You probably have thought of giving your furry friend a cold treat on a hot summer’s day. Frozen yogurt, ice cream, or nice cream are popular among human foods. But can pet owners share these with their pets? Let’s find out why or why not they are safe for dogs.
Can Dogs Eat Frozen Yogurt?
Yes, dogs can eat frozen yogurt. When choosing frozen treats in summer for dogs, it should be on the top of the list. It is safe and provides many health benefits if fed rightly. Most dogs love this sweet treat. Though there are some things that should be kept in mind before giving the dog frozen yogurt, all of them are explained in the article.
Is Shop-bought Frozen Yogurt Safe?
No, commercial frozen yogurt should never be added to dog food. Their sugar content is higher than the dog’s daily requirement. In fact, dogs’ bodies don’t need added sugars and artificial sweeteners at all. Too much sugar can make the dog obese. Obesity can further lead to diabetes and increased blood sugar levels. In addition, if a dog is not provided with a sufficient amount of insulin, high blood sugar can damage other organs, including kidneys, heart, and eyes.
Dogs eat fruits, and the sugars inside them don’t harm. This is because natural sugars don’t pose any harm; the added sugars put the dog’s health at risk. Too much sugar can also cause dental decay. It can cause cavities and weaken the tooth enamel.
Can Dogs Eat Homemade Frozen Yogurt?
You can make your dog frozen yogurt at home. Not only would it be tasty but also healthy. Choose some slices of frozen fruit. Avoid avocado or any other fruit that is not considered safe for dogs. Take plain yogurt; it’s better if it is low in fats. There is no need to add sugars; fruit sweetness would be enough for dogs. Take a food processor and blend the mixture. Freeze it, thaw it for a few minutes, and serve your dog on a hot day.
Can Dogs Have Flavored Frozen Yogurt?
Dog owners might be fond of flavored frozen yogurt. But they need to know that most are not safe for dogs. Let’s have a look at the popular ones.
Peanut Butter Froze Yogurt
According to the American Kennel Club, a dog can eat peanut butter in moderate amounts, as long as it is free of xylitol. It is an artificial sweetener that is added in the place of sugar and is considered safe for diabetic patients. However, the compound is toxic to dogs and can cause poisoning in them. The poisoning starts showing its symptoms within 10 minutes of ingestion, including; diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, liver failure, seizures, and collapse. In short words, peanut butter frozen yogurt can be a great treat for dogs as long as it is free of xylitol and the quantity is small.
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
Chocolate is highly toxic to dogs. A healthy treat like frozen yogurt should not be made toxic by adding chocolate to it. It has a compound named theobromine, which is used as a heart stimulant in human medicines. If a dog eats chocolate, his heart rate, and breathing rate increase. He is unable to metabolize the compound and thus suffers vomiting and diarrhea. Accompanied by panting, excessive thirst, and frequent urination, the whole situation is called chocolate poisoning in dogs. It needs to be treated as soon as the symptoms appear because, in severe cases, it can cause muscle tremors, seizures, and heart failure.
It shows chocolate frozen yogurt is not safe; it is harmful to the pet.
Raspberry Frozen Yogurt
Other than the above two flavors, there is another popular flavor of frozen yogurt: raspberry. It is entirely safe for dogs. Raspberries are loaded with minerals, vitamins, fibers, and antioxidants. All these nutrients help dogs get better health. Antioxidants can avoid many health problems by reducing oxidative stress and boosting the immune system. Hence, raspberry frozen yogurt is perfectly safe for dogs. From color, taste, and smell, everything sounds appealing for dogs.
Toppings
After talking about the safety of certain flavors for pups, there is a need to consider the toppings of frozen yogurt. Before adding them to the frozen treats prepared for the dog, make sure they are safe.
- Chocolate chips or melted milk chocolate dripped over frozen yogurt is not safe for dogs.
- Caramel is high in sugars making dogs prone to obesity, diabetes, and dental problems.
- A little bit of coconut is safe for dogs. Don’t exceed in amount.
- Gummy bears are not safe either, as they are high in sugar content and xylitol.
- While sprinkles are safe for dogs, they are not recommended as they are unhealthy.
- All nuts are not safe for dogs. For example, almonds, pistachios, and macadamia nuts are considered toxic for dogs. While cashews, peanuts, and hazelnuts are safe for dogs.
- Mini cookies are high in fats and sugars and can make the dog sick.
Health Benefits of Frozen Yogurt
Frozen yogurt is almost as rich in its nutritional value as regular yogurt. Since it is a lower calorie dessert as compared to the others like pastries and ice cream etc., it does not pose many obesity risks to your pup. Yogurt contains most of the nutrients which are required by the dog’s body. It is rich in important vitamins and minerals like Calcium, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Cobalamin, and magnesium. All of these help in keeping the dog’s teeth and bones in a good shape.
Frozen yogurt is also rich in proteins; 100 g serving of it contains almost 4g protein. Proteins are essential for each and every cell of the dog to build their structures and maintain their functions. They support the dog’s metabolism too. F frozen yogurt also contains probiotics just like the regular one, apart from these and other nutrients. The ‘good bacteria’ like Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus in yogurt keep the digestive system healthy by assisting in digestion and easing bowel movement.
What Quantity of Frozen Yogurt Can a Dog Have?
Most dogs love this sweet cool treat and will eat whatever quantity is available to them. Before you let your four-legged friend eat frozen yogurt, you must know how much is safe for him. For a small dog, 1 or 2 teaspoons are enough. For a large-sized dog, you can add 3 to 4 teaspoons to his bowl. If your dog was not used to eating this treat, feed your dog 1 teaspoon only. Check for the symptoms of stomach pain and gastrointestinal upset. If the dog remains healthy and fit, you can add more frozen yogurt to dog food.
Can All Dogs Have Frozen Yogurt?
There are 2 answers to this question.
No, lactose intolerant dogs cannot have frozen yogurt. In fact, they cannot have any dairy products at all. Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a dog lacks the enzyme needed to digest lactose (milk sugar). Yogurt is a dairy product too and has lactose. Within thirty minutes or two hours of ingestion of yogurt or any other dairy product, they show symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, abdominal pain, weakness, and weight loss.
The second answer is yes. All dogs can have frozen yogurt. For the dogs with lactose intolerance, use lactose-free yogurt. This alternative is completely safe for dogs. While buying, watch out for ingredients and never buy the one with added sugars and sweeteners.
Is Frozen Yogurt Better Than Ice Cream?
Frozen yogurt is far a better option than ice cream to feed your dog. It has a low-fat content in it and also a low caloric content. If you find ice cream a fatty dessert to feed your obese dog, you can give him frozen yogurt once in a while. Although it has a bit high sugar level than ice cream, frozen yogurt is considerably lighter in calories. Moreover, homemade frozen yogurt is a much safer option because ice cream usually contains artificial flavors, chemical additives, and artificial sweeteners like xylitol, which can cause toxicity in your dog.
Another plus point of feeding frozen yogurt to dogs as a dessert is that it has less lactose concentration than ice cream. Actually, fermenting the milk in the procedure minimizes the quantity of lactose in the frozen yogurt. As a result, pups with lactose intolerance may find frozen yogurt easier to digest than ice cream.
Conclusion
You can feed your dog frozen yogurt. It is perfectly safe for him and provides many benefits. All you need to do is to keep the dangerous ingredients away from this treat. For example, chocolate is toxic to a furry friend. Similarly, many toppings are not safe either. Therefore, feeding the frozen dog yogurt bought from the store is not safe; make the safe treat at home and serve your dog. Use lactose-free milk for a lactose intolerant dog. Moreover, feed in small amounts only.
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