Can Puppies Drink Milk?
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| Can Puppies Drink Milk |
Since newborn puppies have no teeth and their gastrointestinal tract cannot yet fully process thick fibers and fats that are difficult to digest, they need milk to feed. Also, using breast milk, the pup is formed by an immune system, and calcium and phosphorus, which are part of these foods, help the dog to build a strong skeleton and strong bone teeth.
There is a special enzyme called lactase that breaks down milk protein in a puppy's body, and when the dog becomes an adult, it produces little and sometimes is completely absent. Therefore, the main indication of drinking milk is the early age of the animal.
That is why dogs should drink exactly dog milk so that the milk is absorbed. Babies at an early stage of development cannot digest foreign proteins contained in beef or goat's milk whey; therefore, only breast milk is optimal for them during breastfeeding. If you start feeding your puppy with an alien dairy product, it will cause various digestive disorders and digestibility of food; the animal will experience a nutritional deficiency necessary to maintain it.
Contraindications to the use of milk in dog food are a violation of the digestive system, accompanied by loose stools, and dairy products are also contraindicated if the animal has acute poisoning or intestinal infection. Milk in this situation will only aggravate the pathological processes and will not bring any benefit to the dog's body. A healthy adult animal can drink milk, but this should be done infrequently, as there is a risk of allergies or diarrhea.
Any milk contains in its composition an increase in the number of calcium ions. There are dog breeds, in the body of which there is a tendency for oxalate formation in the use of dairy products. Oxalates are pebble-shaped mineral deposits of various sizes and are found in the kidneys of a dog with urolithiasis. The oxalate pebbles inside the kidney, under certain conditions, have mobility and cause pain to the animal. Also, pebbles can block the lumen of the ureters, causing acute urinary retention in the animal's body, with subsequent symptoms of increasing intoxication. Most of all yorks, miniature schnauzers, dwarf species poodles, Shih Tzu and bichon frize are prone to oxalate formation. The use of fermented milk and dairy products is completely contraindicated for these breeds after stopping breastfeeding.
Some breeds of dogs after taking milk suffer from an allergic reaction. This problem usually affects white animals. The most prone allergies are considered to be setters, bulldogs, boxers, terriers, and Dalmatians. Pugs, lapdogs, and papillons are highly susceptible to milk protein.
In certain breeds of dogs, after consuming milk, severe bowel swelling begins due to gas formation. German shepherds have this reaction to milk proteins. So that the animal does not develop diarrhea or dehydration, these dogs in the adult, knowing their body characteristics, do not give milk at all.
The milk in the dog's body can be done in different ways. For example, puppies, after 20 days of life, are moistened with white breadcrumbs or milk boiled cereals to feed.
Some adult individuals are utterly indifferent to dairy and even refuse to use them themselves, but some dogs have preserved their love of milk since childhood. In this case, veterinarians recommend the following points:
to feed pregnant and lactating dogs, it is best to use goat's milk and cow's milk to dilute it with water;
if the dog has a dairy allergy or intolerance, they may be replaced by special lactose-free formulations;
If the animal does not tolerate dairy, the dog must be completely rejected.
Veterinarians believe that in case of poor digestion of milk by the dog's body, it is best to switch to fermented milk products. It is believed that this addition to nutrition is more beneficial for the animal, but only if the fat content of the products does not exceed 1-3%. These products can be cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream or yogurt. Bittersweet food enhances the dog's beneficial intestinal microflora and stimulates its work.
Yogurt or dairy ice cream for dogs at any age is not recommended as these products contain high levels of sugar, starch, dyes, and fats. Cream with a fat content of up to 10% can only be used diluted when feeding puppies who have just been weaned from the mother. In total, the daily rate for a puppy is 1 teaspoon of the whole cream.
Consumption rate
An adult dog, depending on its size and weight, gives half a whole milk to a full glass once a day. Puppies up to 2 months old need 80-100 milliliters of milk daily, for 2 to 4 months. 220-250 milliliters of milk are allowed and after 4 months veterinarians advise babies to drink kefir but always with proper digestion and proper bowel movement.
In the last weeks of pregnancy and in already nursing dogs to replenish protein and fat components in your body, in addition to improving the lactation process, dairy and dairy products can be added to your main meal. Per day, a nursing dog, depending on its breed and weight, can drink no more than a liter of milk. Of course, for miniature dogs, this maximum allowed volume is much smaller. You can correctly determine the daily dose of milk for your pet, after consulting a veterinarian.
How to choose?
In case you notice your pet's desire to use fresh milk, you can treat it with a special lactose-free product. You can buy this milk at veterinary drug stores or specialty pet stores. This product will not harm an adult animal, it can be safely given to the dog for food, without fear of vomiting, diarrhea or food allergies.
The lactose-free milk line is produced by family feed manufacturers to all dog breeders: Canina, Royal Canin, Nutri-Vet, Brit Kea, Trixie. This product is produced in a sublimated form. Before giving the dog, it must be slightly diluted with warm boiled water. The dilution ratios of each product manufacturer are indicated on the packaging. Dilution of lyophilized powder with water does not impair the taste and aroma of the milk produced, and dogs voluntarily consume a beverage similar at any age.
If you do not have the opportunity to find lactose-free products, choose natural milk, before giving it to your pet, make sure the product is fresh. It is best to buy a goat or whole cow milk from trusted suppliers to know for sure that your animals do not have mastitis, brucellosis or other serious illnesses. In the most appropriate variant, for the safety of your dog's health, the milk he drinks must be pasteurized or boiled.
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