You’ve probably seen the videos of French bulldog puppies eating slices of cheese as a treat or as a disguise for pills and medications – and you’ve probably asked yourself whether this is safe for your canine friends.
The good news is that cheese is relatively safe for pets and may even provide them with some of the crucial nutrients they need, such as calcium, vitamin A and essential fatty acids. You can easily add cheese as a meal topper or as a treat for treat-oriented pets during training.
So Can French Bulldogs Eat Cheese?
Yes, many cheeses are safe to feed to your French Bulldog as an occasional treat. Be sure to read the list below of what cheeses are ok for your Frenchie to eat and which ones to avoid. While cheese is an ok treat for your French Bulldog, I would recommend only making an occasional treat and and not a daily one.
The Benefits of Feeding Your French Bulldog Cheese As An Occasional Treat
Here are a few health benefits that they can get from an occasional cheese treat.
1. Improved Bone Health
French bulldogs are predisposed to joint and spinal diseases because of their body build, putting them at high risk for disc herniations and patellar luxation.
In addition to keeping your French bulldogs at a healthy weight, another way to prevent injuries and joint problems is by giving them bone-supporting nutrients. As a dairy product, cheese contains considerable levels of calcium, a nutrient needed to support your French bulldog’s bone health.
2. Better Cognitive Health
Cheese contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a major building block for your pet’s brain function. Unfortunately, not a lot of pet foods offer high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, so they usually have an imbalance of omega-6s. By optimizing your pet’s omega-3 fatty acid and omega-6 fatty acid ratio, you can help improve your pet’s brain and mental health.
3. Stronger immunity against disease-causing pathogens
Studies have shown that cheese may help boost immunity against disease because of its ability to carry probiotic bacteria. Probiotic bacteria help regulate your pet’s gut microbiome and may optimize their immune system.
Some Cheeses May Be Better Than Others for Your French Bulldog!
You don’t have to be a cheese connoisseur to know that there are hundreds or even thousands of cheeses available around the world. With the different processes that these cheeses are produced, some cheese varieties are more nutritious and healthier than others.
For example, mozzarella and cottage cheese contain lower amounts of fat in their composition and higher levels of calcium – which makes them better choices for your French bulldog.
Following this line of thought, some cheeses may not be as healthy as others, especially when fed in excess. I would recommend avoiding Romano and parmesan because of their high sodium content.
In addition, there are also cheese options that may be dangerous for your Frenchie for various reasons, from toxic ingredients to toxic components produced during production.
Don’t Feed Your French Bulldog These Types of Cheese
If you’re planning on giving your pets cheese, do not give them these:
– Blue Cheese
– Roquefort
– Gorgonzola
– Stilton
– Garlic Cheese
– Cheese Spreads With Onion
The reason behind these is that blue cheese, roquefort, gorgonzola and stilton cheeses contain roquefortine C, a component associated with anorexia, paralysis, and fatal food poisoning. As much as possible, do not feed your dogs any type of moldy cheese to keep them safe.
As for garlic cheeses and cheese spreads with onion, garlic and onion are considered to be highly poisonous to dogs and cats due to N-propyl disulfide, a toxin that destroys your pet’s red blood cells.
Watch Out for Lactose-Intolerant French Bulldogs
While cheese is generally ok for your Frenchie to have as an occasional treat, there’s one contraindication for dogs. Unfortunately, lactose intolerance is not limited to the human race. As a dairy product, cheese may trigger stomach upset, loose stools, and diarrhea in dogs who are lactose intolerant. If you do try to give your Frenchie some cheese only do it in small amounts and infrequently. Then be sure to monitor how they do with it.
If you think that your pet may be lactose intolerant, here are some of the symptoms that you should look out for after feeding them cheese, milk, or any dairy product:
– Diarrhea
– Abdominal pain
– Vomiting
– Gas
The severity of these symptoms may vary across dogs, so it might be a bit tricky to diagnose lactose intolerance in your pet. Stomach upset may be triggered by a variety of factors when introducing new foods to their diet. To make sure, you can consult your veterinarian so he or she can run some tests on your dog.
Final Thoughts – Can French Bulldogs Eat Cheese?
Yes, you can feed your French Bulldog an occasional cheese treat but I wouldn’t make it a regular part of their diet. Definitely be careful which cheeses you choose to give your Frenchie if you are going to use it as a treat.
If you are looking for some better snack options for your Frenchie I would suggest trying carrots, blueberries, banana, or even watermelon.
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