Yogurt, yoghourt or yoghurt is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk, fermented and has less lactose than milk! Yogurt has plenty of benefits to your dog, besides it contains calcium (works to strengthen bones), zinc and other vitamins and minerals. A Good, plain yogurt also contains some bacterial strains (probiotics), that can help improve the digestive system, boost the immunity system and replace the unhealthy bacteria (that lead to some bad symptoms, such as Diarrhea) in your dog’s stomach with good ones. As we said if your dog has diarrhea, infections, bacteria overgrowth or other gastrointestinal issues, a yogurt can help clear and prevent these problems.
Unless your dog doesn’t have a problem with lactose, you can give him yogurt everyday. But if your dog has some negative reactions to dairy products, it’s best to visit your vet before you give your pooch yogurt!
In addition, yoghurt also is a good source of protein, which is a necessity in a dog’s diet.
So to maintain and improve gastrointestinal health, it’s best to give your dog yogurt every day.
P.S: If your dog is prone to weight gain, nonfat plain yogurt can be the best option for him, since it’s low in calories!
How much yogurt to give dog with diarrhea? And without?
Generally, small dog owners give their dogs less of food compared to medium and large dog owners. This is about Yogurts too. Which means you give your dog yogurt, according to his size, weight and daily calorie intake, whether your dog has diarrhea or not.
So how much yogurt to give my dog?
Although yogurt is fine to give to your dog, make sure to avoid overfeeding it, as it can lead to weight gain.
Use plain fat free if your dog is overweight, a fat free yogurt is more or less 15 calories per ounce (Owners should always check the label on the yogurt). Which means a 20 pounds dog such as beagles, french bulldogs and dachshunds, can have up to 2 or 4 ounces of nonfat yoghurt per day (4 to 8 us tablespoons). Otherwise, a regular yogurt is fine, 1 to 2 ounces per day (2 to 4 us tablespoons). Also 1 or 2 tablespoons are enough for puppies. If your puppy is a large breed, you can give him 2 tablespoons per day.
Some dog owners only offer their dogs yogurt couple of times a week, others prefer to only give it if their dogs have yeast infection or they are on antibiotics, cause probiotics help restoring the growth of good bacteria.
Also if you are feeding your dog yoghurt as a treat, you should take into consideration the other treats you give him, as treats cannot be more than 10% of the total calories your dog consumes every day.
Can dogs eat Greek yogurt?
Both regular and Greek yogurt are made from the same ingredients, milk of course and some live cultures of bacteria, the differences between them are, the regular yogurt’s fermented milk is strained 2 times, but the Greek yoghourt is strained 3 times, what makes the Greek yogurt look and taste a little different.
So can dogs eat Greek yogurt? Of course Yes! Actually the Greek yogurt is better and safer for dogs than other types of yoghurt, as it contains more protein, more concentrated levels of probiotics and a high consistency. The probiotics like we said it can help improve the digestive system and also fight yeast infections.
Both regular and Greek yogurt are fine for healthy dogs, but you should choose a brand carefully, as some brands of yogurts contain some ingredients that can be bad and toxic for your dog!
In general, here is a list of thing to take into consideration before buying a yogurt:
- Make sure it’s free of any added sweeteners, both natural and artificial and especially Xylitol! (Even a small amount of xylitol sweetened yogurt is bad for dogs).
- Avoid yogurts with flavoring components.
- Make sure it has no sugar, and it’s loaded up with probiotics.
- Avoid any yogurt that is chocolate flavored (cause chocolate is poisonous to dogs).
- Also avoid Full fat yogurts, low or nonfat yogurts are better.
Quick tip: always read ingredient labels carefully before buying a yogurt for your doggy.
How to Give Your Dog Yogurt?
There are many ways in which you can give your canine yogurt, including adding it to their meals or serving it as a special treat.
- You can just place yogurt in a bowl and serve it to your dog.
- You can mix yogurt with pieces of meat, pieces of fruits or pieces of vegetables such as bananas, apples, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, potatoes, pumpkin and more! (always check if the vegetable or fruit you’re giving your dog is safe for him).
- Also freezing yogurt is a great way to serve it, dogs love it.
Want to give your pup a tasty, refreshing summer treat? Here is a simple and delicious frozen yogurt recipe:
- Grab the ingredients: 1 banana, 6oz (170g) of yogurt (Nonfat Greek yogurt is recommended), 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1/3 cup of blueberries to add in, 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup.
- In a small bowl, place the banana, peanut butter and the yogurt. Mix with a hand mixer until combined.
- Add a tablespoon of honey and blueberries or small pieces of any other fruit to the mixture. And stir to combine.
- Put the mixture in a silicon ice cube mold. And put it in the freezer.
- Once it’s frozen, remove it from the mold, store in a freezer grade container for up to 15 days.
All you have to do now is serve it to your friend on a hot summer day.