Can I give my dog lactose free milk?

Lactose free milk may seem like a healthy change of pace for your dog. After all, pets usually drink only plain old water which seems like a boring beverage. Before you take this line of thinking further, consider some important factors regarding this milk alternative.

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Humans consume a variety of liquids that make sense for them including lactose free milk. The same cannot be said for the family dog. While this type of milk isn’t necessarily harmful, the fact is there’s usually no valid reason to be giving this liquid to a canine.

Nutritionally speaking, your dog isn’t likely to benefit from the milk you may want to share. This is true regardless of the form it comes in, lactose free or not. Sure, your pet pooch may enjoy lapping it up but diarrhea or vomiting is a small possibility.

Can I Give My Dog Lactose Free Milk? Answer: Not Necessary

Pets, with or without lactose intolerance, don’t need anything but fresh water in their bowls.

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The merits of milk, even as it applies to people, is continually up for debate. Dogs, however, benefit most by drinking water since it’s the best way for them to stay well-hydrated. Of course, there are always exceptions. Such special situations, warranting any kind of milk, should be confirmed by a vet. Under normal circumstances, it is inappropriate to be supplementing your dog’s liquid intake with lactose free milk.

Dogs & The Lactose Factor

Most dogs are not lactose intolerant, and the ones that are are mostly just sensitive to lactose. It’s very rare to find a dog that can’t handle a little bit of milk and dairy products without an upset stomach. But giving your dog milk or dairy is a very unnatural thing for them, and would never happen out in the wild.

Why is a comparison to wild dogs so important? Because even though dogs have lived with humans for quite some time, they’re still very similar in genetic make-up to their wild counterparts. Dogs get some lactose when they’re puppies by drinking their mom’s milk, but they don’t stay on it long enough to make it a permanent part of their digestive system.

When Milk Matters

Puppies have no trouble drinking their mother’s milk, but quickly wean themselves off of it and no longer need milk of any sort from that day on.

No matter how desperate and hungry a wolf or a coyote gets, you won’t find them running up to a cow to try and get some milk. Instead they’d just kill the cow and eat it. It may sound gruesome but it’s the natural order of things, and it would take thousands more years to get dogs to start producing the enzymes needed to properly handle milk as adults.

It’s Not Trouble-Free

Lactose free milk was created for humans that are lactose intolerant, or have a sensitivity to it. Since we’re the only species around that drinks another species’ milk, it’s big business to cater to those that still want to drink milk, even though their body is naturally rejecting it.

There’s no evidence anywhere that a dog needs to drink milk after they’re a newborn puppy, and so you don’t have to go out of your way to make sure that your dog gets some. Your dog doesn’t need regular milk or the lactose-free kind because they’re getting all of their nutrients and vitamins from their regular chow.

Conclusion on Lactose Free Milk

Your dog does not need to be consuming lactose-free milk. It’s not a suitable liquid to provide them with, even as a treat. If you want to give your pet pooch something different then consider a healthy food instead any type of milk product. This is true regardless of if your dog is lactose intolerance or not.

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