Can Sour Cream Be Beneficial For Your Dog?

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Sour cream is one food that we like to use on many different occasions and with many different dishes. As a dog owner, you have probably wondered: “Can dogs eat sour cream" while your dog is watching you eat.

Sour cream is not toxic to dogs, but there are situations where you shouldn't allow your dog to eat it. Although dogs will love sour cream and the way it tastes, we are advising you to choose different food to "spice" his nutrition if you are determined to share something with your dog. Here is why.

Can dogs eat sour cream?

The majority of dogs can eat sour cream in moderation. Tasting a small amount of sour cream for an average dog shouldn't harm them. Of course, there could always be exceptions. Sour cream consists of some healthy nutrients that can benefit your dog, but given that it can also cause health problems for your dog, the risks outweighs the benefits.

Either way, for your education, sour cream is packed with:

• Vitamin A
• Phosphorus
• Calcium
• Iron

If your dog eats a well-balanced food, he should already get all these nutrients from it. There is no need to give extra nutrients since it will make no difference.

Can sour cream be bad for dogs?

Sour cream is human food, and as such, it is not primarily designed for dogs' nutrition. Since sour cream consists of sugars and a large amount of fat, consuming a lot can lead to obesity for your dog. Lick every now and then should be fine, but you should never allow your dog to eat a lot of sour creams. Otherwise, you can expect your dog to start experiencing some health problems.

Symptoms to watch if your dog has ingested a lot of sour cream include

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Upset stomach
• Bloat

If you notice any of these symptoms, you should contact your vet, tell him what happened and ask him for advice. Your vet may instruct you to bring your dog to the clinic.

Why should dogs avoid eating sour cream?

For starters, sour cream is a dairy product, and if your dog is lactose intolerant, he should stay far away from sour cream. Even a few licks could cause health problems for him.

Besides lactose intolerance, sour cream is high in sugars and fat, and your dog could quickly become obese by regular feeding. Obesity is a serious health problem, and the majority of dogs are battling this problem. Because of that, it is very important only to offer your dog a small amount of sour cream.

The last problem connected with sour cream are artificial sweeteners. Although it is rare for brands to use artificial sweeteners in sour cream production, it can certainly happen. If you don't know already, these sweeteners are extremely toxic to dogs, and even a small amount of them could cause toxicity for your dog.

That said, it is very important to carefully offer your dog only a small amount of sour cream if you are determined, and always check if artificial sweetener is included. If yes, you shouldn't give sour cream to your dog.

What should you do before giving your dog some sour cream?

As we advise with all human food, the best thing you can do before your offer your dog some is to check with your vet. Since your vet has much more experience and knows your dog's medical history, he can give you the best advice on whether or not you should feed your dog sour cream.

Our recommendation is to avoid giving sour cream to your dog and choose different and much safer options for your dog.

What is the best alternative to give dogs instead of sour cream?

If you are determined to share some of the sour creams with your pooch, we advise you to go for the lighter version. The same rule that applies to humans will apply to dogs. Using a light version of sour cream will have much less sugar and fat content.

The best alternative for sour cream is yogurt. Giving your dog some plain unflavored yogurt can boost their metabolism, and dogs could benefit from it. Yogurt is high in protein content that will benefit your dog.

World Dog Finder team