It’s so tempting to give ice cream to your dogs, especially on particularly hot days. Besides, you’ve probably seen lots of videos of dogs enjoying this treat. But is it safe? Here’s what you need to know.
What’s In It?
Ice cream often contains one or more of the following components:
- Sugar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Lactose
- Toxic flavors
If you can get an ice cream without any of these components, you could be good to go. But some people still find that giving plain ice cream to their dogs is okay. If you want to, the best human ice cream options are:
- Peanut butter ice cream
- Plain vanilla ice cream
- Sugar-free and sweetener-free ice cream
Side Effects
Side effects of letting your dog eat human ice cream – especially in excess – are as follows.
- Worsened allergies
- Picky eating habits
- Behavioral issues
- Tooth problems
- Diabetes
- Increased blood sugar
- Digestive upset
Diabetic dogs can suffer especially negative reactions. Never give a diabetic dog ice cream!
Alternatives
Bummed that your dog can’t eat ice cream? Here are some great cold alternatives for those sweltering days.
- Specially made doggy ice cream
- Frozen bars of fruit
- Frozen fruit
- Frozen bananas coated in peanut butter
- Frozen yogurt
Make sure all alternatives are dog-safe with no additives!
Feature Image Source: Pixabay
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