Can Dogs Have Milk? Is Raw Milk Good Or Bad For Dogs?

Can dogs drink raw milk?

Well as you can see in the images throughout this post, my dog is drinking raw milk!

He gets a cup or so each week and he absolutely loves it.

We’ll get into the details below, but yes, a little bit of raw milk every now and again isn’t going to hurt your dog (except in rare cases).

Raw Milk For Dogs

This is Bingo, and you can see by the look in his eyes, he wants this raw cow’s milk.

To be fair, he gets that look in his eyes no matter what’s on offer, but he really does seem to enjoy milk more than other things he get’s offered (like bell pepper).

Here he is again, on a different occasion.

He’s got that look again.

He does get quite desperate sometimes.

And then when he gets it, he just laps it up.

Absolutely loves it.

You can be sure he licked up the spilled milk as well.

He’s a lab crossed with a German Shepherd, so he’ll basically eat anything, even the things that are not good for him.

It’s not uncommon for him to swallow an entire stone/rock, unfortunately (we wake up in the night to him throwing it back up).

However, raw milk is usually completely fine for most dogs, especially large breed dogs like Bingy.

Can Dogs Have Milk?

We get raw milk delivered to our home each week and that’s what we drink and use as a family.

We choose to do this because it’s a live and living milk full of good bacteria that we want in our systems. This is opposed to store-bought milk which is heat-treated – a process that kills a lot of the goodies in milk!

Usually, by the time our next order of raw milk is due, half a bottle or so of the previous order has turned bad. Raw milk usually is supposed to be drunk within 4 or 5 days, but ours usually lasts 6 or 7.

Before the new order arrives, Bingo gets to have anything left over. This usually amounts to a cup or two of raw milk per week.

I spoke to my friend who is a vet, and he said:

A little bit of raw milk every once in a while won’t harm him, even if it is a day or two expired.

The important thing is to monitor your dog after you give him or her raw milk to drink, and if you notice any adverse reactions, obviously you should do it again.

But if your dog is fine, there’s no need to worry.

I kept an eye on Bingo for the first few times I gave him raw milk to see if anything weird happened, and nothing did.

He wasn’t any gassier (than usual), he didn’t appear to have an upset tum tum, and his poop was normal.

Every now and again he does try something new and you can see the reaction. But not so with raw milk.

Is Milk Bad For Dogs?

Can dogs drink pasteurized and homogenized milk?

This isn’t something I’ve ever given my dog, but it is also usually OK to give it in small doses.

Some claim that the lactose in milk cannot be digested well by dogs as adults, but this is usually the same claim made by those who would wish humans to stop drinking milk.

It’s good to simply test your dog out with it and monitor the results. The majority of dogs will be fine, and some will need to avoid it.

It is not a good substitute for puppies, however. You will need other alternatives for this.

Milk For Dogs

Is milk bad for dogs?

For the most part, no!

Raw milk in particular is actually good for dogs – it’s easier to digest than processed milk and has a lot of beneficial bacteria than may be good for your dog.

The three main takeaways from this article are:

• Test your dog with a small amount of milk and monitor the results
• Raw milk is preferable to processed milk from the store
• Talk to your vet if in doubt

Bananas are OK for dogs, along with zucchini – I doubt think there’s any debate about that!