Cheese is something so divine, that anybody who has never had it is seriously missing out on something. My personal favorite is Provolone Cheese that is low in carbohydrates but full in flavor. Sometimes while I am having my meal, my fluffball sits beside me. I give him cheese treats and as the cheese melts in his mouth, the dog goes crazy. This means I use it to control him when he gets aggressive or denies taking meds. However, I thought over and reconsidered the question “Can Dogs eat Provolone Cheese”?
This situation made me question the fact if dogs can have cheese. Cheese is a nutritious food element and it has many minerals. Compared to other types, Provolone Cheese is well tolerated even in lactose intolerant species, so can dogs eat Provolone Cheese? Can I still use it as a treat? Can I still wrap the dog pills in cheese?
Stay with me to find out the answer.
What are the benefits of giving cheese to Dogs?
The top benefit of cheese is its flavor. When it melts in your mouth, literally all the sadness fades away and I believe it’s the same for my fluffball. When I give him a cheesy stick, he jumps excitedly and is ready to do anything for it.
Any misbehaving dog melts and turns into an obedient dog just on the sight of a cheese treat. Thus, it’s great to train and control your doggo.
Moreover, it can be used to fool your dog into taking medicine. Let me tell you just like children, dogs resist taking medicine. A good technique is to wrap pills in a slice of cheese and then give it to the dog. It 100% works for me.
Not just fats, cheese contains proteins, minerals, and vitamins that are all essential for body maintenance and growth.
Last but not the least, Cheese has the least lactose content compared to other dairy products. This good news for my lactose intolerant fellas who crave dairy.
What is Lactose Intolerance?
Like humans, many dogs are Lactose Intolerant. Dairy products contain carbohydrates in the form of Lactose. Lactose is broken down for absorbance in the GI Tract through the Lactase enzyme, and many dogs lack the enzyme in their gut. Thus, the dairy product is not absorbed and leads to irritation in the system. Therefore the dog releases the unabsorbed food in episodes of vomiting and diarrhea.
What are the harmful effects of cheese on Dogs?
Cheese contains casein which is a highly addictive ingredient. This is the reason why we can never get enough of it. Nevertheless, there are many health risks with cheese consumption.
According to Calie, the veterinarian cheese has a highly nutritious value: 1-inch cube or 1 slice contains 90 calories. This may be a good amount for an adult dog, but way too much for a pup who can gain excess weight.
Cheese is the largest source of saturated fat. Not just humans it can lead to obesity in dogs causing a risk of cardiac disease, hypertension, and Diabetes Mellitus.
Remember, greasy food has a danger of leading to Pancreatitis.
In an old dog who already has pancreatitis, heart disease, or any other health issue, cheese contributes to extra salt.
Moreover, the absorption of antibiotics such as Doxycycline is reduced with the intake of dairy products, which obviously includes cheese.
Lastly, in some of the severe lactose intolerant dogs, it can actually cause lactose intolerance.
Hence, the caloric intake of the cheese should be monitored. Make sure to offer it as a treat only.
What cheese can be given to Dogs?
There are hundreds of kinds of cheese in a supermarket and choosing the right one for your dog, may become a difficult question.
Dogs can eat Provolone cheese. It has fewer fats and carbohydrates but more proteins and calcium. A cube of cheese will give the dog less calories yet enhance your dog’s muscle and bone growth.
Cottage cheese is the most suitable choice, even for lactose intolerant dogs. It is a low source of fats and a good source of calcium.
Other options are Swiss, Cheddar, and Parmesan cheese that do not contain much lactose to cause any diarrhea.
Can Dogs eat Provolone cheese?
Let’s come to the main focus of the article, Can Dogs eat Provolone cheese with you?
Provolone cheese contains fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
Firstly, Provolone Cheese is a low carbohydrate cheese. What does this mean? It means less lactose. And what does that mean? Less lactase enzyme is needed to break it down.
Thus, the fear of getting lactose intolerance symptoms decreases in the compromised dogs.
What’s more about it? You may be surprised but Provolone cheese contains high protein and calcium value. Both of these ingredients are important for healthy bone growth and muscles.
Besides, zinc is also a part of Provolone cheese. It aids in tissue repair and growth of hair.
Added benefits are vitamins that keep the skin healthy, support immunity, and improve vision.
Isn’t Provolone cheese full of healthy food groups?
So, can dogs eat Provolone cheese?
Yes, they can, but I suggest testing your dog with small pieces first. If you find him rushing to the crate and throwing up, it might be because he’s allergic to dairy products or severely lactose intolerant.
However, the good news is, you still don’t need to give up on cheese! We have more options.
Provolone cheese is also available as lactose-free Provolone and Fat-free Provolone. But remember to only use it as a treat! How much exactly? Never more than two cubes!
In general, a dog treat must not contain more than 10% of a dog’s recommended daily caloric intake. For example, if your four-legged companion weighs 40lbs, give him just 40 calories of cheese, which is half the cube/slice.
Back to the topic, Provolone cheese also comes in fat-free and low-sodium packing. How does that help? Firstly, it tastes delicious but the added benefit is that it brings long-term health benefits and decreases the risk of pancreatitis and heart disease.
Is Provolone cheese harmful to dogs?
Most of the time cheese comes in handy as a treat while you help your doggo gulp down some medicine. But this treat could be causing some unwanted effects on its health.
Well, anything eaten in excess can be harmful. Fully rich Provolone Cheese consumed in larger amounts can lead to lactose intolerance in compromised dogs. It may also lead to Life-threatening diseases because of fats and sodium content.
Moreover, as long as Provolone cheese does not contain extra additives like Garlic, Onion, avocados, etc it’s safe for the doggo to have. Otherwise, these additives can be poisonous to dogs.
Which cheese the dogs should not have?
There are a few cheese options that are highly prohibited for dogs. What are they?
Cream cheese contains additives that might be harmful. Especially garlic, onion, and avocados, in some cases it could be poisonous for dogs.
Mozzarella and Feta cheese have high lactose content and should be avoided in dogs. After all, You don’t want your dog throwing up at the cost of a cheese treat. Do you?
Another prohibited cheese is Blue Cheese, there are reported cases where Blue cheese consumption actually caused death in dogs.
Moreover, any cheese which is old enough can have Blue Cheese’s lethal content Roquefortine. So if your dog finds an old cheese slice in the trash, keep him away from eating it.
Lastly, any cheese that has added colors should be avoided. It is very unhealthy for dogs.
Conclusion… Can Dogs eat Provolone Cheese?
Cheese is ok for dogs, not something vets would highly recommend. Neither something that should be a part of daily meals. To keep your dog fit and healthy, Provolone cheese can be taken by dogs as a treat. After all, dogs deserve the right to enjoy the goodness of cheese. Don’t they?