Is it ok for dogs to drink milk?

Juicyfruit

Might sound like a stupid question but yea i dont know as chuckys my first dog ive ever owned. Today i was thinking maybe i should give him a bowl of milk and i ended up giving him a bowl of milk and chopped up a carot and put it in the milk. He loved it!! he drunk the milk and ate the carrots but yea was just wondering is it okay to give my dog a bowl of milk a day?

Kathyy

If it doesn't upset the system then give it to him. Watch for signs of lactose intolerance - gas, loose stool, ??? Any time you want to try a new food only give a little at first and watch closely same as you introduce a food to a human baby. Watch the weight of the dog as well. Beagles don't need as many calories as they would like to get if you catch my drift. Count the extras you give as part of the total calories.

Large amounts of onion family veggies, any variety of chocolate and grapes are off limits but most other foods are fine for dogs.

rosemaryninja

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend it.

Unlike us, dogs don't have the enzyme beta lactamase, which is the enzyme that breaks down the sugars in milk. As a result, after drinking milk, they end up with undigested sugar in their intestinal tract, which can often lead to bacterial infection.

However, some dogs are completely lactose intolerant, while some are not. Some can tolerate small amounts of milk with no stomach problems at all. However, I definitely would not give him a bowl a day. That's way too much.

Lorina

As mentioned, some dogs are lactose intolerant, so the fear of cleaning up a giant poop-fest would be enough to make me shy away from giving milk.

But also, dairy products can contribute to the forming of crystals in the urine and urinary tract infections. Imagine how awful it must feel to have what amounts to gritty sand in your pee.

If you want to give your dog a special treat, there's always ice cream specifically made for dogs, such as Frosty Paws. And even at that, I'd limit treats like that for special occassions. Beagles are prone to gaining weight even without all kind of goodies in their diet.

rosemaryninja

Definitely.

There is also pet milk made specially for dogs (and cats, I think) where the lactose has been removed.

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poodleholic

I would forget the milk because of the lactose intolerance, however, dogs can eat cottage cheese without problems, due to the process, so it doesn't affect them (the lactose intolerant, be it dog or human) in the way milk does. I've given my dogs and cats cottage cheese for years without any problems, even those with sensitive stomachs.

rosemaryninja

Yup, dogs can eat cottage cheese as well as yogurt and regular cheese (in small amounts, it's very rich).

LMH

I agree. Go for the cottage cheese or plain yogurt instead. The carrot is a good idea for a low fat snack. My dog loves to chew on sticks so every now and then I give him a carrot instead and he chews it all up. The milk is not something a dog would naturally eat and I can't imagine his stomach will tolerate it much longer. Not that cottage cheese or yogurt would be natural-haha.
If you want to give him something other than water to lick up try pouring oranic salt fee chicken broth or something. I save the chicken broth when I boil chicken and I freeze it for him to lick with the cooked celery stick and all. He loves that and eats the celery.

kaykay

I had a mixed breed dog (part colllie part black lab) who developed kidney problems because I gave her milk. It was a habit that we developed in the morning.... I would have cereal and she would finish my milk. The vet suggest that we find something else so it became that I could not "touch" the bread bag without her running to the kitchen for her daily treat.

Juicyfruit

Thanks for all your advice.. I dont think ill be giving him milk anymore after reading some negative posts, especially reading the post by KayKay's dog getting kidney problems.

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