All of us can agree that it is an absolute pleasure to be the pet parent of a dog. Loyal, friendly, and affectionate, these adorable creatures fill our lives with happiness and sunshine. However, an essential aspect of being a responsible pet parent is to understand what you shouldn’t feed your dog.
Although sharing your food with your pet is an affectionate gesture on your end, your dog might end up paying a hefty price for it. It is because many things in your regular diet could prove to be lethal for your dogs if they ate it. But how can you decide which food is toxic to them? What about cheesecakes? Let’s find out whether or not dogs can be fed cheesecakes.
So, can dogs eat cheesecakes? No, cheesecake is not healthy for your dog and shouldn’t be fed to any dog breed. Cheesecake contains sugar and dairy products such as cheese, cream, and occasionally milk or chocolate which can upset their stomach and lead to gastrointestinal problems in the least.
Why is cheesecake unsuitable for dogs?
If you’re wondering why cheesecake is unsuitable for your dog, the answer is fairly simple. It’s about the ingredients of the cheesecake, that are very unhealthy for dogs.
Sugar
You cannot imagine a cheesecake without sugar, can you? While the sugary taste is heavenly for you, it has quite the opposite effect on your dog.
While sugar is not outright toxic for your dog, regular consumption of it can lead to many chronic problems in your pet, such as obesity and diabetes. Eating too many sugary treats is also believed to reduce the lifespan of your pet.
Dairy products
As the name itself suggests, cheesecake contains lots of cheese, in addition to cream, and occasionally milk. Unlike humans, all dog breeds are lactose intolerant to some extent.
The severity of it varies from breed to breed. However, feeding them food rich in dairy products is altogether a bad idea. If your dog eats cheesecake, they can show these signs of lactose intolerance:
- Bloating
- Dehydration
- Increased thirst
- Weakness
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Toileting accidents inside the house
If the symptoms are too severe, you should take your pet to a veterinarian at the earliest.
Cream cheese
Although we’ve already covered the dairy products, cream cheese deserves a separate mention. It is because the cream is not only a dairy product but also a high-fat food.
Thus, even if your dog is mildly lactose intolerant, you should still not feed them cheesecake because of the high-fat cream cheese. A high-fat diet in dogs leads to diseases like obesity and pancreatitis.
Chocolate
Many people love a touch of chocolate in their cheesecakes. However, if your dog takes a bite of the cheesecake containing chocolate, there are bound to problematic outcomes.
Chocolate contains theobromine, which is highly toxic to dogs. Even a single bite can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, seizures, muscle tremors, and even death.
In addition to all the ingredients that are unsuitable, even harmful to dogs, cheesecake also has a high-calorie count, which is not suggested for your dog. So, now you know why cheesecake is unsuitable for your dog.
Raisin cheesecake: something you must keep away from your dog
Don’t you just love the taste of the rich rum and raisin cheesecake? As much as you enjoy it, it could end up killing your pet dog. Scientists and veterinarians are yet to pinpoint what is it about grapes and raisins that is toxic to dogs. However, feeding these to your dog can lead to acute kidney failure in them.
Therefore, when it comes to raisin cheesecake, you just can’t be careful enough. If you have a pet dog at home, it’s best if you avoid buying or baking raisin cheesecake altogether.
Can you feed cheesecake to puppies?
Before we move on to answer this question for cheesecake, you should know about one significant rule for pets: if something is harmful to the health of an adult dog, it will impact the puppy more adversely.
The same is true in the case of cheesecakes. Puppies grow fast and need a well-balanced a nutritious diet to support their growth.
A sugary, high-fat food like cheesecake can upset their sensitive digestive system and lead to severe diarrhea. If your puppy has eaten cheesecake, you need to consult a veterinarian immediately.
Should you be worried if your dog accidentally ate cheesecake?
First and foremost, it is essential to find out the quantity of consumption to determine the extent of potential threat. If your dog has taken only a bite of a regular cheesecake, you don’t have to worry about it.
Such incidents do not impact a healthy dog’s health in any major form. But be careful about such a thing happening again in the future.
However, if the bite taken was from a raisin cheesecake, you need to call your veterinarian immediately. It might also help to get your dog to vomit out the contents to avoid severe problems.
Are all cakes bad for dogs?
All cakes are rich in sugar, fat content, and calorie count, and thus, not ideal for sharing with your dog. Moreover, you should also be careful about alcohol or xylitol added in cakes bought from bakeries, since these are toxic to your dog.
If you really want to share a cake with your dog, you should wear the chef cap and bake one yourself. That way, you can avoid or limit the ingredients that could harm your pet, and bake them a delicious treat you two can enjoy together.
Can you make a cheesecake for your dog?
Before baking your dog cheesecake, you must find out whether or not your dog is lactose intolerant. It is best to talk to your veterinarian about it.
In case your pet dog is not severely lactose intolerant, you can bake a cheesecake for them. You can find numerous recipes for it on the internet. We recommend you to go for one in which the high-fat cream cheese is replaced with yogurt or cottage cheese.
Other human foods you should keep away from your dog
Caffeine
Caffeine contains Methylated Xanthine, a stimulant that increases the heart rate of dogs and leads to vomiting, restlessness, and, in some cases, death.
Onion
Onion contains compounds that are toxic to dogs. If ingested regularly, onions can disrupt the red blood cell production in dogs, making them inactive and weak.
Macadamia nuts
Although the chemicals of these nuts that affect the dogs are still unknown to us, they shouldn’t be fed to your dogs. Eating macadamia nuts can lead to staggering bait, depression, hypothermia, and vomiting.
Avocado
The skin, seed, and leaves of the avocado contain a toxic called persin, which can lead to breathing difficulties, gastrointestinal problems, and fluid build-up in the chest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is cheese bad for my dog?
Cheese is not outright bad for your dog. However, it does contain lactose, calories, and fat, all of which are not good for your dogs. Therefore, you should feed them cheese in moderation.
Which fruits and vegetables can my dog not eat?
Mushrooms, garlic, onion, corn, grapes, raisins, avocado, and rhubarb are some of the fruits and vegetables that you shouldn’t feed your dog.
Can I feed peanut butter to my dog?
Yes, you can feed your dog peanut butter in moderation, as long as you steer clear of the ones that contain xylitol, an artificial sweetener that is lethal for dogs.
Can I feed my dog oatmeal?
Yes, you can safely feed your dog oatmeal. Oatmeal is rich in Vitamin B and linoleic acid, which keeps the skin as well as the fur coat of your dog healthy and shining.
Conclusion: Can Dogs Eat Cheesecake?
To conclude, although a plain cheesecake isn’t fatal to your dog’s health, you should still avoid feeding them these. You should be particularly careful about raisin cheesecake since raisin can cause kidney failure in your dog. If you want to share a cheesecake with your dog, it’s best to bake it yourself.