Is it true??

[Lucky_Lover]

I heard that dogs are Lactose Intolerent. Is that true? My friend gives her dogs a bowl of milk everyday sometimes more and she said her dog always has diarea. I told what I heard about dogs being Lactose Intolerent but her younger sister said that thats nottrue is it?

[Love4Pits]

From everything I have heard yes they are. I have always been brought up not to give any of our dogs milk or cheese for the same reason as you have listed. i think it can also cause constipation (im probley not spelling that right). I'd advise her not to give her dog milk anymore and if the dog really likes it then have her think about a milk subsitute maybe.

[Saje]

I think some dogs are and some aren't. Just like people.

There is a theory that I've read that once someone (dog, person...) has been weaned off of dairy their body doesn't accept it as well as it used to. I think that's why a lot of vegans who 'fall off the dairy wagon' have a hard time with it.

[Renee750il]

As Saje says, some are and some aren't. When ours are pups we give them calf milk replacer - lots of good supportive nutrition for big puppies turning into great big dogs without the high fat content. Shiva still loves it and I give her some a couple of times a week, but Kharma has reached the point that she doesn't want any. Bimmer likes to have a taste, but too much gives him a bellyache.

[Mordy]

not all dogs are lactose intolerant period. i have a dachshund who is over 13 years old and has eaten oatmeal prepared with whole, fresh milk for breakfast almost every single day of her life from 8 weeks old on - and she never had a problem.

for dogs who are lactose intolerant, you can still feed fermented products like yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir and so on. all these products have most if not all of the lactose they contained converted by the fermenting bacteria already.

cheese is also okay to feed, but it does have a "plugging up" effect, so moderation is key. :)

[BigDog2191]

I knew milk would give your dog diarreah (sp?) and cat, but I didn't know it would have the same affect with cheese. I always thought that there was some other component in milk that caused it. Hmm...

[Saje]

Same thing with cats. Some things are lactose intolerant and some aren't.