PETE WEDDERBURN Animal Doctor
dark chocolate to their pets. But the problem with making a hullabaloo about an innocent situation like this is that many people realise that the risk is negligible, and this undermines the opinions of the experts who have been quoted. People then stop trusting similar reports in the future, when there may be a genuinely dangerous situation in the spotlight.
What about the other aspect of the story: the risk of feeding ice cream – a dairy product- to dogs. Again, a load of nonsense has been spouted about this. Most dogs are perfectly able to digest milk products, including ice cream. The specific milk sugars (lactose) and milk proteins have been consumed by dogs living beside humans for thousands of years, without problems. Most dogs are easily able to digest them, and to benefit from their nutritional value.
A very small number of dogs may be unable to digest milk products, and for this tiny proportion of the canine population, milk should be avoided. But to say that dairy products should never be given to any dog is sensationalist nonsense which is not true. Again, this sort of hysteria undermines the credibility of authoritative sources of information. The standard veterinary advice about dairy products is that it’s fine to offer them to most dogs, as long as they are limited to less than 10% of the daily food intake. This is the same general rule that applies to all treats. And of course, if milk upset your dog’s digestive system previously, don’t offer it again. That’s just common sense.
There’s a similar rumour circulating about feeding cereal grains to dogs, suggesting that there is somehow something wrong with doing this. You can even buy “grain free” pet food. Yet there is no evidence of any reason to avoid feeding grain: dogs evolved to be able to digest grain many thousands of years ago. Yes, a small number of dogs may have an allergic reaction to protein in grain, just as some humans are sensitive to gluten. If this happens, those dogs should be fed on a diet that avoids that ingredient. But there is no reason for a typical healthy dog to be fed a grain-free diet. As before, common sense has more truth than these myths.
If you have any questions about choosing safe treats for pets, Pete is hosting a live question and answer session on Wednesday 3rd August from 7pm on the Pedigree Ireland Facebook Page.