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Cheddar, Muenster, Havarti, Brie, Mozzarella - whatever your taste, there's probably a cheese out there for you. But what about your pup? Can dogs eat cheese? If so, what kinds are they allowed to eat - can dogs eat cottage cheese? Can dogs eat cheesecake? Can dogs eat Cheez Its? Let's discuss.
For the most part, yes - dogs can eat cheese. Whether or not it's a good idea depends on a lot, though - your dog's particular digestive system, what kind of cheese, what form you serve the cheese in and more.
Particularly with a topic as diverse as cheese, if you have any questions about what's okay and what's not, the best place to turn is your vet. She'll be able to look at not only the particular cheese in question but also your dog's health history to give you the best answer as to whether your dog can have cheese.
The upside of cheese is that it's packed with protein, which is fantastic for your dog. It also has a host of other nutritional benefits, as it contains significant amounts of calcium, phosphorous, zinc, vitamin A, fatty acids and B vitamins.
That's one of the reasons we use cheddar cheese in our Beef and Cheddar Pupsicle Mix and our Beef and Cheddar Baked Biscuit Mix (the other reason is because it's delicious and your dog will love it) - we want to make sure we're always using ingredients that give your dog real health benefits.
The biggest potential issue with giving cheese to your dog is that dogs do not have significant amounts of lactase, which is the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Because cheese contains lactose, dogs' inability to break it down can lead to uncomfortable digestive issues. Just like humans, dogs vary in their level of sensitivity to lactose, so some will be able to handle it better than others.
The other major issue with cheese is its high fat content. Feeding your dog a lot of fat, as you can probably imagine, can lead to health issues like obesity. In certain dog breeds that are prone to pancreatitis, high fat foods can lead that to develop that illness, which is very serious. We'll just take a second to remind you here that if ever you have questions or concerns about cheese or any other food, your first call should always be to your vet.Â
As with all foods, it's best to keep an eye on your dog the first time he tries cheese - if he shows signs of stomach or digestive issues in the hours after eating it, that may be a sign that he's even less tolerant of lactose than other dogs or there are other issues at hand, so best to stop with the cheese until you can consult your vet.
Because dogs are naturally somewhat intolerant to lactose, it's best to start with small amounts of cheese to make sure that your dog doesn't display any symptoms of digestive issues like vomiting or diarrhea. Most dogs will be able to handle a bit of cheese fine, so if your pup seems okay with it, feel free to offer up some cheese in moderation, especially if he/she is a very good boy/girl.
But which cheese are okay to feed to your dog? Let's take a look at a few.
Can Dogs Eat Mozzarella Cheese?
The best thing to do when choosing a cheese for your dog is to stick with those that are lower in fat. Mozzarella is great for this, so picking up some string cheese is perfect for your pup. In fact, it's one of the snacks we'd recommend most for dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Goat Cheese?
Smooth, creamy goat cheese is great on crackers, and the good news is that it's great for your pup because, like mozzarella, it's very low in fat. You can give your dog a spoonful by itself or spread it on dog biscuits or other good dog treats to give them a bit of extra flavor.Â
Can Dogs Eat Cottage Cheese?
Yes! Cottage cheese is wonderful because it's very high in calcium and protein while still managing to be fairly low in fat.Â
It's also the perfect base for a doggie snack - one of our favorite treats during the summer is a big dollop of cottage cheese with some diced up strawberries and blueberries added to give it a bit of extra flavor. Mixing a couple of spoonfuls of cottage cheeseÂ
Can Dogs Eat Cheez-Its?
And while cheese can be found in just about everything these days, it's best to stick to serving it in its original form. Cheez-its are, unfortunately, not a great snack for Fido. They're packed with salt and have little nutritional value, so it's far better to give your dog a little slice of cheddar than a Cheez-it. The same goes for cheesecake, which has far too much sugar to be good for dogs. Just stick to plain cheese - your dog will almost certainly love it without salt or sugar added.
Most dogs can definitely eat cheese in moderation, and in fact they tend to love it so much that it's often used as a reward for training as well as a way to hide less-palatable pills to make them go down easy. Cutting up a piece of string cheese into small bites can be just the thing to motivate your pup for a training session, and a few sprinkles of shredded cheese on top of your dog's food will definitely make it that much more appetizing.
Of course, we would be remiss not to remind you that cheese provides some delicious flavor and beautiful color to our Beef and Cheddar Pupsicle Mix. If you're looking for a crunchy, cheesy treat, then check out our Baked Biscuit Starter Kit, which comes with a jar of Beef and Cheddar Baked Biscuit Mix (plus another jar of Lamb and Mint) We definitely take our own advice and include just a bit to give it some extra flavor without making our treats unhealthy for your pup.
