Can Dogs Eat Oaxaca Cheese?

Can dogs eat Oaxaca cheese?

Yes, most dogs can eat Oaxaca cheese in small amounts as a treat. As with all cheese, there are health considerations to be made when feeding dogs, but Oaxaca cheese is relatively low fat compared to some other cheeses.

Oaxaca 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 oaxaca cheese ?

Oaxaca cheese is a semi-soft, white cheese made from whole cow’s milk. It is made with the same cheese process that is used to make mozzarella among others, and is a soft stringy cheese.

What is Oaxaca cheese similar to?

It is similar to Mozzarella or Monterey Jack, but stringy, and can be easily substituted by American string cheese.

Are there different kinds?

Broadly speaking there are two kinds of Oaxaca cheese. Commercially made Oaxaca is made from pasteurised cows milk, whereas artisanally made cheese uses unpasteurised milk.

Is unpasteurised cheese safe for dogs?

Generally it makes very little difference to a dog whether the cheese is pasteurised or not. You will still need to think about the amount of cheese you offer, and the general health of your dog.

Can dogs eat string cheese?

Unflavoured string cheeses are generally low in fats and sodium, so make a good choice of cheese to treat your dog with in small amounts.

Can oaxaca cheese upset a dog’s stomach?

Too much of any cheese can give a dog an upset stomach, and Oaxaca is no exception to this despite being relatively low fat and low in sodium.

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. Oaxaca cheese is very good for both of these cases, and we have used it several times for our dogs.

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 although Oaxaca cheese is lower in fat than many other cheeses, it still 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. It’s best to avoid cheese even as a treat until this passes.