If there’s one thing I envy humans on (and I must admit, there’s not much I do), it’s the vast variety of beverages you have to choose from.
I mean, I look up from my water bowl at your endless possibilities – coffee, milk, fruit juice, soda – and my shoulders sag a little.
Hi, I’m a dalmatian and go by the name of Frederick, but you can call me Fred. Don’t get me wrong, we dogs know that we have an easy life compared to our owners, but there are a few things that we wish we could experience with you.
So, if there’s ever a question related to switching up our drink options, I’m ready to pounce. Today I’ll be informing you on whether we dogs can eat coconut milk or not. Fair warning, if the answer is yes, I might let out a tear.
Is it OK to give dogs coconut milk?
Coconut milk is non-toxic for dogs and therefore can be given to us – hooray! But (ah, the dreaded but) it should only be given in small amounts. Coconut milk is typically processed and several additives are included within the milk.
These additives do nothing for us dogs and can actually upset our stomachs. Coconut milk can also contain coconut oil which is sometimes too rich for us.
Coconut water might be a better substitute thanks to the nutrients and electrolytes, but this should also be given in small amounts.
However, just because too much coconut milk can be bad for us dogs, this doesn’t mean that you should swear off it completely. There are plenty of health benefits that come with dogs drinking coconut, such as:
- Improving our immune systems
- Making our coats shinier
- Helping to fight viruses
- Freshens our breath
If you’ve spent any time with a dog at all, the last benefit might appeal to you much more than the rest. Can you tell I’m really selling this coconut milk?
Is coconut poisonous to dogs?
No, coconut is not considered poisonous to dogs in small amounts. Okay, a lot of coconut or coconut products can give us diarrhea or an upset stomach, and this can make us dehydrated and unwell.
So, we shouldn’t consume too many coconut products to avoid this. However, these effects are just down to the excess coconut fat within them. The coconut isn’t poisonous, but the fats are just a little rich for our stomachs.
Small amounts of coconut and other coconut products should not have these adverse effects on us.
What kind of milk can I give my dog?
Dogs can drink many types of milk, such as cow’s milk and goat’s milk, in moderation. However, lactose intolerance is a common issue in dogs, and therefore you might find the milk repeating on us shortly after we’ve enjoyed it.
If your dog is lactose intolerant, they can still consume some dairy-free milk alternatives such as coconut milk, almond milk, and soy milk. Just be wary of the added sugar and additives that might not be healthy for our bodies.
Can dogs drink almond coconut milk?
Almond milk is also safe to give us dogs in small amounts, although the high-calorie count suggests that we shouldn’t have it on a regular basis.
As long as the almond milk doesn’t contain an additive called xylitol it should be fine for us.
Xylitol is a food additive that is toxic to dogs and puts us at risk of hypoglycemia, liver failure, and sometimes even death. So please check for this additive before you give us almond milk!
Almond coconut milk is a hybrid drink that humans have the privilege of consuming, in which both coconut and almond milk are mixed together.
Talk about having your cake and eating it! (By the way, we can’t eat cake either. We will try though, so keep it away! We can’t help it, it just looks so good…).
We dogs should be able to consume almond coconut milk in moderation, as we can drink both of these kinds of milk separately.
However, be wary of xylitol within the formula, and we should always be given the milk with no added sugar if possible.
What can dogs drink besides water?
Dog’s don’t have as many options as humans do on the beverage front, but there are a few treats out there for us to drink other than water.
Dog beer, wine, and prosecco are becoming increasingly popular on the market, as well as a caffeine-free herbal tea for dogs.
Can dogs have coconut milk whipped cream?
Coconut milk whipped cream is a tasty alternative to Starbuck’s insanely popular Puppuccino. I love a puppuccino, but they can be quite expensive on the humans’ wallets. There’s also a debate on whether we should really be consuming dairy whipped cream or not.
So, some owners want to treat their dogs without worrying about them eating too much dairy. A good substitute for us is a coconut puppuccino, made from whipped coconut milk. You can whip this up at home as I stare and watch you hungrily, and it shouldn’t take longer than ten minutes.
There’s nothing to say that we shouldn’t consume coconut milk whipped cream, so I’m going to make an executive decision for all puppies and dogs out there! Yes, we can consume coconut milk whipped cream, as long as it’s in moderation.
If we can eat all of these other forms of coconut milk, there shouldn’t be any reason why we cannot enjoy it whipped, too. Just don’t go mad giving us dairy-free puppuccinos every day.
Summary
And there you have it – dogs can drink coconut milk as long as it’s not too much or too often. We can also enjoy almond and soy milk as long as there are no harmful additives, and we’re even partial to a dairy-free puppuccino.
Some pet owners will give us these treats without a second thought, but others are much warier. If you don’t want to risk us drinking coconut milk due to the fats within it, we’ll be just fine with a large bowl of fresh water.
