---
title: "Can dogs and cats eat milk and cream?"
description: "Milk and cream and pets: fine in small amounts. What it does, whether the dose matters, and how dogs, cats, rabbits and birds differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/milk/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Can pets eat milk and cream?

**Milk and cream: Fine in small amounts**

Dogs: In moderation · Cats: In moderation

## By animal

| Animal | Verdict | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dogs | In moderation | Not toxic. Most adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so it means diarrhoea rather than danger. |
| Cats | In moderation | Same, and the saucer of milk is a genuinely bad idea for a well-known reason. |

## What it actually does

Mammals stop producing lactase after weaning, and cats and dogs are no exception — which is why the traditional saucer of milk gives a cat diarrhoea. It is a digestive intolerance, not a poisoning, and small amounts are harmless to most animals. Cream and butter are lower in lactose and higher in fat, which trades one problem for another in a dog prone to pancreatitis.

No reliable dose threshold has been published for this. Anything presenting a specific safe amount is extrapolating.

## The bit that is usually got wrong

> The saucer of milk for a cat is a cultural image, not good practice. Water is what a cat needs.

> Body weight decides almost everything here, so what is trivial for a 40 kg dog can matter for a 4 kg one, and a bird is smaller again. Where a real published threshold exists this page gives it; where none does, it says so rather than inventing one.

## Dairy

| Food | Worst verdict | Dogs | Cats |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cheese | In moderation | In moderation | In moderation |
| Yoghurt | In moderation | In moderation | In moderation |

## Common questions

### Can dogs eat milk and cream?

Fine in small amounts. Not toxic. Most adult dogs are lactose intolerant, so it means diarrhoea rather than danger.

### Can cats eat milk and cream?

Fine in small amounts. Same, and the saucer of milk is a genuinely bad idea for a well-known reason.

### What does milk and cream actually do?

Mammals stop producing lactase after weaning, and cats and dogs are no exception — which is why the traditional saucer of milk gives a cat diarrhoea. It is a digestive intolerance, not a poisoning, and small amounts are harmless to most animals. Cream and butter are lower in lactose and higher in fat, which trades one problem for another in a dog prone to pancreatitis.

## Related pages

- [Can pets eat cheese?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cheese/)
- [Can pets eat yoghurt?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/yoghurt/)
- [Can pets eat chocolate?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/chocolate/)
- [Can pets eat grapes, raisins, sultanas and currants?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/grapes/)
- [Can pets eat onion, garlic, leek and chives?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/onion-garlic/)
- [Can pets eat xylitol and birch sugar?](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/xylitol/)
- [Everything, for dogs](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/dog/)
- [Everything, for cats](https://atoneplace.net/can-pets-eat/cat/)

## Sources

- Animal Poison Control Center — toxic and non-toxic lists — ASPCA (https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control)