Mary Allen
The cream is just delicious. It is white, sweet, and can often be sprayed. And cream has an almost magical attraction to dogs.
However, the cream is a controversial topic in dog nutrition, as is milk. The reason is the lactose it contains. Cream naturally contains a lot of lactose, just like pure milk.
In addition, the cream has a relatively high-fat content. This also makes them difficult for the dog’s digestive tract to digest. The fat contains many calories.
Therefore, dogs should rather not eat cream. However, whipped cream is not immediately toxic to dogs.
Lactose unnecessary for dogs
Many pets enjoy cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products. Of course, dogs don’t know that many of these products contain a lot of fat and milk sugar lactose.
The cream is the fattiest part of milk. It is divided into:
- Sweet cream: whipped cream, whipped cream, about 30% fat content
- Sour cream or sour cream has less fat, about 10% fat content
100 ml of cream contains about 3.2 grams of lactose. This lactose cannot be processed by every adult dog. This also applies to many people. The reason for this is simple. Biologically, our four-legged friends are not designed to continue consuming milk in adulthood.
If nature has its way, the calculation is simple. Breast milk contributes to the nutrition of the offspring until weaning, and then that’s it.
Milk from other animals is not drunk in the wild. And there are certainly no further processed products such as cream yogurt and blue cheese made.
Lactose intolerance in dogs
Veterinarians assume that about half of all adult dogs cannot digest lactose.
This is especially true for dogs that have been weaned as puppies. If they haven’t eaten dairy since then, they may have stopped producing the enzyme lactase long ago.
So if you are not quite sure whether your dog tolerates the cream offered to him, you should approach it in small quantities.
Does your dog tolerate the cream? And your four-legged friend will not have any complaints such as stomach rumbling, flatulence, or diarrhea the next day either. Then you can increase the amount of cream a little.
Whipped cream doesn’t belong in a dog bowl
So when you hear questions like “can dogs eat cream,” it’s less about permission. Rather, we should ask ourselves the much more important question: Why should my dog eat cream at all?
On paper, the sweet temptation contains important nutrients such as calcium protein, and sodium. And even vitamins A, B12, and D are included.
However, these ingredients are also found in many other dairy products. And they would be far more tolerable for your four-legged friend.
What dairy products can a dog eat?
Do you want your dog to benefit from the positive properties of many dairy products? Then low-fat and low-lactose products such as low-fat quark or cottage cheese would certainly be a better choice.
Are you more interested in rewarding your dog? Then you can put cream in small amounts. Still, you should be wondering if traditional treats or small pieces of meat or cheese wouldn’t be easier to handle.
My dog ate whipped cream
If the dog accidentally ate cream, there is no need to panic. Much more than some diarrhea probably won’t happen.
Only when your dog begins to vomit should you go to the vet. Or if diarrhea doesn’t stop at all and even contains blood. In such a case, it is usually not just the cream that is the trigger for your loved one’s digestive problems.
Dairy products as food?
Over time, people have become creative. They have learned to win the mother’s milk of farm animals for themselves. This has to do with the fact that plant food was often scarce in regions with a temperate climate.
Therefore, our ancestors had to find new ways to utilize the tough winter grass. And to preserve as food.
Because of this, over the millennia, European populations evolved the ability to produce lactase even in adulthood. This is the enzyme that is needed to digest lactose.
It is estimated that around 90% of adult Asians and Africans are lactose intolerant. But that only applies to every tenth European woman.
Conclusion: cream for four-legged friends?
So the answer to the question of whether dogs can eat cream is yes. It depends on:
- If you are sure that the dog tolerates lactose, you can use small amounts of cream as a reward.
- Are you unsure? Or has your dog had frequent stomach and digestive problems in the past, then you should avoid cream.
Even if your four-legged friend tends to be overweight, high-fat products such as cream or cheese should not become a permanent part of the dog’s diet. The high-calorie content of cream could add to the problems at hand.
Remember that dogs are considered carnivores and omnivores. You are not dependent on consuming milk and the products derived from it.
All important proteins are also found in meat. Calcium and necessary vitamins are contained in dairy products. Your dog can eat them just as easily over bones and high-quality food.
Whatever you decide. Whether you feed your dog carnivore, vegetarian, or even vegan. The most important thing should be that he gets all the essential nutrients and vitamins. Then he will look forward to an exciting life full of adventures in good health.
Is your dog okay? Is he really happy and is he well-fed? If he also has a loving pack around him, a little bit of cream certainly won’t hurt. Even if it ends in diarrhea in the worst case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cream bad for dogs?
Neither cream cake nor strawberries nor vanilla are toxic to dogs. However, feeding these foods can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. The cream contains a lot of fat and can therefore lead to the development of obesity or pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).
What happens when dogs eat cream?
In addition, the cream has a relatively high-fat content. This also makes them difficult for the dog’s digestive tract to digest. The fat contains many calories. Therefore, dogs should rather not eat cream.
What dairy products can a dog eat?
The dog is not dependent on a supplement of dairy products in its food. However, foods such as cottage cheese, quark, buttermilk, or yogurt are suitable as a source of calcium for dogs – provided the four-legged friend can also tolerate the lactose content.
Which is better for dogs cottage cheese or yogurt?
If your dog tends to be overweight, low-fat quark is more suitable for your dog. Cottage cheese with a higher fat content is a good way to feed a dog. The proteins and probiotics contained in the quark help your four-legged friend to keep a stable weight.
Which yogurt is best for dogs?
Use pure natural yogurt
It is particularly important with yogurt that you use natural yogurt. All other yogurt mixtures are not suitable for dogs because they contain a lot of sugar. You should avoid this. Instead, you can always add some fruit to the yogurt.
Why can’t dogs eat dairy products?
milk and milkproducts
Milk contains important proteins and vitamins that are not only healthy for us humans but also for dogs. However, milk contains a lot of milk sugar (lactose), which dogs often do not tolerate well and which can lead to severe diarrhea.
What do dogs find disgusting?
Spices. In particular, hot spices such as chili or cayenne pepper should never come near the dog’s nose. The irritation of the mucous membranes is immense and hurts the dog. Cinnamon is also unpleasant for dogs and even has a carcinogenic effect.
Is cream cheese good for dogs?
You can feed it to your dog without hesitation if it tolerates the small amounts of lactose it contains well. Even puppies can benefit from the positive properties of granular cream cheese.