Can Dogs Have Soy Milk?
Can Dogs Drink Soy Milk?
Answer: Yes, with a disclaimer. While it is perfectly fine for dogs to consume soy milk, it can also be a common food allergen for dogs. If you know or are concerned about your dog having a soy food allergy, you should avoid soy milk. Some ways to look for signs of a soy allergy include the following after the consumption of soy:
Constant licking
Vomiting
Ear infections
Diarrhea
Even though soy is a common food allergy for dogs, it would not be uncommon to find soy as a protein source in many different types of dog foods. If you find soy in your dog’s food and have not noticed any issues, they are probably not allergic. Although it is still a good idea to proceed with caution by only allowing them to consume a small amount at first.
If you do decide to feed your dog soy milk, there are a few things you should understand about the nutrition before proceeding. Failing to understand the potential effects of soy milk can make it toxic for your dog to consume.
Health Benefits?
Soy milk is very similar to almond milk in that yes, it is ok to give your dog some to your dog. It is not toxic nor will it give them any stomach issues, but it can still cause some health problems. What you need to be concerned about are the excess calories and artificial sweeteners. We may sometimes forget how small our dogs are, resulting in their need for much fewer calories each day. So something like milk, typically high in calories, can cause your dog to consume way more than necessary.
For example, take a 10-pound dog. This dog will need to consume about 200 calories per day. A single cup of soy milk can reach up to 100 calories. Which means a cup of soy milk could eat up half of their recommended calorie intake for the day. The soy milk plus their pet food could quickly lead to an excess amount of calories. After doing this on a regular basis, the resulting effect is obesity.
Take a moment to consider what your dog would eat in the wild. Milk, let alone soy milk, would not be a part of their diet. Since they are not normally consumed, they are probably not going to benefit in the same way regular dog food would. Soy milk can provide nutrition to your pet, but going with food made for dogs is going to be a much better option.
Things to Keep in Mind
If you are still considering giving your pet soy milk, look for low sugar or those without any sweeteners. These are often added to give the milk a more pleasant flavor, like vanilla or fruit flavors. Flavored soy milk also means that just a little bit of milk could have a lot of sugar. With all that sugar it could cause tooth decay or obesity.
Xylitol is a common artificial sweetener. If you see this in the ingredients of your soy milk do not give any to your dog! Xylitol is toxic to dogs. Consuming this sweetener can lead to liver failure, hypoglycemia, and in some cases, death. If you are unsure, it is best to just avoid the soy milk all-together.
If you are considering soy milk because you have a puppy, consider puppy formula instead. There really is no substitute since it is specially made to provide those tiny paws with the nutrition they really need. Puppy formula can be found at your local pet store or you can visit your vet for a safe recommendation.
Final Thoughts
If you have checked for Xylitol and sugar, know that soy milk is probably fine for your dogs. Although it is still a good idea to limit the amount, a few tablespoons may be fine. Allow no more than that small amount. A cup a day can certainly promise a visit to the vet for tooth decay or obesity later on in your pets life.
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