How much yogurt can your dog eat?
If your dog is not lactose intolerant, yogurt can be a daily moderate addition to their diet. Here’s how much you can give your dog, depending on their size:
Small dogs: 1 teaspoon daily
Medium dogs: 2 teaspoons daily
Large dogs: 3 teaspoons daily
Keep in mind that this amount of yogurt is a snack your dog will enjoy, but it won’t give them the health benefits of probiotics. Vets recommend an appropriate probiotic supplement formulated especially for dogs if your four-legger needs a nutritional boost to their immune or digestive system.
Let’s look at some tasty ways to serve this slurpy treat to your dog.
Always check with your veterinarian whenever you consider offering your dog a new food. Make sure to follow the 90/10 rule of thumb for treats: 90% of your dog’s daily calories should come from a complete dog food, while the remaining 10% of calories can come from treats. Give your dog a higher proportion of treats and you risk obesity or diabetes.
Plain Greek yogurt is the healthiest yogurt for your dog. Always read the ingredient label – look for live, active cultures with no artificial ingredients, sweeteners, or preservatives.
Add some fresh berries or fruit to the yogurt and give your tail-wagger a doggy sundae.
Plop an appropriate amount of yogurt in your dog’s dinner bowl along with their regular dog kibble.
Freeze a mixture of fresh fruits and plain yogurt in ice cube trays or a treat toy. This cools your dog down and keeps them busy for a while.
Smoothies are tasty treats that dogs love. Blend yogurt and your dog’s favorite fresh fruits and vegetables for a delightful mid-day nutritional boost.
Here are some DIY dog treats made with yogurt I found online:
Many Dogs Are Lactose Intolerant
The lactose in yogurt could also cause trouble for your dog. Like humans, some dogs don’t make enough of the digestive enzyme lactase that’s needed to digest milk. While raw milk is full of these enzymes, the pasteurization process destroys them.
If your dog is lactose intolerant, he may experience digestive upset when he eats yogurt. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include:
If you give your dog dairy products and he experiences these symptoms, cut out the dairy.
Bacteria Levels
Yogurt that is safe for human consumption has been pasteurized, meaning it was heated to kill bacteria and pathogens. However, the process itself may not completely eliminate all bad bacteria. Or, the temperature may be too high that the good bacteria get killed in the process.
