Can Dogs Eat Manchego Cheese?

Can Dogs Eat Manchego Cheese?

Yes, most dogs can eat Manchego cheese in small amounts as a treat. As with all cheese, there are health considerations to be made when feeding dogs. Manchego cheese is relatively high fat compared to some other cheeses, so consideration needs to be given to that.

Manchego cheese can be great as a treat for your dog, but you should always keep your friend’s diet in mind. Too much cheese will be detrimental to any dog’s diet. It will introduce too much fat and sodium.

There are some cheeses you should not give to a dog, and some dogs that should not be given cheese.

What kind of cheese is Mexican Manchego cheese ?

Mexican Manchego cheese is yellow in colour and  made from skimmed cows milk. Because it melts easily, it is often shredded and melted in or on top of Mexican dishes like quesadilla. It is often substituted with soft cheddar cheese.

What is Manchego cheese similar to?

Mexican Manchego is similar to Chihuahua cheese, or an American soft cheddar.

Are there different kinds of Manchego?

Manchego was brought to Mexico by the Spanish. In Spain, it is produced only in the La Mancha region, made from sheep’s milk, and aged for between 60 days and 2 years. The modern Mexican version bares very little resemblance to this, and is a mass produced cheese made from pasteurised cows milk. It has become hugely popular in Mexican cuisine because it is so versatile, and is now one of the most readily available cheeses in Mexico, either in blocks or grated.

Can Mexican Manchego cheese upset a dog’s stomach?

Too much of any cheese can give a dog an upset stomach, and Manchego is no exception to this.  It is relatively high in fat, but in small amounts is very unlikely to upset a healthy dogs stomach.

All things in moderation

Like most things, cheese can be a good addition to a dog’s diet when used in moderation. Most dogs really enjoy a bit of cheese, so it can be an excellent treat, but only a small amount should be used, and it should not be an everyday thing. 

The benefits of cheese for dogs

In reality there is very little benefit in feeding your dog cheese from a dietary point of view. However, because a lot of dogs find it so tasty, used in small amounts as a treat it can be very useful for training. It is also often used to wrap medications in to help dogs take it. Mexican Manchego cheese is very good for both of these cases, and our dogs are particularly good at taking medication hidden in it.

Cheeses to avoid feeding your dog

Blue Cheese

Blue cheeses are made with a fungus which your dog can be very sensitive to. If ingested it may cause diarrhoea, vomiting, high temperature or even seizures. It is best to never feed your dog blue cheese just in case, but if your dog has eaten some and shows any of these signs you should contact your vet as soon as possible.

Flavoured Cheeses

Flavoured cheeses like Boursin usually use either onion, garlic or chives. These are all toxic for dogs and should be avoided at all times.

Avoid feeding cheese to your dog that is:

Overweight

Obesity is a real health issue for dogs, and as Mexican Manchego cheese is higher in fat than many other cheeses, it should not be fed to overweight dogs.

Lactose intolerant dogs.

Dogs who are lactose intolerant can be sensitive to even small amounts of lactose. Although cheese is lower in lactose than whole milk, it is still better to avoid it for these dogs.

Dogs with upset stomachs.

Cheese is high in fats and will only aggravate any upset stomach. Its best to avoid cheese even as a treat until this passes.