Should You Actually Let Your Dog Eat Ice Cream? Is It Safe?

If you ever saw a little girl drop her ice cream cone, you probably felt sad for her. She just lost her special treat. While people enjoy ice cream about as much as the little girl, you may wonder if you can give your pup a lick. 

Sometimes dogs eat stuff you drop, so if you drop a scoop of ice cream on the floor, you might be worried about your doggie’s safety. Milk, cream, and sugar, the three main components of ice cream, are not hazardous to dogs. 

But several additional components frequently added to ice cream can make it harmful for your dog to consume, like chocolate or raisins. Even though ice cream is not poisonous, giving it to your dog is not advised.

The Risks of Feeding Your Dog Ice Cream

Even though we prefer to eat sweet things like ice cream and sweets, dogs shouldn’t be given them. While some sugar is important to dogs’ diets, excess sugar can be dangerous, just like it can be for humans. The sugar issue is that oral bacteria consume it and create acids. 

Acids accelerate the mineral loss from the teeth’ enamel, or outer layer, which causes dental disease. While this isn’t directly from a one-time ice cream-eating incident, it can happen if dogs constantly get a hold of any sweets. What are the other risks of feeding them sugar or foods with a high-fat content, like what’s in ice cream? Let’s see.

Pancreatitis Caused by Ice Cream

However, giving ice cream to your dog could have detrimental effects on their health. Due to its high fat and sugar content, ice cream is not only unhealthy for your dog’s waistline but may also disturb their digestion and potentially lead to pancreatitis. 

When the pancreatic gland, located close to the digestive system and immediately below the stomach, gets inflamed, it is said to have pancreatitis. This is a severe condition that can make your dog seriously ill and, in rare circumstances, even kill them. Eating fatty meals, like ice cream, is one of the factors that contribute to pancreatitis. Another issue is the possibility that chocolate in some ice cream is toxic to dogs.

Weight Gain

Your doggie may put on extra weight due to the sugar in ice cream, and being overweight can result in other health issues. One scoop might not seem harmful, but consider how many calories your pet consumes daily. What seems like a small treat to you may have more calories than your dog needs for an entire day.

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Why Do Dogs Not Digest Milk Well?

Not only humans but other creatures are susceptible to dairy. Depending on their sensitivity, eating ice cream may give your dog an upset stomach or even worse. After eating ice cream, your dog may have gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, or vomiting. Remember that your dog cannot communicate their concerns to you, so even while they may appear in good health, they may suffer from serious intestinal problems. 

The main cause of food intolerance in dogs is dairy products. Many dogs struggle to digest milk because they are lactose intolerant. While some lactose-intolerant dogs have problems drinking milk, they can tolerate simpler-to-digest dairy items like cheese and plain yogurt. Some puppies may not respond well to dairy in general.

How to Tell if Your Dog Is Lactose Intolerant

When giving their dogs milk, many dog owners are surprised to learn that their canines are lactose intolerant. Because even dogs who are not lactose intolerant may develop vomiting and diarrhea; as a result, it can be challenging to tell if your dog is lactose intolerant if they have had a lot of milk. 

If your dog displays these signs after a small amount of milk or ice cream consumption, it is best that you keep dairy away from your pup. There are many levels of lactose intolerance that dogs can have; some dogs may only have moderate symptoms, while others may have more severe cases. The most typical signs are: 

• Looser stools
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Gas
• Abdominal pain

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What Ice Creams Are Toxic to Dogs?

Most people know dogs cannot eat chocolate. Although seldom fatal, eating chocolate can cause serious illness. Theobromine, a substance found in chocolate and caffeine, makes it toxic. The primary toxin in chocolate, theobromine, is highly similar to caffeine. Both have medical uses, such as smooth muscle relaxants, blood vessel dilators, diuretics, and heart stimulants. Theobromine and caffeine don’t metabolize in dogs as well as in humans. Dogs are more susceptible to toxins.

Xylitol

Making the switch to sugar-free is also not a good idea because some sugarless ice creams include the sweetener xylitol, which is poisonous to doggies. Because different goods contain different levels of xylitol, different amounts of a product must be consumed before toxicity is anticipated. In general, xylitol causes hypoglycemia at lower dosages but liver failure at greater ones.

Raisins 

Dogs are poisoned by grapes and raisins, which can cause acute kidney failure or even death. All grapes are unhealthy for dogs, but it’s believed that if your dog eats dried grapes, the symptoms would likely be more severe. 

Coffee Beans

Caffeine is a highly hazardous and deadly substance for cats and dogs and is found in coffee beans, grounds, and brewed coffee. Consumption may endanger life. Small dogs can quickly die from a moderate amount of coffee. This is why ice cream with coffee is toxic.

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Conclusion 

The major insight is that ice cream is not a nutritious option for dogs to nibble on. Even though the occasional modest serving of sorbet or vanilla ice cream is unlikely to cause your dog to visit the doctor, ice cream shouldn’t be a frequent treat for your dog. 

Adult dogs’ stomachs aren’t prepared to digest lactose. Since they are mammals, they can digest milk as puppies, but as adults, they truly can’t. Bloating, gas, diarrhea, and vomiting can result from this failure to digest dairy. 

Your dog will most likely only be a little gassy in most situations. However, a little dog’s sensitivity to dairy can be more severe if you give it a lot of ice cream. Additionally, dogs who are overweight or have diabetes should avoid eating ice cream. Feed your pup healthy, high-quality dog food it’s safer!

Up Next:

• Can Dogs Eat Gummy Bears? What Happens?
• Can Dogs Eat pumpkin Pie? Mostly No, But Sometimes Yes
• Can Your Dog Eat Oreos? What You Should Know.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/jenifoto