Most of us know that there are a lot of good reasons for humans to eat yogurt to assist satisfy their sweet tooth. In the event you shop rigorously, you will find yogurt that is reasonably low in fat and calories, is packed filled with protein and even comprises helpful live cultures called probiotics which can be said to significantly improve gut health.
So choosing yogurt, including Greek yogurt, over many other sweet treats is a great move for us. But how about our dogs? Can dogs eat Greek yogurt? And in the event that they do, will eating it offer them health advantages too? These and the answers to other related questions are what we’re going to cover here.
Can Dogs Eat Greek Yogurt?
For many dogs, there isn’t any harm of their having a little bit little bit of plain Greek yogurt occasionally. If yours is a pup who hankers after sweet treats when the remainder of their family is eating them, then it’s definitely preferable over cakes etc. And everyone knows (or should know) that dogs and chocolate are a dangerous mix.
Greek yogurt has less lactose, so dogs which can be lactose intolerant, may find a way to enjoy small amounts because it it is less complicated to digest than standard yogurts.
How much Greek yogurt a dog can eat is something we’ll go into in greater depth in a moment, however the very basic answer is a moderate amount.
While lowish in calories in some forms, Greek yogurt continues to be fairly calorific and even plain Greek yogurt has a major sugar content, and no dog needs empty sugar and fat calories, especially those susceptible to gaining weight easily.
What Makes Yogurt – Greek?
The common dairy case on the food market nowadays is packed filled with an ever-increasing number of yogurt options.
Along with Greek yogurt, you will find French style yogurt, Swiss style yogurt, sugar-free yogurt, plant-based yogurt and more.
It will probably all get very confusing quickly.
For instance, what makes yogurt Greek yogurt? And what’s actually different about it? Greek yogurt is created by straining normal yogurt to remove the whey and other liquids.
Greek yogurt requires much more milk than standard yogurt to create a batch of the identical proportions, because the filtering procedure reduces the whole volume.
Traditionally, yogurt was strained several times in cloth bags until the right texture was achieved. Centrifuges are utilized in modern industrial procedures to provide the identical effect.
Some firms utilize stiffening agents or other ingredients to make fortified or Greek-style yogurt, wherein case the tip product is named just that to point that it will not be quite the identical.
Greek yogurt is thicker and a little bit tangier than conventional yogurt, since a lot of the liquid has been removed. It is also dearer since it calls for more milk.
As well as, the means of creating Greek yogurt versus ‘normal’ yogurt alters the dietary profile. The table below compares basic plain yogurt to plain Greek yogurt for a normal eight ounce serving.
Standard Plain Yogurt
Plain Greek Yogurt
As you possibly can see, when yogurt is made Greek style the fat, sugar, carbs and sodium levels are decreased, which is, generally speaking for humans, an excellent thing and is nearly definitely great for dogs too. The protein content of Greek yogurt is higher too, one other plus.
What is probably not so great is that the calcium content of Greek yogurt is lower than that of normal yogurt, by just over 10%. This can be a dietary tradeoff you’ll need to weigh up for yourself based on the remainder of your weight loss program, as each are essential for bodily health.
Is (Plain) Greek Yogurt Good For Dogs?
Before we discuss the possible health advantages of Greek yogurt for dogs, it is important to debate yogurt types. The actual fact is that a number of the Greek yogurts that folks wish to eat, because they taste significantly better, aren’t plain yogurts.
Whether you select to eat artificially flavored Greek yogurt, or the type with fruit on the underside, or granola on the highest is as much as you. Nonetheless, as these often contain all types of additional sugars, sometimes artificial colours and flavorings and even dangerous to dogs ingredients like grapes and chocolate chips, it’s best to only give your dog plain Greek yogurt.
Then there’s the matter of artificial sweeteners. These may be extremely hazardous. Sugarless gums, some nut butters, and certain ‘low-calorie’ Greek yogurts, for instance, contain xylitol. Even a small amount might cause liver failure or convulsions in dogs.
If the ingredient xylitol is listed on the label, don’t offer it to your dog.
It is also critical to notice that the overwhelming majority of accepted scientific dietary research on the advantages of Greek yogurt has only been conducted on humans.
It’s assumed that some advantages do translate to pups, but as dogs and humans have very different bodily systems these assumptions are only that, and that if your dog shows any opposed reactions to consuming Greek yogurt it’s best to not give her any more and consider consulting your vet if the response is a major one.
Health Advantages for Greek Yogurt for Dogs
With all of this having been said, Greek yogurt, of the plain variety and carefully may be nutritious on your pooch and even help alleviate digestive issues together with other following health advantages.
Improved Gut Health
There was a number of speak about probiotics and gut health in humans over the past decade or so, and Greek yogurt has often been touted as a superb source of those.
Probiotics are live bacteria which can be found naturally in your body. Bacteria is usually regarded as a pathogen that makes people sick. You do, nonetheless, have two kinds of bacteria in and in your body in any respect times: healthy bacteria and harmful bacteria. Probiotics are useful bacteria that assist in keeping your body functioning properly. And this is particularly true when it comes to your digestive system.
In humans, extra probiotics from sources like Greek yogurt seems to help with digestive health problems like diarrhea, constipation and even, for some people, the more unpleasant symptoms of IBS. And it could do the identical for dogs.
Many pet parents do indeed state that a little bit Greek yogurt seems to settle their dog’s upset tummy, and even occasionally helps a dog susceptible to gas develop into less pungent.
Nonetheless, provided that some dogs are lactose intolerant, it could even have the alternative effect!
Possible Source of Additional Protein
Humans need loads of protein to remain healthy, and so do dogs. The protein present in plain Greek yogurt is a natural source of this essential dietary constructing block, and so the added protein could also be useful on your dog.
Nonetheless, many vets and canine dietary experts feel that there are higher sources of protein for dogs and that pet parents should concentrate on finding a prime quality pet food that meets their protein intake needs, relatively than counting on calorific yogurt to assist meet it.
How Much Greek Yogurt Should I Give My Dog?
Dogs really don’t have to be fed Greek yogurt every day. Nonetheless, should you are attempting to enhance his digestive health with probiotics, so long as they aren’t lactose intolerant a tablespoon a day (roughly 5-10% of your dog’s day by day caloric intake) will likely do little or no harm and should indeed be useful for them.
Many dogs will eat offered Greek yogurt right off the spoon, but you can also consider freezing the yogurt in ice cube trays, something that may will let you create perfectly proportioned treats that you could offer your dog when you will have your personal yogurt treat.
Other clever ways of feeding yogurt to your pooch is: using it to make DIY doggie ice cream, as a topper on top of his dry food, an ingredient in homemade pupcakes, use it to fill a KONG or spread it on a dog lickmat to interact your dog.
What Brand (& Type) of Yogurt Is Good for Dogs?
Dogs, as we mentioned earlier, should only be given plain Greek yogurt, which eliminates most of the brightly coloured offerings you may see on food market shelves, and you would possibly consider for yourself.
They also needs to, as previously noted, be given low calorie or ‘weight loss program’ plain Greek yogurt which may contain Xylitol or other artificial sweeteners.
Which brand you select is more likely to be a matter of budget and availability. There are a lot of popular brands lining the shelves, but in terms of plain Greek yogurt it’s just about all the identical stuff, so choosing the lower priced, generic store brand on your pup is fantastic.
Here’s our top picks for one of the best yogurts (and treats) for dogs:
- 365 Organic Greek Yogurt – A USDA-certified organic, plain and low-fat yogurt that is wealthy in probiotics.
- Fruitables Greek Vanilla Yogurt Treats – Oven-baked crunchy treats made
- Pleased Belly Greek Yogurt – Plain Greek yogurt, wealthy in protein and made solely from grade-A nonfat milk.
Can Puppies Eat Greek Yogurt?
Puppies have very sensitive tummies, and most vets prefer that they stick with their on a regular basis prime quality puppy pet food, and be given treats of any kind in serious moderation to avoid stomach upsets.
Yes, puppies do need a lot of protein as they grow, but they need to get it from their pet food, relatively than from things like Greek yogurt.
In case your puppy really seems to need to try your yogurt – and it’s hard to say no to those big puppy eyes – the occasional teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt might be OK, but look ahead to any reactions, especially in terms of their digestive system.
What Can I Mix With Greek Yogurt For Dogs?
You might be probably not thrilled by the taste of plain Greek yogurt, and certain prefer to combine something into it to enhance the taste. The actual fact is, your dog really doesn’t care. If he likes Greek yogurt – and never all dogs do – they are going to eat it as is.
You might consider mixing in a little bit peanut butter if that is something your pup likes, but do control what that may do for the calorie and sugar counts. Being obese may be very dangerous to any dog’s health, and should significantly shorten their lifespan, which can obviously negate any health advantages that either ingredient might offer.
What you can do if you must offer your dog Greek yogurt on the occasional basis that almost all vets say is OK, is use Greek yogurt as an ingredient when making homemade dog treats. Dogs do need treats infrequently, even should you are watching their weight loss program very rigorously.
The best technique to do that is to freeze the Greek yogurt, as we suggested earlier. Most freezers will create a tough enough to handle ‘yogurt cube’ in only a couple of hours, and you can even add a couple of to a plastic bag in your cooler when heading out on a picnic or other outdoor adventure along with your pup.
If you must try your hand at baking your personal dog treats, or already do, there are a lot of great recipes on the market. This one, nonetheless, is a selected favorite of our pups, because it includes each plain Greek yogurt and cheddar cheese, in addition to rolled oats which, in themselves, offer pups some dietary health advantages.
Do you feed your dog Greek yogurt? Do you will have any tried and true yogurt recipes for dogs? Share ‘em within the comments!
