Did You Know? Goat’s Milk Is Good For Your Dog
Although it may sound exotic, goat’s milk is actually the most-consumed type of milk worldwide. A current trend is to feed goat’s milk to dogs with their daily meals. This has become popular due to the high quantities of a wide range of nutrients in the milk and because some dogs who are unable to consume cow’s milk suffer from no negative side effects with goat’s milk. Plus, it is available raw, which makes it a great addition to a dog’s raw diet
What are the health benefits of giving your dog Goat’s Milk?
When choosing your dog’s goat’s milk, make sure to pick a product of high quality. The goats should be pasture-fed and not receive antibiotics. It is also critical that the milk is raw, not pasteurized.
Some products have added ingredients but can also be good options as long as they are healthy, natural foods (and your dog has no allergies to any of them).
The Problem with Powdered Goat’s Milk
In addition to fresh milk, goat’s milk is available as a powder but lacks many of the listed benefits. For instance, the probiotics may not be alive, or they may be easily destroyed by the stomach on the way to the gut, rendering them useless. Plus, because the milk is processed, your dog’s digestive system will react to it differently.
What About Kefir?
Kefir is a type of fermented goat’s milk. The process of fermenting the milk causes even more probiotics to form, therefore increasing the health benefits of the milk. These extra probiotics are especially helpful for dogs with skin conditions and recurring allergies. You can purchase kefir or make your own using unpasteurizedgoat milk.
Start providing your dog with the benefits of goat’s milk as soon as possible. Give her a small amount to begin with, and see how she responds. Most dogs react to the milk well. If this is the case for your pet, you should begin feeding her a portion of goat’s milk on a regular basis.
If you want to give her an occasional treat, consider goat’s cheese.
Just bear in mind that the higher fat content means that cheese should never replace raw milk or kefir.
- Suitable for Lactose Intolerant Dogs
Dogs may struggle to digest cow’s milk because of pasteurization.
Among other things, the process removes the lactase enzyme- dogs who are lactose-intolerant lack the lactase enzyme, which is used to digest the lactose in milk Unlike cow’s milk, raw goat’s milk still has the lactase enzyme because it is unpasteurized.
- More Digestible
Goat’s milk is also more digestible than cow’s milk for a couple more reasons:
Firstly, the fat particles are smaller than those of cow’s milk. Your dog’s stomach turns these particles into a soft curb, which is easy for the intestines to break down. This allows your dog to digest the milk in just 20 minutes.
Secondly, goat’s milk is packed with probiotics and enzymes, which improve the balance between good and bad bacteria. This means that if your dog has a naturally sensitive gut, goat’s milk will aid her digestion as a whole. It also means that goat’s milk is useful during and after antibiotic treatment.
- Lower Risk Allergies
Your dog may respond badly to cow’s milk due to an allergy rather than lactose intolerance. This is because milk contains the protein
alpha-S1 casein. The protein is present in a much smaller quantity in goat’s milk — usually too little to trigger an allergic response.
- High Amounts of Beneficial Fatty Acids
With high levels of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, goat’s milk provides your dog with energy without causing her to store more fat on her body. These lower bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol — essential for preventing heart disease. The milk also has fewer calories and unhealthy fats than cow’s milk.
- Lessens Symptoms of Certain Diseases
Goat’s milk can help your dog recover from a number of conditions, including:
Kidney disease and kidney stones
Heavy metal poisoning
Diarrhea
Urinary tract problems
Liver disease
Gastrointestinal disease
It can also help your dog manage or even prevent diabetes by improving her sensitivity to insulin.
- Natural Anti-Inflammatory
If your dog is suffering from inflammation, feed her goat’s milk in her next meal. The enzymes in goat’s milk can reduce the bacteria causing inflammation in her gut. They also reduce inflammation elsewhere in the body, relieving discomfort. For this reason, goat’s milk is also ideal for dogs suffering from food or environmental allergies.
Another way goat’s milk benefits dogs are by repairing gaps between the cells in the gut caused by previous inflammation. This prevents leaky gut syndrome — where pathogens and bad bacteria are able to enter the body and cause an array of health problems.
- Gain Weight
Dogs who have suffered malnutrition (such as rescue dogs) recover more quickly when they receive goat’s milk. This is thanks to the high amounts of protein in the milk. The delicious flavor is also appealing to even the pickiest of dogs, including dogs who are sick, old, or weaning puppies who are initially resistant to eating solid food.
- High in Essential Nutrients
Goat’s milk allows your dog to receive a daily intake of some essential vitamins and minerals, including:
Calcium — For bone health
Riboflavin (B2) — To metabolize fats and carbohydrates Phosphorus — For healthy bones and teeth; for synthesizing proteins; for using carbohydrates and fats; and for repairing cells and tissues Potassium — For muscle and nerve function Vitamin B12 — To maintain the pancreas Magnesium — For almost all bodily functions, including mood Iron — For red blood cell production Selenium and zinc — For thyroid function and the immune system
All the above nutrients are present in goat’s milk in a natural form, which means they are more easily available to your dog’s body than synthetic versions. For this reason, goat’s milk can prevent conditions like malabsorption, anemia, and bone demineralization.
- Effective Antacid
The high levels of potassium are another benefit of goat’s milk, making it a great antacid. Therefore, goat’s milk helps your dog achieve the right pH throughout her digestive system
