Some Pets Unable to Tolerate Dairy Products
My-Dog.info > Dogs, Diet & Food
While milk is not necessary to a dog's (or cat's) diet, it can
be a treat if given from time to time. However, some pets cannot
tolerate milk because they do not produce an enzyme called
lactase. Lactase helps with the digestion of lactose, which is
found in milk. After weaning, the level of lactase activity falls
to about 10 per cent of its peak activity. In some animals,
diarrhea will occur if more lactose (i.e. milk) is consumed than
the pet can digest. This is called "lactose
intolerance".
A further contributing factor is the fact that cow and goat
milk contains 4.5 to 5 per cent lactose, compared to 3.1 per cent
in a bitch's milk (lactating female dogs) and 4.2 per cent in a
queen's milk (lactating female cats). The high level of lactose
in cow's milk can overpower a dog or cat's ability to digest it.
This is why many pups and kittens often get diarrheea from
drinking cow's milk. This does not mean that milk is unhealthy
for dogs and cats. On the contrary, in pets that are able to
tolerate it, milk can be an excellent source of protein and
calcium.
Pets with milk intolerance can still consume dairy products
under certain circumstances. For example, dairy products such as
cheese (including cottage cheese) and unpasteurized yogurt
usually have the lactose removed or have it partially broken down
through bacterial action. As a result, these products are often
well tolerated by cats and dogs that would otherwise get diarrhea
after drinking milk.
It should be stated that neither boiling milk nor the use of
skim milk affects an animal's ability to tolerate milk, since the
lactose content remains unchanged in either case. The same
applies to pasteurized yogurt and cultured milk (e.g.
buttermilk), neither of which is well tolerated by
lactase-deficient pets.
If a dog or cat has loose stools whenever milk is fed, that
pet is likely to be lactose intolerant and milk should be
withheld. It is also wise to advise your veterinarian of this
fact and discuss the potential implications involved with regard
to your pet.
Reprinted with permission from www.animalhealthcare.ca
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