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Is Custard Safe For Dogs?

Is Custard Safe For Dogs?

You are halfway enjoying your bowl of custard when your adorable dog shows you puppy eyes and asks for a taste.

You know there are certain human foods that she shouldn’t have but can’t tell whether custard fits the description.

So, should you go ahead and allow your pup to lick your bowl or offer a small serving of custard on her own plate?

What Does Custard Contain?

To explicitly answer the question, let’s take a look at the ingredients contained in custard.

Although there are different custard recipes, many of them use the same ingredients: milk or cream, eggs and yolk, salt, sugar, and flavorings.

Other recipes include a thickening starch such as cornstarch, flour, potato starch, and arrowroot but whole eggs and yolks are the main thickeners in most custard.

There are different types of custards including refrigerated, baked, UHT, powdered, pasty cream, stirred, and egg custard.

Can Dogs Eat Custard?

Can Dogs Eat Custard?

From the above description, custard contains dairy (both milk and cream).

Most canines aren’t able to digest milk. This is because they lack enough amounts of the enzyme lactase, responsible for breaking down lactose in milk.

A little bit of milk won’t necessarily hurt your dog but too much may lead to abdominal pain, loose stools, diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, and constant gas.

The other problem with custard is that it contains sugar.

Like humans, dogs can suffer the same negative effects of sugar consumption. These include weight gain, diabetes, dental issues, and more.

Again, occasional small amounts of sugar will probably cause no harm. The problem is feeding your dog custard with a lot of sugar on repeat.

Finally, the flavorings used to make custard may be toxic for your dog.

For instance, chocolate is a complete no-no for any dog. It contains caffeine and theobromine—the two most common toxic substances for dogs. The darker the chocolate is, the more toxins it contains.

Some of the symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs include increased heart rate, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle tremors, increased body temperature, heart failure, restlessness, and even death.

So, to answer the question of whether custard is safe for dogs or not, it really depends on the amount in question and the flavorings used.

Your dog may not suffer from any real danger if she ingests small amounts of custard that doesn’t contain any chocolate flavoring.

Caution:

Like many other human foods that you may share with your dog, the tastier the custard, the more unsafe it is to your dog.

For instance, the rich, creamy taste that is often associated with full-fat custard comes with about 6% of the recommended value of fat per serving.

Your regular custard carries 1-3% fat while the low-fat custard option has 0-1% fat value.

Since you may not know the type or exact amounts of ingredients used in the custard, it is highly recommended to have a safer dessert alternative for your dog.

Try these ideas:

  • Homemade Popsicles: Make your dog a tasty Popsicle using canned pumpkin, xylitol-free peanut butter, mashed banana, plain low-fat yogurt mixed with fruit, or low-sodium chicken broth. Check this post for more dog broth options and here is how to make homemade popsicles.
  • Get your dog toys that can be stuffed with food and fill them with a mixture of her favorite foods and peanut butter or pumpkin and then freeze. This will provide a unique and stimulating enrichment activity to your pup as she works to get the frozen mixture out. Check the best toys here: 15 Best Dog Toys You Can Put Peanut Butter In.

What can I do if my dog consumes large amounts of custard without my consent?

If your dog accidentally consumes large amounts of custard, just stay calm and watch her closely over the next few hours.

In the meantime, try to find out the ingredients of the custard that she ate.

If there isn’t any potentially dangerous ingredient and she is not intolerant to lactose, then she is going to be okay.

However, if she is intolerant to dairy products or if the custard she consumed had chocolate, you need to consult your vet immediately, especially if your pup manifests symptoms we have mentioned—diarrhea, vomiting, muscle tremors, increased body temperature, etc.

Related Questions:

1.Can dogs have frozen custard?

Not really. Custard contains milk, flavorings, and sugar, which may be harmful to your dog.

2. Can dogs eat custard ice cream?

No. Custard ice cream has milk, sugar, and flavorings, all of which may be toxic to your dog.

3. Can dogs eat vanilla custard?

No. Except in small amounts and occasionally.

4. Can dogs eat custard apple?

No. Custard apple still contains toxic ingredients that can negatively affect your dog.

5. Can dogs eat custard creams?

No. Custard creams contain sugar, milk, and harmful flavorings that can cause problems for your pup.

Parting Thoughts

Custard may be good for you but it is best not given to a dog.

The next time your pup begs you for it, hand them healthy alternatives like frozen pumpkin, mashed banana, and peanut butter.

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