There seems to be a lot of people searching for can dogs eat sour cream lately. So we thought we would create an article on it for everyone.
The simple answer is yes dogs can eat sour cream, although there are things you should know before you let your dog touch it. One main problem can be if your dog is lactose intolerant. A lot of dogs are lactose intolerant, just like humans.
We will go into full details about this below.
How is Sour Cream Made?
Sour cream is made by fermenting regular cream with certain lactic acid bacteria. This can happen either naturally or on purpose; where people are trying to make sour cream by where the cream sours and then thickens.
These lactic acids consume the sugar that is in the cream, which is known as lactose. Which in turn creates a lactic waste product.
Sour cream contains a few different ingredients, starting with vegetable enzymes which will stabilize it, along with making it thicker. It can also contain renin and gelatin. Sour cream will usually have approximately 20 percent fat.
High in Fat
As we mentioned above there is 20% of fat in sour cream, which is quite a high amount for what they are eating really. High amounts of fat are not good for a dog, it can lead to your dog being overweight. Which in turn can lead to more serious medical problems down the line. One of the problems they could have is diabetes and heart problems, which is very serious to a dog’s health.
High in Calories
What you will also find is that sour cream is high in calories and you may say that your dog is very energetic, so you do not need to worry. This is not the case, with such a high content, you should not be giving your dog too much of it.
You should only be giving your dog small quantities, and this depends on the size of your dog and breed. This can vary from half a tablespoon to 3 tablespoons. The best option is to consult your veterinarian as they will be able to give you the best personal advice for your dog.
So Can Dogs Eat Sour Cream?
Yes, your dog can eat sour cream, but it depends on a lot of factors. With a lot of dogs, the answer will be no. So as you can see it is not a straight answer
Sour cream is not toxic to dogs. Although if your dog is not used to such strange food, they could have stomach problems along with diarrhea and vomiting.
Lactose Intolerance in Dogs
If your dog is lactose intolerant then they will not be able to eat anything with dairy in it. A lot of dogs are lactose intolerant; some dog owners only find out later on in the dog’s life because they have only fed them dog food all their life.
Lactose intolerance can happen to a puppy when their diet changes from them just mainly drinking milk as their main nutrition to them eating puppy dog food.
Lactose intolerance is caused by a deficiency in Lactase, which is not uncommon in adult dogs. Feeding your dog a large amount of dairy can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and other signs of GI upset, because the lactose in the dairy isn’t digested properly.
Read the original article – Rover
A large amount of sour cream can make any dog vomit or have diarrhea as the amount of lactose in it can react badly with the dog’s stomach.
Regarding the lactose intolerance in sour cream, if your dog has drunk milk in the past, then your dog can more than likely eat sour cream as well. If you see the table below you can see that milk has a higher content of lactose, then sour cream.
Lactose Content For Common Dairy Foods
| Product | Serving Size | Lactose Content (Grams) |
|---|---|---|
| Milk (whole and Semi) | 1 Cup | 11 |
| Ice Cream | ½ cup | 6 |
| Yogurt – Low Fat | 1 cup | 5 |
| Sour Cream | ½ cup | 4 |
| Cottage Cheese | ½ cup | 3 |
| American Cheese | 1 ounce | 1 |
| Swiss Cheese | 1 ounce | 1 |
| Cheadder Cheese | 1 ounce | 1 |
Table from Dog Food Advisor
If you also check out the below video showing, can dogs eat cheese and other dairy products. This may help you understand how it all works.
Can Dogs Eat Sour Cream and Onion Chips?0
So we have answered can dogs eat sour cream, but a lot of people want to know can they add things to the sour cream. We would not recommend you giving your dog anything else with it.
Chips are high in salt and oil and are covered in grease, these are all the things a dog should not be eating. Especially onion chips! Onions are highly toxic to dogs and will cause serious health issues, if not death. Onions are one of the most toxic food products to a dog. Chips are also very greasy which is not good for anyone, including humans but worse for dogs.
Summary
To sum it all up, sour cream is not toxic to dogs, so if your dog licks some of the floor or your plate then they should be fine. Some dogs do not react well with any dairy products, dogs can be lactose intolerant just like humans. So as long as your dog is not lactose intolerant then they can have a very small portion of sour cream. Sour cream should only be used as a very rare treat and in small portions.
We would not recommend you feeding your dog any sour cream though. It really is not worth upsetting their stomach or health for something that isn’t really that healthy for them anyway.
A lot of dog owners do not know they have a dog that is lactose intolerant. This is because they have never fed them any creams or yogurts. If you are one of these people, we would recommend you talk to your local veterinarian. They will be able to help you with where to go with this topic.
