Is Sour Cream Bad for Dogs & Puppies to Have?
Dogs also know what tastes good, and they want some, even if it is human food. It can make cute and irresistible puppy eyes at you when you eat a nice meal. As humans, it seems we’ve been wired to always let dogs have their way, but as a good pet owner, it is best to be discerning.
However, as a dog owner, never give your pet any meal until you have thoroughly researched it.
Lucky for us, sour cream isn’t harmful to the health of your dog. Is it then ok for your dog to lick the spoon you used to cream your fajitas? Or is it alright to let your dogs have a taste of sour cream as part of their food-toppings?
Truth be told, sour cream does not hurt your dog, rather, it can be of health benefit to your dog. But it should be given to your dog with utmost caution and moderation. There are also exceptional cases where you would prefer to avoid feeding your dog with sour cream.
Let us dive into some details regarding this subject, shall we?
Is It Safe for Your Dogs to Eat Sour Cream?
The answer to this question is naturally yes. Never has sour cream been known to be toxic to canines, especially to healthy ones. Like many other new foods that you want to introduce to your dog, sour cream should be introduced slowly.
The reason for the slow introduction is to ensure that your dog is well observed for any signs of digestive problems. Regardless of the food you are introducing, rapid introduction always harms your dog. Signs of digestive problems include vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach upset.
On What Occasion Should You Not Feed Your Dog Sour Cream?
There are two times when you should not feed your dogs with sour cream; the first is when your dog is lactose intolerant. Never give sour cream to any of your dogs that are lactose intolerant. This condition is prevalent among dogs, especially during their transition from puppy to adult.
Signs of digestive problems from gas to diarrhea and vomiting are usually seen among lactose intolerant dogs who eat sour cream. The reason for this is that sour cream comprises lactose and is a dairy by-product.
How do you know that your dog is lactose intolerant? Check out how well they do with milk since milk is of higher lactose levels than sour cream. If they can take milk with none of these symptoms, sour cream poses no threat.
The second time when you should avoid feeding your dogs with sour cream is when they are already overweight. Sour cream contains high levels of calories and fat most especially; it also causes overfeeding easily for your dog.
Never keep sour cream within the range of your obese dog, as it can overload your dog with fat.
Are There Any Benefits of Sour Cream for Your Dog?
The primary reason most people get to eat sour cream is to have a feel of the texture and the taste. However, sour cream can also be a nutritious meal for both our dogs and us.
Like other typical dairy products, sour cream is rich in calcium, which is very helpful for bones and teeth development. Although sour cream isn’t the richest source of calcium for your dog since it contains 13mg of calcium for every serving.
Other minerals and vitamins that your dog can also get from sour cream include sodium, Iron, Phosphorus, and many others. These elements do not give your dog any notable benefit, especially when in trace amounts.
Some Drawbacks to Feeding Your Dogs Sour Cream
Are there any downsides to feeding your dogs with sour cream? In this section, we are going to give you just the right answer.
Like every other dog treat, sour cream should be given in moderation. For you to prevent having an overweight dog, do not overfeed your dog with sour cream. An overweight dog as a result of feeding with sour cream can arise for two major reasons; high fat and high calories.
High-Calorie Content
For every two tablespoons of sour cream in a small serving, the calorie content is usually between 60-90 in total. The implication of this is that for every one bite of sour cream, you get to take in a lot of calories.
High-Fat Content
Calories are not the only headache that can be faced while trying o keep your dog healthy and giving it a delightful treat. The heartache is that the origin of the calories is from saturated fat. To make matters even worse, no single protein is present in the sour cream for your dog.
What you’ll just be feeding your dog with is just pure fat. A much healthier meal for your dog is peanut butter, since it has better protein content as compared to sour cream.
Sour Cream Alternatives
There are other alternatives you can offer your dog aside from a full-fat sour cream. One of such is a lite sour cream. This type of sour cream has been known to have less fat and less calorie and is a better alternative as compared to the above.
The lite version also has very high protein content as compared to the regular one and can be beneficial to your dog.
Another alternative sour cream is the organic type. This kind of sour cream has more healthy fatty acids (omega), which are a plus to your dog’s health.
Yogurts contain probiotics that are very beneficial to the intestine of your dog. Therefore, plain yogurts are an excellent alternative, as they would give extra benefits that are not found in sour cream. By offering your dog yogurt, you will be introducing a healthy level of protein to your dog meal, which is a plus.
Finally, giving your dogs treats is not harmful to them; there are better alternatives, and you should always feed your dogs in moderation.
