Can I give my dog milk products?

All mammals are born with the ability to digest and utilise the energy provided by their mother’s milk, as their small intestine produces a digestive enzyme called Lactase; this breaks down the milk sugar Lactose which would otherwise pass intact to the bowel.

However, mammals only feed from their mother for a short period of time and Lactase production is therefore limited to the first months of life and once weaned is no longer made available during digestion. Many animals therefore become naturally intolerant of milk products as they mature.

If milk has remained a constant part of the diet since birth, then Lactase production may continue into adulthood and if milk is deemed desirable within the diet we recommend the use of goat/sheep yoghurt as opposed to cow’s milk. Goat/sheep’s milk is naturally homogenised which means the fat molecules are equally dispersed throughout the liquid, unlike cow’s milk whose fat coagulates, forming a distinct layer. The fat molecules are also smaller in goat/sheep products and thereby easier to digest. Yoghurt with live cultures is even healthier as some of the ‘friendly’ bacteria may survive the acidic stomach and help maintain the environment in the gut.

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