ย The short answer is that cheese alone is non-toxic to dogs, but it depends on your dogโs individual sensitivities whether you should feed it to them. Dogs can eat cheese, but there are a few things to keep in mind before you start feeding your pup big chunks of cheddar.
All of the basic cheeses that are commonly found in the house are safe for a dog to eat in moderation. Mozzarella or most other soft cheeses have a high-fat content, so if youโd like to share a slice with your pooch now and then, try to get low-fat cheese instead.
As long as your dog is eating cottage cheese thatโs low in salt, it can be an excellent, occasional addition to your dogโs diet. Cottage cheese has a good level of protein, calcium, and vitamins (as long as itโs high quality). Probiotics are also found in cottage cheese, which can be helpful for calming a dogโs upset stomach. Cottage cheese also comes in a low-fat variety for dogs who are concerned with weight.
You can feed your dog plain cream cheese, but only in small and infrequent amounts. Cream cheese is rich, fatty, and high in calories so should be fed with care, and ideally should be of the low-fat variety. Stick to plain cream cheese instead of flavored (yes, weโre talking about that herb and garlic cream cheese) since they can have added ingredients such as garlic or onions, which are toxic to dogs.
Other than the cautions above about cheese overall (salt, fat and added ingredients) the main cheese to avoid completely is blue cheese.
When blue cheese is ripening, a mycotoxin called Roquefortine C is produced by the mold within the cheese. This substance can be very toxic to dogs in and should be avoided altogether. While avoiding blue cheese is the best solution, if your dog does accidentally ingest a very small amount of blue cheese theyโll probably be fine.
If consumed, keep a close eye on your dog for the next few hours and call the vet immediately if you notice any vomiting, seizures, or diarrhea.
You can even share your favorite comfort food with your dog like macaroni and cheese but always practice moderation. These kinds of treats should make up a very small percentage of your dogs diet.ย Learn about 10 more people foods you can feed your dog!
There you go, dogs can eat cheese. Give your dog a cheesy treat and let us know if he/she likes it in the comments!
Sign up for the FREE Modern Dog Magazine newsletter & get the best of Modern Dog delivered to your inbox.
"*" indicates required fields
By clicking the arrow, you agree to our web Terms of Use and Privacy & Cookie Policy. Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email.