Think About It Thursday

I read somewhere that today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Um, yummmmmmmy!

photo: Sunset.com

So that begs the question, when I make my grilled cheese sandwich tonight, is it okay to give my dog a bite? Is cheese even good for dogs?

First off, note that SIT never advocates giving your dogs any food off your own plate. But, we also know that, if your dog is like mine,  he/she will stand/sit there in a growing pool of their own drool for however long it takes for them to get just a bite. How can you resist?

Well, you don't have to resist completely, but PLEASE think about a few things before you give your dog cheese. Cheddar cheese has a high fat content and being a dairy product, is also chock full of lactose. According to the ASPCA, "pets lack significant amounts of lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose in dairy products." If you give your dog cheese, they may have quite a hard time digesting it and the result? A day/night of cleaning up the results because your dog's stomach is upset.

Certain cheeses do, however, provide protein, calcium, Vitamin A and some essential fatty acids, so that's not all bad. But, mostly, if you're wanting to give your dog a cheese-related reward, it is recommended you give small amounts of cottage cheese instead of cheddar. 

Always think about it!