There are so many dairy alternatives available at the stores, and many people are opting to use almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, and other alternatives in place of cows or goats milk.
There are many reasons why someone might choose to use a dairy alternative, such as allergies, diet, or lactose intolerance. If you enjoy dairy-free milk at home, or if your pooch took an eager slurp of yours, you might be wondering if these are safe for your dog as well.
Can dogs drink oat milk? Dogs, by nature, should not drink oat milk. They are carnivores and the only liquid they should consume is water. However, oat milk is fairly harmless, and should not cause too much upset if given to your dog in moderation once in a while.
Below is everything you need to know on whether or not oat milk is fine for your dog to drink, and if it is something you should be offering more often or less.
Is Oat Milk Safe For Dogs?
Oat milk is high in fiber and contains many different minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. For humans, it is a healthy substitute for dairy, but is it the same for dogs?
If served in moderation, oat milk is generally safe for dogs.
Although your pooch definitely does not need to be drinking oat milk often, at the very least it offers up a good alternative to normal carbohydrate treats for dogs who might be sensitive to grains and wheat. Oat milk also contains vitamin B and linoleic acid, which are generally good for dogs.
On the other hand, feeding your dog too much oat milk could cause them to have an upset stomach, which could include diarrhea and vomiting. The high fiber content could mess with their gastrointestinal tract and make them quite unwell.
Your dog food is likely to already be specially formulated with all the vitamins nutrients your dog needs. So there is also no reason to try to supplement your dog’s diet with something like oat milk, which is not part of their natural diet.
What Can Happen If I Feed My Dog Oat Milk?
Your dog might become sick if you feed them too much oat milk. It is important to look out for any side effects that your dog might have after drinking oat milk.
Here are some of the symptoms that might become apparent:
Gastrointestinal Upset
One of the most common side effects that oat milk could cause is gastrointestinal upset in dogs. Oat milk contains a high amount of fiber and carbohydrates, which might be difficult for your dog to digest.
The level of this gastrointestinal digest might vary from feelings of nausea to diarrhea and vomiting. If your dog has only had a small amount of oat milk, this shouldn’t be too serious and it should pass soon. However, your dog could be sensitive or allergic to oats and grains, and this has the potential to be quite serious.
If it does not seem that your dog is getting better, and they cannot drink or eat their normal food or water, take them to see a veterinarian.
Hyperactivity
Some oat milk is sweetened, and this could cause your dog to become hyperactive. It could be difficult to control your dog when they are in this active, erratic state, and they might not behave like themselves at all.
Their heart rate would be increased and they might suffer from heightened anxiety. It is not fair to put them through this, so if you insist on giving your pooch a small taste of oat milk, make sure that it is unsweetened.
Obesity And Diabetes
There is a chance that your dog could develop obesity and diabetes if they are given too much sweetened oat milk over an extended period of time. Dogs do not have systems designed to handle that much sugar, and it will cause some serious issues.
Both obesity and diabetes are serious conditions for your dog and could be life-long and even life-threatening.
How Often Can I Feed My Dog Oat Milk?
You should avoid feeding your dog too much oat milk. This is because oat milk usually contains quite a high concentration of carbohydrates and calories, which should only be fed to your dog in moderation.
Too much oat milk at once or too often can lead to nausea and vomiting, as well as an upset stomach.
If you are set on feeding your dog oat milk sparingly, you should do so gradually, just as you would when introducing any food to your dog’s diet.
Give them a small amount and see how they handle the oat milk. If they are fine, you can give them a little more the next time.
Slowly introducing them to the oat milk allows their system to digest it easier, and there is less chance of your canine friend becoming too sick if their stomach does not agree with the oat milk, as you will only be giving them a very small amount at first. Even when they’re used to it, don’t give them too much. Better safe than sorry.
If you introduce oat milk to your dog and notice an adverse reaction, you should contact your veterinarian straight away.
Try to get your dog to drink a small amount of water to settle their stomach before being advised by the vet on what to do. Remember how much oat milk your dog drank so you can pass the information on.
How Can I Give My Dog Oat Milk?
To introduce your dog to oat milk, as stated above, you need to do so slowly.
One of the best ways to do this is to add some oat milk into their food at dinner or breakfast time (this is our favorite dog food). This is especially helpful with dog pellets, as the oat milk can help to soften the pellets slightly and make it easier for your dog to eat. However, you cannot do this with every meal.
You can also just put out a shallow bowl of oat milk to give to your dog once every now and then for a good serving of fiber. However, we recommend checking with your vet before trying to regulate your pooch’s fiber on your own.
If you give your dog cooked meals or soft food, you could mix the oat milk in with this as well. It could give the food a little more creaminess and make it a little tastier as well. Just make sure not to do this too often.
Is Flavored Oat Milk Safe For Dogs?
It is a general rule that you should not feed human food to dogs. They have a fairly basic diet and do not need any special additions to their meals unless stated so by a vet. For this reason, you should avoid flavoring oat milk for your dog, including with spices such as cinnamon or similar.
If you do want to give your dog oat milk, it should be plain and unsweetened. If sweetened, the oat milk could give your dog a bit of a sugar high, which not only causes them to act more erratic than usual but which could give them an upset stomach and cause diarrhea and vomiting.
Plain oat milk is best and only if consumed in small portions. Do not sweeten, flavor, or bulk up the oat milk.
Can I Give My Dog Chocolate Oat Milk?
You should not give your dog chocolate oat milk. There are too many additives and sugars included in oat milk that could seriously upset your dog’s stomach. If given chocolate oat milk too often, your dog could develop diabetes or obesity over time, which are both life-threatening conditions.
Not only are sugary options bad for your canine loved ones, chocolate in particular is toxic for dogs. So you especially don’t want to give your dogs anything with chocolate in it.
Can My Dog Have Oatmeal?
Oatmeal, like oat milk, contains a large amount of fiber, carbohydrates, and calories. While it is fine to feed your dog a bite of oatmeal every now and then, it should not be offered up too often.
Too much could cause gastrointestinal upset, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Oatmeal should only be given to your dog once or twice a week, and no more than half a cup at that. To be on the safe side, we recommend even less.
The oatmeal should be unsweetened and not flavored with any other food items. Plain is best. You should also not give them instant oatmeal, and ensure that any oatmeal fed to them is cooked well.
Also, if you feed your dog a little oatmeal, it should be made with water and not milk, as dogs’ digestive systems are not great at digesting milk, and this could really upset their systems.
Related Questions
Can Dogs Drink Cow’s Milk?
A tablespoon of milk now and then should not cause any major harm, but you should not give your dog cow’s milk on a regular basis.
You could also offer a tablespoon or two of goat’s milk to your dog as a treat once a week, but no more than this.
Your pooch is best off with just water!
Can Dogs Drink Non-Dairy Milk?
Most dogs do not have the enzymes needed to break down the sugar found in normal cow’s milk, so large quantities of this should be avoided.
In general, they can safely consume small amounts of dairy-free milks such as almond or soy (or oat), but this should be done sparingly, if at all.
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