Is Dairy bad for dogs...

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Every evening, my hubby and my two doodles share an ice cream cone. Well, he eats his and then they get theirs..... They love this treat more than anything and, in fact, if we forget, they both come around the time we give it and sit by us and give us "the look". My question is, is dairy in anyway bad for dogs as I know chocolate is very bad for them.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I don't know the answer to your question, some people give their dogs cheese which is dairy but I have heard that ice cream isn't good for dogs, our food experts will weigh in I'm sure with the proper info.  BUT I do have to say - the photos of them eating it are so cute!  They look very happy with their cones!

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Ha ha..thanks Jane. WE are just so silly with these doodles.....it makes life so much fun.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Lots of us give our doodles cheese and yogurt so it's not the dairy in the ice cream that might be a problem but the sugar. Dairy can cause loose stools in some dogs but if your dogs tolerate it then a small amt should be ok.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thanks Donna. I'll make sure we buy the low sugar or yogart kind in future. They are so addicted now, I would hate to stop giving them this nightly treat...especially when they plop themselves down and just stare you out..ha ha

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There's nothing wrong with a little ice cream now and then, but I wouldn't give it every evening. Some dogs don't tolerate dairy products well, but even for those who do, ice cream has too much fat and sugar to be part of a dog's regular daily diet, IMO.

You might consider doing what Jane and some of our other Food Groupies do- when you have your ice cream, give the doodles low-fat plain (NOT vanilla) yogurt with a few dried cranberries sprinkled in it. Much better for them, and I know Guinness and Murphy love it!

 

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, they LOVE it.  I think you can freeze this too...maybe they'd think it was ice cream.

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Not my doodles. They know the difference between the name brands and then the cheapo stuff.. ha ha.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Ohhh somehow I missed this tip!  Always have dried cranberries and yogurt so I am trying this asap!

 

And btw, my mom and dad used to feed our family dogs vanilla ice cream with rice krispies on their birthdays every year. But only on their bdays!

[Adina P]

I've added rice krispies to my ice cream too...when I was craving the crunch of a cone but had no cone!

[Suzanne & Jack]

Try Grape-Nuts.  Slightly sweet and crunchy. Yum!

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

Thanks Karen. I think the yogart is a great idea, but the doodles might not be of the same mind now that they have shared Dreyers extra creamy vanilla ha ha.

[Linda and Murphy]

Murphy's cocaine is cheese. He gets a small piece every morning when he gets the paper. He has on occasion had ice cream and thought that was wonderful too. Compared with the other doods, I think Murphy must have a cast iron stomach. Not much bothers him.