Can Dogs Eat Cheese?

Yes, most dogs can eat a little plain cheese. It’s a popular training reward and a handy way to hide a pill. The catch is that cheese is fatty and often salty, some dogs can’t digest dairy well, and a few kinds of cheese contain ingredients that are genuinely dangerous for dogs. Keep it small, plain, and occasional.

Why a little cheese is usually okay

Cheese has protein, calcium, vitamin A, B vitamins, and fatty acids, and most dogs love the taste. That’s why trainers reach for it with food-motivated dogs. The ASPCA lists a small cube of cheese as a pet-safe snack, as long as it’s offered sparingly.

The problems come from how much your dog eats, how often, and which cheese it is.

The risks of feeding cheese

Lactose and an upset stomach

Dogs don’t make much lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar in milk. According to the ASPCA, that’s why dairy can cause diarrhea and other stomach trouble in pets.

The good news is that cheese has far less lactose than milk, so many dogs that can’t handle a bowl of milk do fine with a bit of cheese. Dogs with severe lactose intolerance can still react to small amounts, though. Watch for:

• Loose stools or diarrhea
• Gas
• Vomiting
• Belly pain

The first time you offer cheese, give a tiny piece and see how your dog does over the next day. If your dog’s stomach gets upset, pick a different treat.

Fat, weight gain, and pancreatitis

Cheese is high in fat. Regular large helpings can lead to weight gain and obesity. More worrying, the AKC and the ASPCA both warn that too much fat can lead to pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can be serious and even fatal. The Merck Veterinary Manual names eating large amounts of table scraps or trash as a common risk factor in dogs.

Signs of pancreatitis include:

• Vomiting
• Not wanting to eat
• Belly pain
• Diarrhea
• Weakness or lethargy

Milder cases can look vague, with just a poor appetite, tiredness, or loose stools. If your dog shows these signs, especially after getting into something fatty, call your vet. Severely ill dogs may need to be hospitalized and given IV fluids.

Salt

Many cheeses are salty. A small cube isn’t a salt emergency, but salty foods shouldn’t be a regular part of your dog’s diet. The ASPCA notes that too much salt can cause increased thirst and urination, and in larger amounts can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, seizures, and worse.

Cheeses with garlic, onion, or chives

Some cheeses and cheese spreads are flavored with garlic, onion, or chives. These are all Allium plants, and they can damage a dog’s red blood cells and cause anemia (too few red blood cells). Concentrated forms like garlic powder, onion powder, and dried flakes are especially risky, and those are common in flavored spreads and dips.

The tricky part is timing. The Merck Veterinary Manual says signs usually show up a few days after eating, once red blood cells have been destroyed. Look for weakness, lethargy, pale or yellow gums, fast breathing, red or brown urine, and collapse.

Always read the label. Skip herb-and-garlic spreads, onion dips, and any cheese with added seasonings.

Blue cheese and moldy cheese

Blue cheeses like Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and Stilton are ripened with Penicillium molds. A study published in the Journal of Food Protection found roquefortine C, a mold toxin, in every blue cheese it tested, at low levels. Roquefortine C is listed among the “tremorgenic” mycotoxins that can cause tremors, but the Merck Veterinary Manual notes it appears to be fairly weak on its own and may not be an important cause of poisoning. So the evidence that a nibble of blue cheese harms dogs is limited. Still, there’s no reason to share it.

Old, moldy cheese is a different story. Spoiled food from the trash or compost can carry mold toxins that cause vomiting, tremors, high body temperature, and seizures, sometimes within an hour or two. ASPCA Animal Poison Control says signs can last 24 to 48 hours and can be life-threatening without treatment.

What to do if your dog ate the wrong cheese

A few bites of plain cheddar or mozzarella usually means, at worst, an upset stomach. Call your vet if your dog ate a large amount of cheese, cheese flavored with garlic or onion, or moldy food from the trash.

Have the package or label handy so you can tell the vet what was in it and roughly how much your dog ate.

How to serve cheese safely

• Pick lower-fat options. The AKC suggests mozzarella, cottage cheese, or soft goat cheese. Cottage cheese is lower in fat, sodium, and lactose than most cheeses.
• Keep portions tiny. A small cube or a few shreds is plenty for a reward.
• Go plain. No garlic, onion, chives, herbs, or seasonings.
• Ask first if your dog is overweight, has had pancreatitis, or has a sensitive stomach.

Using cheese to give pills

Wrapping a pill in a small piece of cheese is a common trick, and both the AKC and the ASPCA mention it. Use just enough to hide the pill. If your dog takes medication every day, those small pieces add up, so count them as part of your dog’s treats. If you’re not sure whether a particular medicine can be given with food, check with your vet.

Other treats to try

If cheese doesn’t agree with your dog, the ASPCA lists other people foods that are generally fine in small amounts: plain carrots, green beans, apple slices (no core or seeds), blueberries, and lean cooked chicken or turkey with no bones or seasoning.

Keep treats, cheese included, to no more than about 10% of your dog’s daily calories; the ASPCA suggests aiming even lower, around 5%. For what to keep off the menu entirely, see our guide to foods that are toxic to dogs.