Should You Add Yogurt To Your Dog's Diet?

While your dog may share many of the same traits as you, such as loving food and lazing around every so often, your dog doesn't share quite the same dietary requirements. Dogs need to avoid starchy foods like potatoes and they might die if they eat chocolate. So choosing what to feed them and what not to feed them isn’t always a straightforward decision. Yogurt however, is a food that some medical professionals and owners swear by. This article will look at the benefits yogurt can offer your dog and give you tips on how to supplement their diet with it.

Probiotic Power

One reason you should consider adding yogurt to your dog’s diet is that yogurt is packed with probiotic components. Probiotics stimulate the growth of healthy microorganisms in the gut. This makes them ideal for your dog’s overall health in a number of ways.

Firstly, they promote intestinal flora, helping your dog’s digestive tract work efficiently. But by stimulating the growth of healthy bacteria, they can also help bolster your dog’s ability to fight off a range of ailments. So if you’re looking for a safe, straightforward way to boost your dog’s health, then utilizing the probiotic power of yogurt could be a smart move.

High in Calcium and Protein

Another benefit of yogurt, highlighted in a 2004 report by the U.S. Department of Health, is that it’s rich in calcium and protein. Calcium is essential for your dog’s diet, particularly in young dogs, as it helps with the bone growth process. It also helps prevent osteoporosis later on in life, so for its calcium content alone, it could be a worthy addition to your dog’s menu.

Yogurt is also rich in protein. Protein helps your dog’s muscles and limbs grow strong and stay healthy. If your dog does lots of exercise, the protein found in yogurt will help maintain his physique. As an added bonus, protein also encourages your dog’s metabolism, which can help your dog keep off any extra weight.

How Much Do You Add and When?

If you are unsure of whether to add yogurt to your dog’s diet, your local vet will be able to offer you guidance. If you do want to add yogurt to their diet, it is important to give them a healthy amount and to avoid yogurts that have artificial sweeteners in or added sugars.

Experts suggest adding one to three large tablespoons of yogurt to your dog’s meals each day, depending on their size. Just mix the yogurt into their food and feed it to them as usual. If your dog is overweight, it’s advisable to use fat-free yogurt to prevent them piling on any extra pounds.

The Yogurt Conclusion

Whilst yogurt may seem like a distinctly human food, it is packed full of benefits that could help your dog. The probiotic power of yogurt can help with your dog’s digestion, as well as aid in the battle against a range of other ailments. It is also rich in calcium and protein, both of which can help keep your dog’s bones and muscles strong. If you do decide to supplement your dog’s diet with yogurt, feed them a small amount depending on their size and avoid artificial flavors or added sugar.