You go to the refrigerator, you open a package of paneer, and you take a piece to eat it, and there appears your dog, who with his eye of smell has detected, even if he was in another room! “Give me cheese, give me cheese” – you just need to talk because they already ask you with the look and face they put!
But sometimes we are not sure if we should give in or not, and some people always think cheese is bad for dogs. So, let’s look at a few ideas on this topic, breaking down false myths and following common sense: Can dogs eat cheese?
Why is cheese good for dogs?
Let’s see …
Cheese is a solid food, which we obtain from the curdled milk. There are many varieties of cheese, according to the milk used for its manufacture (cow, sheep or goat) and according to the method of elaboration and the time of maturation. Thus we obtain fresh, semi-cured or cured cheeses, which are the ones that take the longest time to mature. Do dogs like cheese? What a question … Yes, dogs love cheese!
Dogs love to eat cured cheese, fresh cheese, cream cheese, crackers with cheese … Any shape and type of cheese are going well. But they only have one problem with the cheese, and are that, for dogs, a cheese ration is never big enough!
In addition to cheese, dogs love other dairy products such as cream, yogurt, vanilla ice cream and also milk itself. So, if they like it so much why do we sometimes hear that cheese is bad for dogs? Can I give cheese to my dog, or not? Let us approach this question with reality and truth, without false alarms and fears.
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Is cheese good for dogs? Yes, but with some nuances. Normal and healthy dogs can eat cheese perfectly, and it is a good complement to the dog’s diet because it brings many interesting nutrients. That said, we should give cheese to a dog in moderation. Cheese can never be the basis of a dog’s diet, but a compliment,
that is an ingredient that we will add to your homemade dishes, along with many other ingredients, or an occasional candy, cut into tiny pieces.
Some dogs are lactose intolerant or are also said to be lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar present in milk and its derivatives, but let’s says it is made up of a double molecule (made up of glucose and galactose) that is not easy to “break” and digest for the digestive tract of dogs.
To process lactose, the body of dogs (and ours) uses an above called “lactase,” which is found in the thin intestine. If the animal does not have enough lactase, it will not be able to “break” the sugar molecule of milk.
That the dog is “intolerant to acts” means just that, because of lactase deficiencies the animal is not able to process the lactose properly, and the lactose passes into it’s large undigested or poorly digested intestine.
How to administer cheese to our dogs?
1. If your dog is intolerant, there is no cheese! Be observant. If you find that giving cheese to your dog causes diarrhea, try to give only lactose-free cheese or curd cheese (hard), because these are the lowest lactose cheeses or they hardly have one. If these cheeses still feel bad to your dog, do not give him cheese of any kind.
No matter what you like, or I ask you, it just does not. Why? Because if a lactose intolerant continues to take lactose, their enzymes to digest it, which is already insufficient, are weakened even more, and your digestive system suffers unnecessarily. -If you want, you can try giving your dog some natural yogurt, which is softer and easier to digest than cheese, and see if it suits you. If the yogurt gives you diarrhea too, then nothing, for your dog zero dairies.
2. Use small portions: Paracelsus says “everything is poison, nothing is without poison. Only the dose makes the poison. “Dogs can eat cheese in moderation. So, apply the story and when you give cheese to your dog offer small portions (small squares of cheese) as a treat or reward, do not base a diet or dog menu on the cheese.
3. What cheese is best for dogs: We agree that dogs can eat cheese, but which is the best cheese for dogs? The truth, it depends a little on your dog, his physical state and his level of activity, although the ideal is to go alternating between different cheeses. For example, you can start by giving your puppy dog Burgos cheese (soft fresh cheese), cottage cheese or the Italian Ricotta, because they are light and easy to eat. In addition to their mild taste, they are a good way to introduce cheese into a dog’s diet that has never been tested. Then, when your dog is used to it, you can give it to try harder and heavier cheeses.
We cannot forget that the cheeses are different from each other. For example, cured cheeses (the hardest) are richer in calcium and phosphorus. In contrast, the softer cheeses contain more vitamins of group B, and the cheeses contain more vitamins A. Another great advantage of cured (hard) cheeses is that they are naturally very low in lactose, and some of them have virtually nothing!
So they are easy to digest even for lactose intolerant dogs. Another aspect in relation to lactose is that natural cheeses and artisans, naturally cured, contain less lactose than cheese manufactured by industrial processes. As for the milk used, goat’s milk is the one that sits the dogs best, and the worst thing that feels to dogs would be cow’s milk.
Another aspect to keep in mind is the amount of cheese fat (especially if your puppy is obese or very sedentary). In that case, it is best to give it a small amount of cheese, or opt for a light, skim or low-fat cheese. If your dog is obese, keep in mind that sheep cheese is the fattiest, and therefore the one that makes you fatter.
