8 Benefits Of Goat Milk For Dogs (Revealed!)

Goat milk is a great alternative to cow milk in a lot of ways.

It may be a bit higher in fat and calories, but it is overall higher in many vitamins and other nutrients essential for our health.

When it comes to our dogs, we are always on the look out for ways to give them a helping hand, too.

Dogs can have a little bit of milk every now and then as a treat, and in moderation it can be a great addition to their diet.

While you might normally default to giving them cow milk, there are actually lots of benefits to making the switch to goat milk!

Today, we’re going to look at some of the main benefits of giving your dogs goat milk.

 

Highly digestible

One thing about cow milk is that, though it may have some benefits for dogs, it is usually regarded as simply far too difficult for them to digest to be good for them.

It will often end up sitting in their gut unprocessed, giving them pain and diarrhea.

Goat milk doesn’t really have this problem.

It is far easier to digest than cow milk, for a number of reasons.

Your dog’s stomach is able to process and break up the smaller fat particles contained within goat milk, digesting the milk very quickly.

The presence of probiotics and enzymes, too, are really good for your dog’s gut and again help with smoother digestion.

 

Reduces allergy risk

Many dogs are actually allergic to cow milk in a way that is separate from lactose intolerance.

This is to do with a substance called casein, rather than with lactose.

This is a protein which is present in both cow and goat milk, but in different forms.

The form present in goat milk is also present in a lower quantity, meaning that your dog is far less likely to show an allergic reaction to goat milk.

That said, if your dog is allergic to cow milk, you should still always be very cautious about feeding them goat milk.

It could still have the same reaction.

 

Fatty acids

Nutritionally speaking, goat milk is simply much better than cow milk in a lot of ways.

One of the reasons for this is the presence of fatty acids.

These fatty acids are both short and medium chain and found in high quantities in goat milk, especially when compared with cow milk.

Your dog can absorb the energy from the milk without storing excess fat in their body.

Cholesterol levels will achieve a more comfortable equilibrium, and this is really good for preventing heart disease.  

Again, though, it’s important to note moderation—these healthy fatty acids are not so great in excess.

Anti-inflammatory

Goat milk is also a natural anti-inflammatory.

Inflammation is a common problem for dogs, and many medications to treat it can be prohibitively expensive.

Goat milk contains enzymes which can decrease the levels of bacteria which lead to inflammation, especially in the gut.

But goat milk is also good at reducing inflammation throughout the whole body.

Again, this is really good if your dog suffers from allergies and can’t get all the foods it needs.

 

Weight gain

A tale all too common and tragic is a rescued dog coming into a shelter or a new foster home severely malnourished.

In this case, small amounts of goat milk in the diet can be highly beneficial for rapid weight gain.

This is mainly because goat milk is so high in protein.

Far higher, in fact, than cow milk, pound for pound.

Again, not to stress this point, but testing and moderation are still really important.

 

High in nutrients

Goat milk is also much higher in overall nutrient content than cow milk is.

This applies to both vitamins and minerals, as you will find high quantities of calcium, phosphorous and potassium in goat milk.

These are essential for the strength of bones, muscles and nerves.

Again, cow milk is overall lower in these nutrients, on top of the fact that it tends to be more allergenic.

You will also find vitamins like B2 and B12, which help with digestion and the pancreas.

 

Ameliorates disease symptoms

There are many diseases and common conditions that afflict our four-legged friends.

As much as we wish there was an instant cure, there are many things we can do to help them along.

That often includes goat milk.

Goat milk has been shown to reduce the symptoms of diseases like kidney stones, metal poisoning, liver disease and urinary tract problems.

It’s a great medicine in moderation.

 

Antacid

Finally, goat milk is a highly effective antacid.

Due to the high levels of potassium, goat milk can help your dog achieve the right pH levels in their whole body.

This will help with digestion and comfort, again reducing inflammation and the symptoms of things like heartburn.

If your dog has an upset stomach because of something else it ate, then a little goat milk may go a long way to fixing it.

 

So, there are tons of benefits to giving goat milk to your dog, but it is always important to keep moderation in mind.

Too much could quickly become an issue for them, so it’s best only as an occasional treat.

That said, when fed in the right amounts, it can be highly beneficial.

Both nutritionally with its acids, vitamins and minerals, and in all sorts of other medical ways, goat milk is a great treat for dogs that they will love.