Say cheese! A slice of creamy cheesecake is perfect for starting or ending your day. This delightful delicacy is made using different everyday ingredients, including cheese, sugar, eggs, and graham cracker. These ingredients assure you of a soft, tummy-filling consistency.
Cheesecake is a widely engaged dessert made of a thin base of crushed cookies and a layer of creamy cheese. There are multiple variations and flavors, meaning you’ll choose one based on personal preferences.
While indulging in your creamy delicacy, you might wonder whether it s a suitable treat for your dog. You must be sure about the safety of any meal before feeding your pet to avoid health complications and fatality.
Fortunately, this article explores reasons for and against giving your dog cheesecake.
Can Dogs Eat Cheesecake?
Yes. Dogs can eat cheesecake in significantly small quantities. However, this should only be reserved for healthy and lactose-tolerant dogs. In addition, you must avoid giving cheesecake to puppies.
A standard cheesecake offers various nutritional benefits to your dog. This delicacy contains lactic acid, vitamin A, and essential fatty acids that help improve muscular development. It is also an excellent source of proteins that help improve eyesight and skin health.
Feeding your dog in moderation helps limit sugar and calorie intake. You’ll only use this cheesecake on special occasions and as a treat. While dogs can manage cheesecake in moderation, this delicacy is not the best option. It contains various ingredients that can harm your dog.
When Not to Give Dogs Cheesecake
Cheesecake is only ideal for adult and healthy dogs. You’ll need to avoid this delicacy if your dog has diabetes, weight issues, or lactose intolerance. At the same time, puppies are not strong enough to consume cheesecake, as it could cause stomach upsets and gastrointestinal irritation.
How Bad is Cheesecake for Dogs?
Cheesecake is not an ideal treat for your dog, thanks to its harmful ingredients. The following is a breakdown of the top components that could adversely affect your pet, including increasing fatality risk.
Sugar
While sugar is not toxic, it is not entirely safe for your dog. It is one of the main components of cheesecake that causes tooth decay, nausea, loss of appetite, diabetes, obesity, and diarrhea. This ingredient can also trigger stomach inflammation, soreness, and gastrointestinal infections.
Dairy Products
Dairy products, including cheese, are toxic to lactose-intolerant dogs, triggering various allergic reactions. Excessive consumption of dairy products causes sluggishness, lethargy, bloating, dehydration, vomiting, abdominal pain, and gas. In addition, these elements increase the risk of heart conditions, digestion issues, diabetes, pancreatitis, and weight problems.
Digestive Cookies
Crushed digestive cookies are used to make the base of your cheesecake. These cookies contain butter and sugar, meaning your dog must take them in moderation.
Artificial Additives
Various small ingredients add flavor to cheesecake, some causing significant harm to dogs. For instance, chocolate, lemon, vanilla essence, cinnamon, and coffee add flavor to cheesecake. Yet, they can make your pet severely ill.
Raisin
Raisin is a common ingredient in cheesecake. Yet, it is deadly even in the smallest quantities. Once ingested, your dog will exhibit weakness, dehydration, excessive urination, kidney failure, and stomach upsets.
Related: Can Dogs Eat Grapes?
Is Cheesecake Safe for my Dog?
Safety depends on various elements, including the dog’s health condition, age, and the amount of cheesecake consumed.
First, cheesecake is a high-sugar and high-fat delicacy, making it unsuitable for your pet when consumed in excess. The excessive ingestion of fat and sugar causes pancreatitis, obesity, and diabetes in dogs.
Check how healthy your dog is. A dog with lactose intolerance or an allergy will likely suffer various health complications after eating cheesecake. Your pet will exhibit digestive issues, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in such instances.
Small quantities of cheesecake will not adversely affect your dog. However, excessive consumption of cheesecake might trigger gastrointestinal issues.
What if My Dogs Eats Cheesecake? What do I Do?
Your action will often depend on how much the dog has eaten, health status, and age. A healthy adult dog will comfortably manage small quantities of cheesecake, meaning you do not need to take any additional measures.
Lactose-intolerant dogs will likely vomit and have diarrhea. In such cases, you’ll need to give it enough water to help flush out the toxins. Sufficient water will also help rehydrate your pet, addressing fatigue, weakness, and lethargy.
Suppose the consumed cheesecake contained raisins. Then, you’ll need immediate medical attention. Ensure you reach out to a reliable vet or poison center for help, averting fatality risk.
Flavors and Types of Cheesecake
Not all cheesecake flavors are suitable for your dog. These flavors will often vary with the ingredients, and they include the following:
- Cherry: Dogs can eat cherry cheesecake, and be safe if you remove the pits.
- Lemon: This fruit is unsuitable for dogs.
- New York Cheesecake: It is safe for your pet
- Blueberry: It is safe for your dog
- Peanut Butter: this is suitable for dogs with no peanut allergies
- Strawberry: It is ideal for dogs
- Vanilla: It is safe for your dog
- Chocolate: It is unsafe and unhealthy for your dog, regardless of the amount
Healthy Alternatives to Cheesecake
A complete and balanced diet is essential for the healthy growth of your pet. Such a meal provides your dog with all the necessary nutrients, ensuring its body systems function optimally. While cheesecake is not toxic, it is not the healthiest option. Instead, you can consider the following alternatives:
- Fruit Yogurt: It is an excellent choice for lactose-intolerant dogs, thanks to its low lactose content. You can add freshly chopped fruits to this yogurt to make it even healthier.
- Peanut Butter: you can use peanut butter instead of creamy cheesecake. It provides sufficient nutritional value without increasing health risks.
- Cottage Cheese: This option will be worth considering if you have a dog with dairy allergies. It is packed with proteins, vitamins, and minimal fat content.
- Pumpkins: Pumpkins are a natural immunity booster and can improve digestion in dogs. Usually, you will use them as treats.
- Goji Berries: Goji berries are a nutritional powerhouse that improves immunity, reduces inflammation, and boosts eyesight. However, you must offer them in small quantities.
Is Cheesecake Ice Cream Suitable for my Dog?
Cheesecake ice cream is only ideal for your dog if it has no allergies or lactose intolerance issues. Since this snack contains sugar, you must offer it in moderation.
You’ll also need to check whether the cheesecake ice cream has xylitol, a toxic compound that causes hypoglycemia in dogs.
Final Thoughts
Cheesecake is a perfect dessert yet an unhealthy choice for your dog. Its nutritional benefits are overridden by the various health risks its ingredients pose. While it does not put your dog in immediate danger, this is a product you will need to avoid unless offered in moderation.