01/20/2025
In honor of Cheese Lovers Day, we thought it would be a good idea to share information on cheese!
As humans, we love cheese and it's no secret that our dogs often look at us with their best puppy dog eyes while we're munching on it! But, where it's obvious that most dogs think the taste of it is nothing short of divine, are they actually allowed to eat it and is cheese good for dogs?
In most cases, yes, dogs can eat cheese. When given in moderation, it can make a great high reward training treat (particularly when there's lots of distractions). Most dogs adore the taste of it too! It's important to remember that some cheeses have added ingredients, which need to be avoided (chives, onion, garlic, etc).
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Cottage Cheese - This type is actually low in fat and sodium, so it is actually one of the better options to give your dog as an occasional treat.
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Cream Cheese - In general, dogs can eat a small amount of cream cheese. It's mostly fine but does have a high fat and calorie content. However, a lot of cream cheeses include chives, onions and garlic which are dangerous for our pooches. These types of cream cheese should be avoided.
β Blue Cheese - No, never give your dog blue cheese. The fungus involved in making blue cheeses such as Stilton can produce a substance called roquefortine C, which dogs can be very sensitive to. If your dog ingests this, they may develop the following symptoms:
β’ Vomiting
β’ Diarrhea
β’ High temperature
β’ Seizures
The higher the amount of blue cheese your dog eats, the greater risk of them developing the symptoms above. If you notice your dog displaying any of these signs, contact your vet straight away.
Never give cheese to overweight dogs or dogs with kidney problems - cheese has very high fat, calorie, and salt content.
Do not give cheese to lactose intolerant dogs - not all dogs digest cheese well. Though cheese contains a smaller amount of lactose compared to whole milk, dogs with severe lactose intolerance could have bad reactions to cheese.
Never give cheese to a dog who has had pancreatitis.