Dogs shouldn’t eat a lot of cheese or other dairy products, but some dairy products in moderation may offer some benefits to dogs. First, cheese is high in protein which can be good for your dog. Eggs are also high in protein and other nutrients, and are very good for a dog’s skin and coat.
Cheese also offers vitamin A and essential fatty acids, and using a small piece of cheese is a great way to mask a pill you may need to give your dog. Therefore, cheese offers limited benefits to your dog, but it is not harmful to your dog unless given too much because it can cause digestive upset and even gas.
Cottage cheese and yogurt are really good for dogs, but again in moderation. Cottage cheese offers protein and can help with diarrhea, but the cottage cheese you offer your dog should be low in sodium and fat, as it could easily add a few pounds to your dog’s waistline if you’re not careful. Dogs love cottage cheese too, so it’s easy to give them a small amount. Yogurt in natural form is another thing dogs enjoy and it has acidophilus which provides the same good bacteria to the dog’s gut as it does to humans.
If you have given your dog too much cheese, it is often determined by the result of the cheese consumption. For example, if your dog gets diarrhea after you’ve given him cheese, you probably gave him too much. Also, overfeeding with cheese can cause excess gas, which means Fido may have flatulence and some bloating. Many adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so any amount of cheese can cause bloating or diarrhea.
Therefore, if your dog suffers from the ill effects of giving him cheese or any other dairy products, you should completely eliminate them from his diet because it certainly means that they are intolerant to dairy products. Dogs that can digest cheese well can take it on an occasional basis, although it shouldn’t be a big part of their daily diet because there is so much fat that your dog simply doesn’t need.
Finally, while cheese is safe for some dogs, and cottage cheese, eggs and yogurt are all good for dogs in moderation, some dogs are lactose intolerant and therefore cheese may not be the best solution for them. For dogs that are lactose intolerant, there are lactose-free cheeses that you can use as a treat, but do so in limited quantities, or use to disguise a pill you’ve been instructed to give your dog.