Can you give milk to a dog?

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 10 August 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
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Can a Dog or Puppy Drink Milk? Answers
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THE dog feed it's one of the factors you should pay more attention to if you want to ensure that you're giving him the best care. Regardless of the type of food you give him, the inclusion of natural foods is more than recommended for nutritional value. Thus, giving your dog meat, fish, fruits and vegetables will not only allow him to enjoy delicious foods, but will also bring great benefits, such as product quality, vitamins, minerals, fiber, proteins and much more.

Especially if you've just adopted a puppy, during the process of choosing the best food for him, it's common to have doubts and ask yourself questions such as whether you can give milk to a newborn puppy. In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will talk about this drink that is so consumed around the world, explaining if dog can drink milk and if so, in what way.


Is giving milk to a dog good?

At birth, puppies feed exclusively on breast milk for the first few weeks of life. As they grow up and pass the first few months, weaning takes place, which should take place naturally when the mother considers it appropriate. Thus, in this first phase of the puppy's life, milk is essential to ensure its proper development. So why is it common to hear that milk for adult dogs is bad?

In the composition of milk, it is possible to find lactose, a type of sugar present in milk that all mammals produce. To break down lactose and turn it into glucose and galactose, all puppies, including puppies, produce an enzyme called lactase in large quantities. This enzyme has its production reduced as the puppy grows and acquires new eating habits. The digestive system of most animals is constantly changing to adapt to different stages of growth. For this reason, when an animal stops drinking milk, the body considers that it no longer needs to produce as much and may even develop lactose intolerance as part of the natural adaptation process. This is the main reason why it is not recommended to give milk to adult puppies.


Now, not all puppies stop producing it equally, so not all will be lactose intolerant. Especially those who continue to drink cow's milk after they are weaned may continue to produce a certain amount of lactase to digest this lactose. Thus, it is possible to see puppies that drink milk without it negatively affecting them. But after all, is giving milk to a dog good or bad? It all depends on the animal's own body, whether it tolerates lactose or not. If so, the consumption of milk can be positive as long as it is offered properly, moderately and considering that it can be given only as a dietary supplement, but not as a main base.

Can you give milk to a newborn dog?

Puppies can take breast milk without problems. In general, weaning begins to occur naturally after 3-4 weeks of life, at which time you can start introducing solid food intake to get them used to it. However, during this period, they continue to drink breast milk, so that only about two months of life will breastfeeding actually stop. Therefore, it is not recommended to separate the puppies from the mother before eight weeks, not only because this would prevent breastfeeding, but also because, during these first weeks, the puppies begin their socialization period. A premature separation would make these first relationships difficult and could cause behavioral problems in the future.


Can you give cow's milk to a puppy?

Occasionally, it may happen that the bitch does not produce enough milk or you may find a litter of orphaned puppies. In these cases, can the puppies drink cow's milk? The answer is NOT. It is necessary acquire a milk for lactating puppies, specially formulated to meet the needs of this species of animal because, although all mammals produce milk, the composition varies, since not all digestive systems are equal. Cow's milk contributes half the calories of a bitch's milk and therefore the nutritional needs of the puppies cannot be covered by it. The problem with giving a puppy cow's milk as the only food is not whether or not he can digest it, it's simply not enough to feed him.

However, if it is not possible to go to a veterinarian clinic to buy milk, there are some emergency breastfeeding formula recipes that can be prepared to feed the little ones until a specialist visit. These recipes can include cow, sheep or goat milk, plus other ingredients to simulate the nutritional value of the bitch's milk.

Until when to give milk to a dog?

The ideal is to start introduce solid foods from 3-4 weeks of life, alternating with doses of milk for lactating puppies. As they grow, milk intake will be reduced and the amount of solid food will increase. That way, after two months of life, they will be able to eat only solid foods. It is important to point out that, in order to favor chewing, it is recommended to moisten solid food in water until it is two or three months old.

Can you give milk to a puppy if he already eats solid food?

If the puppy does not have symptoms of lactose intolerance, he may drink milk occasionally. In any case, it is always advisable to opt for lactose-free milk or vegetable milks with a low sugar content.

For more information about giving milk to a puppy, read this PeritoAnimal article.

Can a dog drink milk?

Adult puppies produce little or no amount of the lactase enzyme, so it is possible that they have developed lactose intolerance, and in this case it is totally counterproductive to give milk to adult puppies. However, if the animal does not show symptoms of this disorder, it is possible to offer milk as a food supplement.

Lactose Intolerance in Dogs

To find out if you can give milk to an adult dog, you need to know a little more about this disorder. When the dog's small intestine stops producing the lactase enzyme, the lactose in milk cannot be broken down, passing automatically to the large intestine without being digested, which causes it to ferment and, as a consequence, to develop a series of reactions in the body to be eliminated. Thus, in these cases, the body is not able to digest lactose, does not tolerate it and shows the following symptoms of lactose intolerance in dogs:

  • Diarrhea;
  • Vomiting;
  • Abdominal pain;
  • Gases;
  • Abdominal inflammation.

Lactose allergy in dogs

Intolerance and allergy are different conditions, so it's important to learn to differentiate between them. Intolerance only affects the digestive system, while allergy affects the immune system. This is because an allergy is caused by an organism hypersensitivity to contact with a particular substance. In this way, upon entering the body, a series of reactions is triggered, such as the following:

  • Breathing difficulty;
  • Cough;
  • Itching and redness of the skin;
  • Otitis;
  • Inflammation of the eyelids and muzzle area;
  • Urticaria.

Food allergy dermatitis is often one of the first symptoms, along with respiratory distress. Therefore, if any of these symptoms appear, it is necessary to withdraw the milk from the diet and see the veterinarian.

Benefits of Puppy Milk

When your dog tolerates milk without problems, there are many benefits this drink can bring to your body. Cow's milk is rich in proteins of high biological value, carbohydrates, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin C, group B vitamins, vitamin A, vitamin D and lipids. However, if there is one thing that stands out in the nutritional composition of milk, it is its high calcium content. The consumption of this mineral is very important in all stages of the dog's life, but it becomes even more relevant during the puppy's stage, as it stimulates adequate bone growth. Likewise, since the milk of all animal species is rich in fats and sugars, its consumption promotes adequate development in general.

Puppies need to get these fats, sugars, vitamins and calcium that their mother's milk contains. When weaning occurs, if the calf can tolerate cow, sheep or goat milk, he can occasionally take it to enjoy its benefits. During adulthood and old age the same happens, as long as you don't show signs of intolerance or allergy, you can give milk to a dog.

Can a dog drink soy milk, oats or almonds?

vegetable milks do not contain lactoseTherefore, they are a good option when giving milk to a dog. Now which type of vegetable milk is better? Those that contain less sugar and are therefore less caloric. Thus, soy milk, rice milk, oat milk and almond milk are the most recommended, as long as the label says "no added sugar". So, can dogs drink coconut milk? This is one of the most caloric vegetable milks, so it is not one of the most suitable for puppies. However, if introduced in a recipe or offered very occasionally, it will have no negative effects. The problem is abuse.

How to give milk to a dog?

Now that you know you can give dog milk occasionally, and only for those dogs that aren't intolerant, it's time to know how to offer the milk, if at all. Well, the first thing is to choose the type of milk. for puppies, O whole milk not a problem, because the fats and sugars that make it up are good for them. However, when we talk about adult or elderly dogs, it is better to choose the skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. This type of milk does not contain less calcium. In fact, the amount is the same as that offered by whole milk, the difference between them lies in fats and fat-soluble vitamins. During the milk skimming process, the fats present are eliminated and, as a consequence, the vitamins dissolved in these fats, which are D, A and E, are also eliminated. On the market, it is also possible to find skimmed milk enriched with these lost vitamins .

If you have adopted an adult or elderly dog ​​and prefer not to take risks, we recommend the use of lactose free milk or any of the vegetable milks mentioned in the previous section. As for ways to give your dog milk, the easiest and fastest way is to pour some milk into your bowl and simply let it drink. The amount of milk varies according to the age and size of the dog, but it is always a good idea to observe and start with small doses.

If you are used to making dog food, check out options for dog ice cream in this PeritoAnimal video, which can also be made with milk, if your dog is not intolerant. Check out:

Are dairy products good for dogs?

We've already seen that you can give dog milk, but what about yogurt and cheese? dogs can eat yogurt no problem, because this is a dairy product with a very small amount of lactose. In addition, it is one of the best food for dogs, thanks to its composition, as natural yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics that favor the flora and regulate intestinal transit. Obviously, it needs to be a natural sugar-free yogurt.

On the other hand, cheese is also beneficial as long as it is fresh. Ripened, semi-ripened or blue cheeses are not recommended. So a good breakfast for a dog might be plain yogurt mixed with a teaspoon of oat flakes and chunks of fresh cheese. Complete, nutritious and delicious!

On the other hand, the milk kefir or kefirado milk is another dog food highly recommended by canine nutritionists. This product contains even more probiotics than plain yogurt and its properties are even better. Kefir is good for both puppies and adult and elderly puppies.

If you want to read more articles similar to Can you give milk to a dog?, we recommend that you enter our Home Diets section.