Showing posts with label milk for dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label milk for dogs. Show all posts

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Dog Blogger Wannabe: can my dog eat bread and cheese?

Everytime I am infront of my laptop during the wee hours I am never alone. Kabang, my nine year old dog is just beside me, making sure I am safe while everyone is asleep. He is wide awake maybe because he wants to learn the art of blogging, too; but on second thought, I think the real reason is --he wants to share my midnight snack!

Kabang, the dog blogger wannabe.
My dog begging for milk.
Aside from milk, he gets the last bite of my sandwich,
whole wheat bread with cheese .
Many of us think that milk (cow's milk) is best for dogs, but we are wrong. As an occasional treat milk is okay, but in larger amounts --according to experts-- milk can cause digestive upset and sometimes diarrhea for some dogs. Though of course some dogs can clear out a bowl of milk with no digestive issues, and fortunately, Kabang and most of my dogs can tolerate occasional dairy in small amounts.

Why milk may not be recommended for dogs? According to ASPCA expert (www.aspca.org), "pets lack significant amounts of lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose in dairy products. As a result, some may have difficulty with digestion and end up with stomach upset. Cheese, however, has less lactose than milk and some other dairy products, so it’s less likely to cause problems."

Great, cheese is safe! Though it doesn't mean that if cheese is okay we feed our dogs with lots of it. Remember that too much cheese can constipate them.

How about bread, is it recommended for dogs?According to dog nutrition experts bread is a healthy snack if it is whole wheat bread. Yes, just like vegan's choice of bread. :)

We all want our four-pawed friends live full, healthy lives that's why I want to make sure my pets get the right treats that they also want, besides commercial dogtreats aren't always appealing to them.

This commercial dog treat isn't appealing to Kabang if
he sees me eating more flavorsome snacks.
He sleeps after sharing my snacks.