Milk for dogs?

Life Pets & Other Animals
#1

The vet suggested I give Toto some milk, preferably the stuff they give to puppies. He says he’s low on calcium according to his latest bloodwork.

To tell you the truth, I feel a bit uneasy about following this advice. I had read that you shouldn’t give cats milk -though mine back home loves condensed milk and ice cream, yeah I know, both awful, but only very occassional treats- and I had never seen anyone giving dogs milk. But what do I know? I never had any dogs before!

My friends at the doggie park tell me they give cow milk to their Shiba Inu everyday. Milk for puppies is so expensive! However, I saw that at the pet shop they also have goat milk for pets. :eh:

I’d rather give him bones but he’s got bad teeth. Any ideas?

Oh, his potassium is also low.

#2

Maybe he means dog’s milk, not cow’s milk. You should be able to buy powdered milk in any pet shop.

#3

My problem with it is that Toto is an adult dog. Are there other viable sources of calcium?

#4

[quote=“Icon”]My problem with it is that Toto is an adult dog.[/quote]Your vet suggested you give him the stuff they give to puppies, that is the powdered milk in pet shops. Maybe you should ask your vet for clarification.
You could always ask another vet. I don’t think anyone one here is qualified.

#5

How about whipped cream? :laughing:

#6

my friend, giving milk to dogs is not bad, i give milk to mine (american pitbull) actually not pure milk, i mix maybe 1/5 parts of milk with 4/5 parts of water with his meals (2 every day), and its a very strong dog and in good condition, i also give him one spoon of olive oil on the meal ones every 2 or 3 months, its good for his coat, pitbulls tend to have very sensitive skin and hair and its better to take care of it…
the issue with the milk is that if u give him too much then his poop will be a bit loose, and u dont want that, the other thing is that now my dog wont eat if the liquit that i put on his food is not a little white (i think that maybe he doesnt distinguish if its white, but the smell helps lol)
i did the same with my previous dog, (boxer) and it was also the same issues with him…

#7

lactose intolerance.

puppy milk is low lactose product made from cow’s milk. nobody actually milks lactating bitches of their excess milk and then bottles it. sheesh.

mind you, there’s a good business idea, StrayDog and Bob…

#8

[quote=“Maoman”]How about whipped cream? :laughing:

[/quote]

Oh, Maoman, that’s cruel! How is he going to reach for it? :lick: :laughing:

#9

Omerojs,
Yep, I guess if the doggie is healthy, a milky treat should be all right.

Urodacus,
Not to say the danger of melamine contamination… Better have natural milk, directly from the bitch!

BFM,
The doctor is very capable, but I’ve always had vets here -and human docs- tell me the darnest things… so I practice a healthy questioning of everything they say.

#10

Cow’s milk is high in lactase and will cause bowel problems; give goat’s milk instead, if you really must give milk.

But bones are far better for your dog, as they have all the right minerals, vitamins, etc. in perfect balance, including calcium and phosphorous. It’s essential you get the ratios spot on with the last two: 1.2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorous - which is exactly the ratio you find in raw bones.

Ask your vet what Toto’s phosphorous levels are. Otherwise, you may be giving an unhealthy imbalance of calcium and phosphorous.

So, if your dog has bad teeth, try smashing the bones up for him. But I’ve fed whole raw chicken legs/wings/carcasses to dogs with rotten teeth, some with very few teeth, and some with only half a lower jaw (permanently dislodged) and they all learn to work their way through. This is good for them, as it strengthens their teeth, massages the gums, gives them a full-body workout, and entertains and stimulates them for at least short while.

I wouldn’t give milk or calcium supplements unless they provide the right ratios of calcium and phosphorous, but far better in my opinion to provide raw bones instead.

#11

Mmm… I was thinking maybe the carcass part -empty breast , ribs are- would be a nice start, but I do not know how to entice him to eat those. He is rather used to chicken jerky.

#12

He relies on you to make healthy choices for him. Dogs won’t say no to anything after a few days (and then they learn to love what’s good for them :wink: ).

#13

Yep, I am still trying to master the art of being the Master… :roflmao:

I am way too used to cats.

#14

What? No one has brought up this scene from Red Dwarf yet?

tw.youtube.com/watch?v=dhjGXCk-RVU