed their companion animals real food, ‘people food’, including dairy products. At that time dogs lived twice the life-span that they do today.
Lactose Tolerance, Lactose Intolerance
Dairy products are not tolerated well by all pets as some dogs and cats are lactose intolerant;
However the majority of dogs and cats do not have an adverse reaction to all dairy products.
My ten dogs eat the following dairy products as part of their daily diet…
- Cheese;
- Cottage Cheese;
- Yogurt or Kefir
My dogs have never had diarrhea or other digestive upset as a result of eating cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt or kefir.
When I was fostering dogs, my foster dogs also had zero adverse reactions to these food items.
My client’s dogs do not have adverse reactions to these foods.
My two catseat a little cottage cheese on a daily basis. Sometimes they also eat a piece of cheddar cheese. My cats have never been ill as a result of eating these dairy products.
Best Dairy Foods for Lactose Tolerant Dogs and Cats
For those dogs and cats that are not lactose intolerant, plain all natural Yogurt, Kefir and certain types of real cheese (as opposed to cheese food, i.e. processed cheese slices, cheese whiz, etc.) can offer many health benefits when provided in proper amounts on a daily basis.
The Best Dairy Foods for Lactose Intolerant Dogs, Cats
Many dogs and cats that are lactose intolerant can eat cheese as most of the lactose is removed during the process of making cheese.
Worried About Weight Gain?
Including reasonable daily amounts of cheese in your dog’s or cat’s daily diet will not cause weight gain nor heart problems.
Recent studies have confirmed that good saturated fat is not associated with obesity and heart disease and is instead associated with improved heart health. A species appropriate diet for dogs should include about 30% good quality fat in a ratio of 2 parts Omega-3 fatty acids to 1 part Omega-6 fatty acids.
The beneficial qualities of dairy products exponentially increases if the dairy is from organic pasture fed animals. Pasture fed dairy provides:
- Omega-3 fatty acids in a balanced ratio, and;
- Does not contain the toxins (i.e. antibiotics and steroids, pesticide residue from eating GMO corn, etc,) found in dairy obtained from concentrated animal feeding operations – CAFOraised animals.
Plain, Natural Yogurt and Kefir…
Health Benefits
- A very good source of probiotics;
- An excellent source of calcium, iodine and vitamin D;
- An aid infighting periodontal disease;
- Can help protect your dog from illness when your dog or cat is on a course of antibiotics;
- Antibiotics kill both the good and bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (GI Tract), leaving the immune system suppressed. Probiotics re-populate the god bacteria;
- Recent findings by researchers at UCLA have confirmed that the presence of good bacteria in the GI Tract are important for proper brain function. UCLA decided to test this theory on humans as previous research on non-human animals had shown linked changes in gut flora to changes in affective behaviours. You can read about the study here.
- Good source heart healthy omega fatty-acids;
- Helps prevent parasite infestation and related diseases;
- Typically one tablespoon of kefir contains 5 billion beneficial bacteria. As a rich and concentrated source of beneficial bacteria the probiotics found in Kefir contribute to health in a wide variety of ways:
- Contains a substantial amount of B Complex vitamins, Calcium, vitamin A, Vitamin D, magnesium, phosphorus;
- Contains tryptophan, and essential amino acid;
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