More and more dog owners are getting into a new emerging trend: goat’s milk for dogs. This dairy has many health benefits dogs can enjoy, such as a healthy digestive system and protection against debilitating diseases.
Let us dive in deeper to find out what the hype is all about and if you should start adding it to your dog’s diet.
Why Give Your Pooch Goat’s Milk?
Is goat milk good for dogs? Yes, goat’s milk is good for dogs. A nutrient-rich drink, it provides numerous amazing health benefits. Some of the most popular include:
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Helps Prevent Several Diseases.
What does goat milk do for dogs? Goat’s milk protects dogs from the risk of developing certain illnesses, particularly kidney problems, liver disease, cardiac issues, cancer, and various cognitive and neurological disorders.
Goat’s milk is an excellent source of fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin B6, niacin, calcium, and the antioxidant selenium. This potent combination of nutrients increases the immune-boosting properties of goat’s milk for dogs.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Is Good for the Digestive System.
One of the most notable health benefits of goat’s milk for dogs is its significantly high prebiotic levels. This dairy product contains 6 times the amount of natural prebiotics than cow’s milk.
Goat’s milk helps pooches maintain healthy digestive tracts. Its powerful prebiotics aids in balancing good bacteria and bad bacteria in their gut.
Fermenting goat’s milk for dogs will increase its probiotic content. The process converts milk carbs to oligosaccharides, which is a common prebiotic. Kefir and yogurt made from goat’s milk are good examples of this.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Is Highly Digestible.
Many dairy products are difficult to digest for most dogs. For instance, it takes around 3 hours for their stomach to break down cow’s milk.
However, this is not the case for goat’s milk. It is easily digestible. Canines can digest this dairy product within 20 minutes.
This is all thanks to the small fat molecules of goat’s milk for dogs. Since these are 1/5 the size of those in cow’s milk, most pooches can drink goat’s milk without experiencing stomach problems afterward.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Lowers Lactose Intolerance Risk.
Dogs commonly develop lactose intolerance as they grow older. Thus, many of them tend to suffer from side effects after consuming a dairy product, which often contains high levels of lactose.
However, dogs consuming raw goat’s milk will less likely have intolerance because it is rich in lactase enzyme, which counteracts the lactose found in dairy.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Is Less Likely to Cause Dairy Allergies.
Dairy allergy is a common issue in dogs, much like lactose intolerance. This condition is brought by the milk sugars in dairy, which come in 2 main forms: A1 beta-casein and A2 beta-casein.
A1 beta-casein is the primary cause of inflammation that initiates allergic reactions in pooches. Cow’s milk contains loads of this type of casein.
On the other hand, A2 beta-casein is observed to be easier to digest, which goat’s milk is mainly composed of. Hence, it is a better option for dairy-allergic dogs than cow’s milk.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Is Loaded with Essential Amino Acids.
Amino acids are crucial to the overall health of dogs. Various parts of their body, including their brain and immune system, require amino acids to function properly.
Goat’s milk houses 10 essential amino acids that canines need, such as arginine, methionine, and tryptophan. It is also worth noting that goat’s milk for dogs offers more essential amino acids compared to cow’s milk.
Is Goat’s Milk Potentially Harmful to Dogs?
While goat’s milk for dogs has many health benefits, it also has a few disadvantages. Looking into these drawbacks will help you assess if goat’s milk is a suitable addition to your dog’s diet.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Can Still Trigger Intolerance and Allergies.
Giving goat’s milk to lactose-intolerant or dairy-allergic dogs does not mean that no adverse effects will occur.
Some pooches are more sensitive to casein and lactose than others. Thus, they may have digestive issues after consuming goat’s milk.
As with any dairy product, slowly introduce goat’s milk to your dog. Start by feeding him in small amounts. If he subsequently shows any symptoms of lactose intolerance or dairy allergies, goat milk is not for him.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Can Cause Certain Health Issues.
Is too much goat milk bad for dogs? Consuming goat’s milk excessively is bad for dogs. It can make them easily gain weight and also puts them in danger of developing pancreatitis.
This is all due to its fat and calorie content, which is significantly higher compared to cow’s milk. When feeding your dog goat’s milk, make sure to decrease his meal portions later in the day to avoid additional calorie intake.
- Goat’s Milk for Dogs Has Unbalanced Nutrient Levels.
Although goat’s milk has extremely dense nutrients, it does not mean that this dairy product completely meets the dietary needs of dogs. For example, goat’s milk has lower amounts of protein and fats compared to dog’s milk.
These disparities may seem small, but they can badly affect a dog’s health in the long run. For this reason, goat’s milk is only intended for supplemental feeding for dogs and cats.
Raw Goat’s Milk vs. Pasteurized Goat’s Milk for Dogs
Goat’s milk comes in 2 forms: raw and pasteurized. Both of them have pros and cons.
Raw goat’s milk for dogs is a great addition to a pet’s raw diet since it contains more enzymes, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. However, it is also highly at risk of bacterial contamination, which is very common in raw food.
Pasteurization eliminates the bacteria in raw goat’s milk. However, the process is believed to diminish the concentration of nutrients.
Some experts claim that pasteurized goat’s milk is also harder for a dog to digest.
Due to conflicting information about this, more research is needed to come up with a clear answer.
Between the 2 options, raw goat’s milk for dogs is better. To decrease the dangers of bacterial contamination, search for a reputable source of high-quality goat’s milk for dogs.
Make sure that they observe stringent sanitation methods and ethical farming of goats. These 2 factors greatly affect the cleanliness and quality of the milk. Consider opting for pasteurized goat’s milk for dogs if you cannot find a trustworthy source.
How Much Goat’s Milk Can Dogs Have?
Can dogs drink goat’s milk every day? Yes, dogs can have goat’s milk daily. Just make sure to limit the amount they consume. Keep in mind that it serves as a nutritional supplement. Thus, goat’s milk should not be a large part of your pooch’s daily meals.
Below is the recommended serving amount of goat’s milk according to a dog’s size:
- Dogs under 9 kilos (20 pounds) – 2 ounces of goat’s milk a day
- Dogs between 9–18 kilos (20–40 pounds) – 4 ounces of goat’s milk a day
- Dogs between 22–36 kilos (50–80 pounds) – 8 ounces of goat’s milk a day
- Dogs over 36 kilos (80 pounds) – 10 ounces of goat’s milk a day
Can Puppies Have Goat’s Milk?
Yes, puppies can have goat’s milk too. In fact, goat’s milk for puppies can be used as a milk replacer. However, this should only be a temporary solution as goat’s milk does not offer sufficient daily nutrients that puppies need.
Keep in mind to offer goat’s milk in small amounts to avoid upsetting your dog’s digestive system. Look out for symptoms of lactose intolerance or dairy allergies too.
The manifestation of diarrhea, vomiting, hives, itchiness, breathing difficulties, and flatulence are signs that your pooch may be suffering from either of the 2 conditions. Take him to the vet immediately for treatment.
How to Feed Your Dog Goat’s Milk
You can soften your dog’s dry food by splashing some goat’s milk on it. Are his meals freeze-dried? Instead of pouring water to rehydrate it, consider using goat’s milk.
Most dogs love homemade treats, so why not include goat’s milk in the recipe? If you want to give him a refreshing treat during hot seasons, try freezing goat’s milk into several cubes. It is a quick and simple snack to make.