Can Dogs Eat Frozen Custard?
When you are eating ice cream or frozen custard, your furry friend is typically right beside you, begging for some, too! While it may seem harmless to let your pet have another lick or to even give them a scoop of their own, you should be sure to do your research to ensure that this is something that your dog will be able to stomach.
Can dogs eat frozen custard?
No, unfortunately, frozen custard is loaded with unhealthy fats and sugars, and could end up being unhealthy and even dangerous for your dog. If your dog eats a little custard it isn’t toxic, but it is not a good idea to intentionally give them a lot of it.
Read on for more details, including whether or not frozen custard is a safe treat for your dog.
What Is Frozen Custard?
First of all, you should fully understand what frozen custard is before you decide to feed it to your pet. Frozen custard is a cold dessert that can be compared to or replaced with ice cream. However, unlike ice cream, frozen custard is made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. It also has a denser consistency than ice cream, making it richer and creamier. It is a truly decadent treat!
It is hard to say where frozen custard originated, precisely, but one of the early commercialization of the treat was in 1919 in Coney Island. A pair of brothers, Archie and Elton Kohr discovered that adding egg yolks to the ice cream that they sold created a smoother texture and kept it cold longer. Later on, at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, the dessert was introduced to an even wider audience and this helped it gain popularity.
Can Dogs Eat Frozen Custard?
As mentioned previously, frozen custard is a decadent treat– maybe too decadent, in the case of your dog. Unfortunately, frozen custard is not a safe treat for your dog. While it is not toxic, it could cause issues like diarrhea or loose stools. If you are constantly feeding your dog frozen custard, you could unintentionally cause serious long-term issues such as weight loss– which can lead to other issues– and diabetes.
As mentioned above sugar is the main issue here. High sugar items like marshmallows and custard are not the best.
Risks of Feeding Your Dog Frozen Custard
Feeding your dog frozen custard can have a few risks and can lead to certain health issues, due to the ingredients in this treat. It is not meant for dogs, whether in small portions or large portions, so you could end up hurting your pet without meaning to, thinking that you are sharing with them a special treat.
Stomach Issues
Once puppies are weaned off of their mother’s milk, they no longer need milk or dairy products in their diet. In fact, they essentially become lactose intolerant. Your dog’s body stops producing the enzyme that is known as lactase, which digests the sugars that are found in dairy.
This poses an issue when it comes to frozen custard because frozen custard has a high amount of dairy– it contains both milk and cream. Since your dog does not have the enzyme, it is unable to properly digest dairy items. This will then cause gastrointestinal issues, diarrhea, gas, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Weight Gain
Your dog may also experience weight gain if you are feeding it frozen custard. Just a lick or two of this tasty treat will not lead to significant weight gain, but overfeeding your dog frozen custard or feeding it to your dog frequently will very likely cause it. This is due to the high amounts of eggs, fat, and sugar in frozen custard. It’s also high in calories because of all these ingredients. Frozen custard is delicious, but by no means is it a healthy treat!
Allergies
As discussed previously, frozen custard includes ingredients like eggs, milk, and cream. These can all be allergens for your pup– especially because dogs are by nature lactose intolerant. The amounts of these ingredients can easily trigger a reaction in your pet. The particular symptoms of these allergic reactions may differ, as all animals or people react slightly differently when they have an allergy. However, some of the symptoms can include stomach upset and diarrhea– and these are some of the more minor symptoms. If your dog’s allergy is more severe, it could experience issues breathing, tremors, or seizures, as well as vomiting. No symptom is worth the risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs eat vanilla frozen custard?
While vanilla custard is a delicious treat for people, it is not a safe treat for pets. This is because vanilla frozen custard contains ingredients that can be dangerous or even toxic to dogs– for instance, sugar, milk, and other flavorings. These can cause a variety of health issues and gastrointestinal issues.
Can a dog eat custard?
Custard is not a good treat for dogs because it is high in fat, calories, and sugar. Feeding this treat to your dog could easily cause short-term issues such as gastrointestinal issues, as well as long-term issues like diabetes or weight gain if you continue to feed your dog too much custard. Custard also contains whole milk and cream, which can easily make your pet sick, especially if it is a smaller dog with a smaller digestive system.
Can dogs eat Andy’s, Frozen Custard?
Andy’s Frozen Custard is said to be pet friendly. However,it is still not recommended that you feed your dog Andy’s Frozen Custard if your pet has a sensitive stomach or any lactose allergies. It is also important that you feed this to your dog in moderation, as too much will likely cause digestive issues, regardless of how strong your pet’s stomach is!
Is Culver’s Custard safe for dogs?
Culver’s Custard does offer special treats for dogs when you go through the drive-thru. These dog treats are a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a Milk-Bone on top. If enjoyed in moderation, this should be safe for your dog. However, you should exercise more caution if your dog is a small breed, as they will not be able to stomach as much as a larger dog, or if they have a particularly sensitive stomach.