Is Soy Milk Safe for Dog and Cats?
Mother’s milk is always the best option when it comes to milk for pets.
However, at times when the mother is not available to feed her puppy, there is a wide range of dairy milk options that comes to our mind. These are cow milk, goat milk, soy milk, almond milk, and many more.
Although drinking milk is absolutely safe for pets like cats, kittens, puppies, and dogs, some of these options are hard to digest and hence not recommended on regular basis.
Here in this article, we will try to find out what are the best milk options to give to your dog/puppies, without affecting their health adversely.
Can Dogs Drink Cow Milk?
Regular cow’s milk for puppies can develop sinus problems; diarrhea or tummy aches as some dogs and cats face difficulty in digesting lactose (naturally occurring sugar in dairy products).
Not only for dogs, but lactose is many times hard to digest for humans as well as for other animals like cats.
If you want to give cow milk to your dog occasionally, this will not be a problem for them.
However, if they show a sign of allergy or intolerance you should stop feeding them with cow’s milk and try something else.
Note: Red itchy skin after drinking the milk can be a sign of allergy while loose stools and other digestive issues can be a sign of intolerance to lactose.
Can Dogs and Cats Drink Soy Milk?
Soy milk is a good non-dairy plant-based milk alternative for cats, dogs, and puppies. In fact, most of the commercial pet foods are made of soy as it is an excellent source of protein and is less expensive than animal-based proteins.
But do you know, too much intake of soy can lead to serious health issues in pets? This is due to the fact that it contains proteins called isoflavones.
According to many nutritionists, isoflavones can have positive health benefits for humans and can therefore be good for dogs too.
Feeding your dog and cats with large quantities of soy milk is therefore not good, you can however give it in moderate quantities as an occasional treat.
Can Dogs Eat Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce also called soya sauce appears as a brown, salty liquid is made from fermented soybeans, salt, water, and sometimes roasted grains.
Most of the dog foods available in the market contain soy products, so many of us are with the conception that soy sauce is good for dogs. But, it is wrong. Soy sauce has a high quantity of sodium which is not healthy for dogs.
If a dog intakes more than a teaspoon of soy sauce regularly, it may lead to salt poisoning or kidney damage. Salt poisoning in dogs is fatal as it results in neurological issues.
Can Dogs Eat Soy Yoghurt?
Soy yogurt or Sogurt is basically yogurt prepared with soy milk adding yogurt bacteria and has a low level of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Yogurt is rich in calcium and protein, but also contains additives that cannot be included in a dog’s diet. Whereas, soy yogurt given in limited quantity is less harmful to dogs as it is prepared from soy milk containing vegetable source protein.
Can I Feed My Dog Soy Chunks?
Soy chunks are texturized vegetable source protein obtained from soybeans at the time of extraction of soya-bean oil. It is a defatted soy flour product.
Vegetarians or vegans feed their dogs with soy chunks as a substitute for meat or eggs. It is good for your dog as it is rich in vegetable source protein and easily digestible.
But, it is always good to feed your dogs and cats with a limited quantity of it as too many soy chunks can make your dog lethargic.
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein Dog Food
Hydrolyzed soy proteins are acquired from the hydrolysis of soy plants. It enhances flavors and is so used in soups, spices, sauces, and snacks due to its high sodium levels.
Hydrolyzed soy protein dog food is the best choice for dogs that are sensitive to food reactions including gastrointestinal or dermatology skin infections.
Diets with soy protein substitutes hydrolyzed dog food protein helping in providing balanced nutrition for dogs and cats.
Moreover, hydrolyzed soy protein diets help to treat colitis, idiopathic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, otitis externa, and short bowel syndrome in dogs.
It helps food-allergic dogs by providing some of the small protein molecules that can make an allergic reaction almost impossible.
Also, hydrolyzed soy is used as hypoallergenic alternatives to the whole food forms of these protein sources and is often used in sensitive skin diets to fight against food allergies.
These hydrolyzed soy proteins are usually consumed along with potato, rice, or cornstarch which acts as the carbohydrate source.
What Kind Of Milk Can Puppies Drink?
According to veterinary nutritionists feeding your dog and cat with large amounts of milk can lead to problems such as obesity and pancreatitis, as it contains a lot of fat and sugar.
Hence Milk should only be given to dogs, cats, and newborn puppies as an occasional treat and not as a regular diet.
Milk such as almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, goat milk, etc. can also prove hazardous to dogs if given daily in large quantities. Remember that moderation is key when it comes to feeding your dog and puppies with milk or other types of dairy products.
Commercial milk replacers or fat evaporated cow’s milk is, therefore, the only good alternative for newborn puppies as these are completely safe for them.
When at times the mother is not available for nursing her puppy, a commercial milk replacer is best for them as compared to various other types of milk.
Here are some of the best milk replacers for puppies you can try out:
- Esbilac Puppy Milk Replacement Powder made of vegetable oil and the milk-based formula is rich in vitamins and minerals,
- Nutri-Vet Milk Replacement for Puppies which is full of vitamins, minerals, and proteins containing amino acids,
- Goat’s Milk Esbilac which is dried whole goat milk rich in vitamins and minerals,
- Petlac Milk Powder for Puppies rich in vitamins and minerals is made of vegetable oil and cow’s dry skimmed milk and
- Manna Pro Nurse All Non-Medicated Milk Replacer, rich in protein derived from milk products, vitamins, and minerals
These are the few best commercial milk replacers for your newborn puppy. We are sure that they will certainly love these.
