As nutritious as it is delicious, cottage cheese is a favorite among people dedicated to a healthy lifestyle.
But can cottage cheese benefit dogs, too? Can our furry friends eat cottage cheese?
The quick answer is yes. However, there are a few things about this food that can make them harmful to dogs if eaten in abundance—not to mention many dogs have a tough time handling dairy.
If you’d like to know more about cottage cheese for dogs, keep reading!
Is Cottage Cheese Good for Dogs?
Yes, cottage cheese is good for dogs as it boasts a wealth of nutrients that enhance canine health.
Let’s discuss the various ways cottage cheese can benefit your dog!
Protein
Cottage cheese has high protein content.
What’s so good about protein? For starters, it’s essential for the formation and maintenance of tendons, cartilage, and ligaments. It also helps with blood, skin, muscle, nail, and hair formation.
In addition, protein is broken down to generate amino acids, which sustain a dog’s life and grants them the energy they require to move around. Cottage cheese is especially beneficial to dog breeds that enjoy a physically active lifestyle, such as sports dogs and working dogs.
Minerals
Cottage cheese boasts a range of minerals vital to a dog’s health.
Phosphorus plays numerous important roles. Together with calcium, it helps maintain strong bones and teeth. It works with other minerals to regulate healthy biological functions and helps cleanse the body of toxins. It’s also essential to protein and amino acid synthesis, cell growth, energy storage, and energy use.
Selenium improves a dog’s immune response, helps with reproduction, and plays a crucial role in DNA synthesis. It also keeps the thyroid effective and protects cells from damage caused by oxidative stress.
Calcium is necessary for the building and strengthening of bones and teeth. It’s also vital for nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and blood clotting.
Vitamins
Cottage cheese contains vitamins all dogs need to be in great health.
It is particularly rich in cobalamin, riboflavin, and folate.
Cobalamin (vitamin B12) is necessary for brain and nervous system health and function. It’s involved in the formation and development of blood cells. As it plays a role in maintaining intestinal health, it also helps prevent digestive problems such as diarrhea.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) supports healthy digestive function and assists enzymes in the conversion of protein, fats, and carbohydrates into energy. It also helps heal injuries, prevent diseases like cancer, and slow down aging.
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is involved in many processes, including the use of amino acids to build new proteins, the formation of blood cells, DNA synthesis, rapid cell growth, the maintenance of healthy immune function, and more.
Cottage cheese also has good amounts of pyridoxine, pantothenic acid, and niacin.
Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) aids in amino acid metabolism and neurotransmitter production.
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is crucial for energy production and aids in the metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
Niacin (vitamin B3) helps in energy production, blood circulation, enzyme function, fat production, and other processes.
Relatively low in fat
Cottage cheese contains less fat than regular cheese, making it the ideal cheesy snack for dogs who need to lose weight or maintain an already healthy weight.
In addition, this food quickly satisfies hunger in dogs, ensuring they don’t need to ask for seconds.
Why Dogs Should Eat Cottage Cheese in Moderation
As nutrient-rich as cottage cheese is, it shouldn’t be a regular part of your dog’s diet. This is because cottage cheese, if eaten regularly and/or in abundance, can harm your dog due to:
Sodium content
Here’s the bad news: cottage cheese contains sodium, which dogs shouldn’t eat in excess. Dogs can only ingest a small amount of salt daily; if they exceed their daily salt intake, they can suffer from sodium ion intoxication a.k.a. salt poisoning. This involves drastic, rapid dehydration, which affects the muscles and even destroys brain cells, leading to dizziness, seizures, and other issues.
The symptoms of salt toxicity include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Weakness
- Reduced appetite
- Incoordination
- Extreme thirst, causing excessive drinking and urination
- Confusion
- Respiratory problems
- Rapid heartbeat
As the toxicity grows worse, a dog can even experience:
- Muscle tremors
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Coma
These symptoms typically emerge a few hours after excess salt ingestion. Because untreated salt toxicity can result in death, you should call a vet for assistance immediately if the above symptoms manifest following your dog’s consumption of cottage cheese.
Consuming excess sodium also raises blood pressure, making a dog more susceptible to the risk of heart disease.
What’s the good news? Cottage cheese is available in sodium-free or low-sodium varieties. Make sure you purchase these if you’re planning to feed your dog cottage cheese.
Lactose intolerance
Most dogs have a tough time dealing with dairy such as cottage cheese.
Puppies’ bodies produce lactase, an enzyme that breaks down their mother’s milk. As they grow older, however, lactase production plummets, which explains why eating dairy results in mild to severe digestive discomfort in many adult dogs. In fact, dairy products are among the most common causes of food intolerance in domestic canines.
If a lactose-intolerant dog eats cottage cheese, they could experience the following concerns:
- Vomiting
- Gas
- Loose stools
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Excessive thirst
- Weakness
- Dehydration
The best way to treat and prevent these issues is to simply avoid feeding your lactose-intolerant pooch cottage cheese or any other dairy products.
Dairy allergy
Of the most allergy-provoking foods for dogs, dairy comes second. If your pooch is allergic to dairy, ingesting cottage cheese can lead to issues such as:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Itchy, red, and/or dry skin
- Excessive licking and scratching due to itchiness
- Hair loss and bald patches
- Flatulence
- Constipation or frequent defecation
- Hot spots
- Ear infections
- Skin infections
If these food allergy symptoms grow severe, rush your dog to the veterinarian for treatment. Post-treatment, your pet will likely need to go on a special diet until their system has been cleared of the allergen.
Have a vet examine your dog to determine what foods they’re allergic to. This will help prevent allergic reactions from occurring in the future.
FAQs About Cottage Cheese for Dogs
It’s time to answer more commonly asked questions about cottage cheese for dogs!
How much cottage cheese can my dog eat?
The ideal way to determine how much cottage cheese your dog can safely consume is to ask a vet.
Generally speaking, however, cottage cheese should only be used as a treat. And when feeding dogs treats, you should stick to the 90% and 10% rule.
90% of what your dog eats should be vet-approved, well-balanced, high-quality dog food. The remaining 10% can be made up of a combination of treats such as dog-friendly veggies, fruits, meats, and other foods such as cottage cheese.
Remember to consider your dog’s size when giving them treats; the amount of treats 10% refers to isn’t the same for a large dog as it is for a small dog. For example, a portion of cottage cheese that can fit in two spoons may be appropriate for a medium-sized dog but not a tiny dog.
How should I introduce cottage cheese to my dog?
Feed your dog a few tiny bites of cottage cheese, then observe them for gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and abdominal pain. Wait a few days before feeding them a slightly larger portion of cottage cheese. Repeat this process for a few weeks to familiarize your dog’s digestive system with the new food. Once it’s clear your pooch can safely eat cottage cheese, you can start feeding them a set amount of this food weekly.
If at any point cottage cheese causes your dog problems, seek veterinary aid as soon as possible.
How do I select cottage cheese for my dog?
There are many cottage cheese brands available for purchase in groceries and supermarkets. To ensure your dog doesn’t experience any problems, always pick low-fat, low-sodium/sodium-free cottage cheese. These products come with all the nutrients every dog needs to stay in excellent health, minus the risk of unnecessary weight gain and salt toxicity.
If you want to boost your pet’s gut health, you can also purchase cottage cheese varieties that contain live, active bacterial cultures.
To be completely safe, however, consult a vet for advice before feeding your dog cottage cheese. Depending on several factors, including age and existing health conditions, your dog may not need to eat this food.
Final Thoughts
Your dog will not only enjoy the creamy taste of cottage cheese but also benefit from its high nutritional content. However, it’s important to remember that this food can harm your dog if eaten in excess and that many dogs can’t tolerate dairy. To ensure no problems occur, always consult a veterinarian before feeding your dog cottage cheese.
Keep your dog healthy and happy: feed them cottage cheese in moderation, and don’t hesitate to contact a vet for advice about what other healthy foods they can eat!