Can dogs drink milk mixed with water?
Yes, dogs can drink milk mixed with water. However, there are still a lot of variations to that. Dogs are animals that feed on flesh. What this means is that their digestive system is well adapted to process meat and other foods that carnivores eat. Other meals like coffee, tea, milk, soda, etc., should be given to them sparingly. If possible, they shouldn’t be given to them at all.
Water is one drink that is very compulsory for dogs to take daily. It helps them to stay hydrated and to easily digest their food. However, drinks like milk are only great for puppies that may not be able to feed on complex foods. However, once these puppies mature, they begin to find the digestion of milk hard. This condition is defined as lactose intolerance.
A lactose intolerant dog usually finds it hard to digest the lactose present in milk. Lactose is one of the natural sugars present in milk. As a result of this intolerance, they experience the following conditions;
- Diarrhea: This situation is defined by watery stools. The stools lose their defined structure for a long time and the dogs get weak as a result.
- Vomiting: This situation is defined by the expulsion of the contents in the stomach.
- Gassiness: This situation is defined as blockage of the stomach and small intestines.
- Pain at the abdomen
So, before you allow your dogs drink milk mixed with water, (either diluted or concentrated) ensure that it doesn’t develop any of the symptoms above after consumption. One more thing you should note is that milks should be given as treats and not as the actual foods that your dogs consume every day.
Most people want to feed their dogs with milk in order to enrich them with elements like Vitamin D or Vitamin B12. Instead of exposing your dog to symptoms of an inability to digest lactose, here is something for you—the minerals present in milk are also present in the foods your dogs eat!
Also, asides from the lactose intolerance issue, milk also contains tons of fats and sugar. The effect of this is that when your dog consumes milk too much, it could suffer from conditions like obesity or pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is a condition that occurs when the pancreas is inflamed. Full fat diary is one of the foods that spur the occurrence of pancreatitis.
If your dog is lactose-intolerant, there’s still something you can do if you really want to include milk in its diet. You could try out non-dairy milk. This milk is the one obtained from plants like almonds, nuts, soy, etc.
However, you should also be very careful of the kind of non-dairy milk you give your dogs. Most of these nuts and almonds can be very harmful to the health of your dog. So, it isn’t advised you feed them with non-dairy milk regularly. A treat once in a while is okay.
What can dogs drink?
- The major drink you should give your dogs is water. You shouldn’t replace water with drinks like soda or milk.
- Some dogs may find it hard to digest milk but then, have no issues digesting other dairy products like cheese and yogurt. The reason for this is because the latter proteins aren’t as complex as the former.
- If you have to mix milk and water for your dog, ensure that it is in the ratio of 1:10 respectively. This mix should never be given to your dog every day. Milk should be one of the treats you feed your dogs with.
- You could feed your dogs with drinks that help to replenish lost electrolytes after they have gone through a very strenuous exercise.
Never give your dogs chocolate, caffeine, alcohol or any other dangerous drink. The following are the side effects;
- Alcohol—diarrhea, breathing issues, etc.
- Caffeine—seizures, death, vomiting, etc.
- Chocolate—damaged kidneys, dysfunctional nervous system.
- Sweetened drinks—weight gain, loss of balance, death, seizures, etc.
Sometimes, it may be necessary to add one or two liquids to the water your dogs drink. For example, unsalted chicken broth is one liquid that can be added. Some dogs—most times, puppies—drink less water than necessary.
To encourage them to have more of the water, you could add chicken broth or any other kind of broth—fish broth, goat meat broth, etc. However, ensure that the broth lacks salt.
Another scenario that encourages the addition of fluids to water is when you need to give your dogs supplements. Some of these fluids contain minerals or nutrients that are essential for the growth and development of your dog.
What else can dogs drink besides water?
Let’s see a list of some of the helpful drinks you can add to your dog’s water asides milk.
Beef or Chicken broth
You can either make this broth yourself or buy the already prepared broth from dog stores. If you’d be making it yourself though, ensure that you sieve the bones from the fluid. You also should not add salt to the liquid.
Electrolyte-reformed water
This water is great to be given to dogs that need to be reenergized and at the same time, rehydrated. However, you must ensure that you do not give to your dog the kind that has flavors integrated into it.
100% Fruit juice
Before getting any fruit juice, ensure that the fruit that constitutes the drink is one that is safe for your dog. Fruits like grapes, oranges, tangerines, lemons, etc. are dangerous for your dogs. The reason for this is because most of these fruits are acidic.
Vegetable juice
Juice obtained from veggies like carrots and cucumbers are great for your dogs. To get the best result from this juice, ensure that you serve it to your dogs as smoothie.
Coconut water
This drink is also a great choice for you when you need to get your dogs hydrated quickly. It contains essential vitamins like Vitamin C, Vitamin B, etc. However, you should ensure that it’s not sweetened.