Can cats eat Greek yogurt every day

Can Dogs Eat Yogurt?

Can most dogs eat yogurt? Yes, but that doesnt necessarily mean that they should. While yogurt is not toxic to dogs, many canines might have trouble digesting it because it contains lactose. And plenty of pups have trouble with foods that contain lactose, such as milk.

Is Yogurt Good For Dogs?

Yogurt is high in calcium and protein. It also can act as a probiotic, which can be good for the digestive system. If you feed your dog yogurt, it should be plain and free of any added sweeteners, both natural and artificial. Added sugars are not healthy for dogs or humans, and some artificial sweeteners, such as xylitol, are toxic for dogs.

Additionally, you should also look for yogurt that has lots of live cultures, such as plain, Greek-style yogurt. This yogurt is better because it has lower levels of lactose than regular yogurt.

Hazards of Feeding Dogs Yogurt

Again, although yogurt is not toxic,your dog might have trouble digesting it. Dogs bodies are not designed to digest lactose after puppyhood, and, therefore, a food high in lactose can cause gas, diarrhea, and vomiting. If your dog displays any of these reactions, be sure to check in with your veterinarian. As with all treats, feed your dog a small amount and see how they react.

As with any dairy product, dog owners also have to be concerned with the fat content. Any time you give a dog too much fat in their diet, they can suffer from stomach upset, or even pancreatitis, a serious and potentially fatal illness. As previously mentioned, always make sure the yogurt contains no xylitol.

Can Yogurt Benefit Dogs?

Do the probiotics in yogurt benefit a dogs digestive system the way they benefit a humans digestive system? While it is possible for a dog to get this benefit from yogurt, there are better sources of probiotics.

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora is a probiotic supplement designed for dogs and cats, which is frequently recommended by veterinarians. FortiFlora provides the good bacteria that can help improve your dogs intestinal health, without the lactose that may be difficult to digest.

If you have any questions or concerns about what to feed your dog, consult your veterinarian.

Here at the AKC, we field many queries from anxious dog owners about what is and isnt safe for their canine companions to eat. Questions range from the obvious (Can dogs eat steak bones?) to the trendy (Can dogs eat quinoa?) Check out more Can dogs eat articles on AKC.org to see what foods could be harmful to your dog, includingcherries,avocados, and onions.

Can Cats Eat Yogurt?

Many of us enjoy yogurt on a daily basis, and this versatile food is widely found in fridges across the UK. Whether its part of a balanced breakfast, a quick dessert, or a tasty snack during the day, yogurt comes in a great deal of flavours including plain, fruit, chocolate the list goes on! Its easy to see why this food is so popular amongst humans.

When were tucking into our deliciously creamy yogurts, its quite common for pet owners to slide the lid over to their furry friend to have a lick of, but is this safe? Can cats eat yogurt? Or are they best to stay away from it altogether? Find out all you need to know about cats and yogurts in this article.

Can cats eat yogurt?

Yes, cats can eat yogurt providing its plain and unsweetened. Although its true that many cats are lactose intolerant, the lactose that yogurt contains is actually easier for cats to break down, as the live bacteria within the yogurt can help your cat to break it down. However, as with other human foods, check with your vet before offering yogurt to your cat, and only ever give them small amounts of this dessert as a treat.

Can kittens eat yogurt?

Its best to avoid giving kittens yogurt as, while they may love the taste of it, their stomachs are very sensitive and may react badly. Additionally, this creamy snack wont be particularly beneficial for their health, so its best for them to stick to their mothers milk, formula or if theyve been weaned their complete and balanced kitten food.

Is yogurt good for cats?

Yogurt does have a high protein content, and it also contains calcium, vitamins B2 and B12, as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium. But, with this being said, these are all things your cat will get from their complete and balanced diet anyway, so theres no need to supplement your cats normal food with yogurt.

Yogurt also contains gut friendly bacteria, known as probiotics, which can help to aid the digestion process. However, if youre looking to add a probiotic into your cats diet, its best to ask your vet to recommend a cat-specific probiotic oral supplement instead of yogurt, as this will be designed specifically for cats, meaning it is likely to have a much more beneficial effect. Many feline probiotic products have all of the good bacteria with much fewer calories, and no harmful added ingredients, meaning theyre much more suitable for your cat to have on a daily basis.

How to feed yogurt to your cat

When You Eat Yogurt Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body

It might not be something that you think much about when you're younger, but good bone health is incredibly important, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's especially the case for women, who are more susceptible to bone loss and damage than their male counterparts.

Fortunately, if you enjoy a cup of yogurt every day, you're doing your part to protect your skeleton, as noted by registered dietitian Brianna Elliott."Yogurt contains some key nutrients for maintaining bone health, including calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus and, sometimes, vitamin D,"she penned in an article in Healthline."All of these vitamins and minerals are especially helpful for preventing osteoporosis, a condition characterized by weakening of the bones."

With osteoporosis, you have a higher risk of bone fractures, something that Elliott says daily yogurt consumption can help protect you against. "Research shows that consuming at least three servings of dairy foods, such as yogurt, on a daily basis may help preserve bone mass and strength," she continued.

Can Cats Eat Yogurt? Vet-Reviewed Facts & Safety Guide

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Yogurt is considered a healthy treat for humans, providing probiotics as well as calcium and a good range of other essential vitamins and minerals. And, while it shouldnt be fed regularly or in too large a quantity, yogurt can be perfectly safe for cats to eat as an occasional treat. However, you do need to check the ingredients to make sure you dont give your cat yogurt containing xylitol or other unwanted ingredients. You should also start with a small amount because while the fermentation process involved in making yogurt does destroy most of the lactose, some still exists, so if your cat is one of the many that is lactose intolerant, it can cause gastrointestinal upset.

Read on for more information about feeding yogurt to cats including how much and how often you should feed this ingredient.

Feline Diet

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that their diet should consist of meat and meat products. Their digestive system has not developed to digest other food types, including dairy. In the wild, cats would eat a diet consisting of small mammals, birds, and other small animals. However, most commercial cat foods do include vegetables and other plant-based ingredients, as well as eggs and some other ingredients not considered part of a strictly carnivorous diet.

Can Cats Eat Yogurt?

Yogurt is a dairy product, which means that it does contain lactose. However, the fermentation process that yogurt undergoes destroys a lot of the lactose. If a cat can tolerate lactose, it can tolerate yogurt. Even those cats that are intolerant may be able to tolerate a small amount and there shouldnt be any major cause for concern if your cat has licked a small amount of yogurt off a spoon or from a bowl, for example.

Yogurt does contain some beneficial ingredients, including:

• Protein Protein is a cats primary source of energy. Fat and carbohydrates also act as energy sources, but cats specifically need the amino acids that are found in protein. Unfortunately, some of the amino acids that cats need are not found in yogurt and are specifically found in meat.
• Calcium Calcium plays a crucial role in the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. It also plays several other roles, including helping blood to clot efficiently and to support muscle contractions.
• B Vitamins B vitamins play an important role in energy production, and if a cat is deficient it can become lethargic. These water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, either, and are expelled in urine, so cats need a constant supply of B vitamins.
• Potassium and Magnesium Magnesium helps the body absorb and use other vitamins and minerals and helps aid bone growth. Potassium helps control heart rhythm and other essential bodily functions.
• Probiotics Probiotics are good bacteria that help promote a healthy gut. They can help with gastrointestinal infections and are especially beneficial if your cat is or has been on certain medications that can cause a reduction in good bacteria and a promotion of bad gut bacteria.

Although these are all essential ingredients in a cats diet, if you ensure that your cat is on a complete, balanced diet, there shouldnt be a deficiency.

The 5 Ingredients to Avoid

Although plain yogurt is safe for cats to eat, and even those with lactose intolerance shouldnt react too negatively to yogurt, there are ingredients in certain yogurt products that you must avoid. Generally, you should choose an unsweetened, unsalted, and plain yogurt, if you are intentionally giving your cat a yogurt treat. And you should certainly avoid the following ingredients:

1. Xylitol

Xylitol is toxic to dogs, and many people assume that the same is true of cats. Research is somewhat lacking in this area and there are fewer reported incidents of xylitol toxicity in cats, but this could be because fewer cats eat it. Dogs are prone to eating anything in front of them, whereas cats tend to be pickier. With that said, the possibility of toxicity does exist and you should avoid giving anything to your cats that contains this artificial sweetener.

2. Grapes and Raisins

Grapes can lead to kidney damage in cats and dogs. Ultimately, it can lead to kidney failure which is usually fatal, so you should avoid giving this fruit to cats at all. Raisins are dried grapes, and they can have the same effect, so these too should be avoided. While there is less evidence of grape toxicity in cats, this is again probably because cats are less likely to eat them.

3. Chocolate

Chocolate contains caffeine, which is considered toxic for cats, and theobromine, which can also prove fatal. You should not feed chocolate to cats as these two stimulants can prove deadly.

4. Citrus

Citrus fruits are bad for cats. They contain citric acid and some essential oils that interfere with a cats nervous system. If your cat consumes enough of them, it can have a seriously negative impact on the nervous system that can cause tremors, seizures, and potentially even death.

5. Coconut

Coconut is not necessarily toxic to cats and if your cat eats a small amount of the flesh, it should be OK. However, too much coconut can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems, so it is best avoided.

Are Cats Lactose Intolerant?

Some are, but cats are lactose intolerant to varying degrees. This is because they dont have lactase in their digestive system to break down the sugar in dairy products. Cats that are lactose intolerant can suffer vomiting and diarrhea if they consume dairy products including yogurt.

Can Cats Have Cheese?

Cheese is also a dairy product, so lactose-intolerant cats cannot eat cheese. Cheese with extra salt or additional ingredients may also be toxic or unhealthy for cats, so you should always check these ingredients to ensure it is safe to feed.

Is It Okay for Cats to Eat Eggs?

Eggs are not only safe for cats to eat but can be a great source of protein. Eggs, including shells, are often found in commercial cat food because of the high protein content they contain, and you can feed some cooked eggs to your cats.

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Conclusion

Cats are obligate carnivores which means that their protein and other essential vitamins and minerals should all come from meat ingredients. However, most pet cats do consume some vegetables and other plant ingredients. But, as many cats are lactose intolerant, it is best to avoid giving them dairy products.

Even though yogurt contains protein, probiotics, and other beneficial ingredients, your cat should get all of these from a well-balanced diet and shouldnt need to consume yogurt. However, it isnt toxic to cats, so if your cat has licked some yogurt off a spoon or from the lid of a yogurt pot, it should be fine. Keep an eye out for diarrhea and vomiting, however.

Featured Image Credit: mama_mia, Shutterstock