“Does milk go before cereal or cereal go before milk?” has been one of the most controversial, interesting, and trendy questions among internet users. Similarly, when it comes to the canine world of diet, there’s another relatively familiar question and that is if dogs can eat cereal and milk together. So, if you’re looking for an answer, you’ve landed in the right place. Read further to know all about feeding this treat to your pooch.
Also, check out “Can Dogs Eat Cereal?”
Is Cereal Safe for My Dog?
If you’ve been following our articles and one especially related to cereals, you must have known that some cereals are safe for dogs. But if you haven’t, here are some useful notes.
The cereals that do not contain excessive sugar, raisins, and xylitol are safe treats for your dogs while others containing these toxic contents may cause health complications in your dog. With necessary precautions like checking ingredients and feeding in moderation, cereals can serve as an occasional treat for your dog.
So, what goes along with cereal in your bowl? Milk! But, is it safe for your dog? Let’s find out!
Can Dogs Eat Cereal and Milk?
Yes! As long as your dog is lactose tolerant. Milk or any other dairy products are not toxic to dogs. However, these products are not necessary for their diet. Milk is rich in fat and natural sugars. Lactose is one of the primary sugars present in milk which requires an enzyme called lactase for digestion. Puppies generally have enough enzymes to break down their mother’s milk but as they grow older, their body produces less lactase. So, adult dogs are more lactose intolerant than puppies.
A few tablespoons of cow’s milk or goat’s milk once in a while proves to be a nice treat for your dog without any risk of ailments. However, you should avoid feeding them an entire bowl of milk at a time. Feeding them large quantities of milk at once can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and loose stools. So, as long as you feed your dog milk in the right amount, it is completely safe for your dog.
You might also be interested in “Can dogs drink milk?”
What If My Pup Is Lactose Intolerant?
If your pup is lactose intolerant, we highly recommend avoiding dairy products with cereal. Most owners don’t know that their dogs are lactose intolerant until they feed them milk. The following are the symptoms that your lactose intolerant dog shows after consumption of milk:
- Loose stools
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Bloating
If your pup shows none of these symptoms, you’re good to go. You can feed them cereal and milk. But, as mentioned before never give a bowl full of milk to your dogs, it might cause several indigestion problems. Also, we know that cereals aren’t that good for dogs and do not provide them any health benefits. So, soak a little amount of cereal in less than half a bowl of milk if you decide to feed your dog cereal and milk.
How Much Cereal and Milk Can I Feed to My Dog?
Feeding your dog cereal depends on the size of your dog. It is important to feed your dog the cereal of correct grain sizes in order to avoid choking hazards. Pieces of cereal can clump together because of which there will be higher chances of your dog choking on it. However, choking is not the only problem here- they may even get lodged in your pet’s digestive tract. So it is a wise choice to soak cereal in milk before feeding your pet.
Conclusion
To summarize, yes, your dog can eat cereals with milk. Cereal and milk can serve as an occasional treat. But be sure to feed them in moderation to avoid obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. However, we highly suggest that you take your vet’s advice before you feed anything to your dog.
Now that you know whether cereal and milk are safe for your dog, find out all about cereal-related dog articles here.
How often do you give cereal with milk to your dog? Do they like it? Or is your dog lactose intolerant? Our community would love to hear from you. Please share with us by leaving a comment below!