Can Your American Bully Drink Milk?

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However, when the puppy is eight to 14 weeks old, it will need even more fat and proteins in its diet.

Cow’s milk is high in fat and calcium. 

An easy way to incorporate milk into your American Bully’s diet is to take their regular dog food and mix a milk formula into it.

This will also make their food easy to digest.

However, you still don’t want to give them too much, and after the age of eight weeks, they won’t need liquid in their food, so you should add a new form of calcium and fat to their diets.

Can an american bully drink milk?

American bully dogs can drink milk. Besides having a high-fat content, milk has many natural sugars that will help your bully gain weight in its first few months of life. However, since American Bully dogs are prone to obesity, you want to monitor their milk consumption carefully. 

How Much Milk Can Dogs Have?

As your American Bully puppy grows, they should be able to handle a small amount of milk in their diet, but as they grow, that could change. The older a dog gets, the more they can’t tolerate the lactose in milk.

Any milk given to a dog over the age of 14 months should be in small amounts.

A few tablespoons of milk with their food is plenty for your puppy. The best practice is to limit your dog’s dairy intake to roughly 10% of its food intake. Any more than this, and you risk your dog having digestive problems, such as diarrhea. 

Adult American Bully Dogs Don’t Need Milk

Your adult American Bully dog doesn’t need milk. They still need a diet rich in fat and calcium, but they can get those nutrients from other sources. As your American Bully gets older, you’ll also want to avoid milk because they are more susceptible to bloating and developing gas.  

Some Dogs Can’t Tolerate Milk

Lactose intolerance isn’t limited to just humans. Dogs are highly capable of developing this condition, too, especially after reaching maturity. 

While a small amount of milk or dairy is tolerable in dogs, any more than that could trigger a lactose intolerance response in their digestive system. This intolerance stems from a lack of lactase in the body. Without that enzyme, the lactose in milk cannot digest and makes its way into their colon. 

The signs of lactose intolerance include gas, loose stools, stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting. If you notice these signs in your dog or puppy, they may have lactose intolerance. You may also see that your American Bully loses their appetite more frequently if they consume milk or other dairy products. 

You could potentially notice signs of lactose intolerance within an hour to 12 hours of ingesting milk. If you see your dog drooling excessively, it could be a sign that they will vomit. Diarrhea and vomit need to be taken care of as quickly as possible because both of them will cause your dog to dehydrate, which will lead to other issues as well.

What Age Should You Stop Giving American Bully Milk?

At 14 months, your American Bully should be weaned off of milk completely. As mentioned, it’s recommended you avoid milk or dairy in adult American Bully dogs. Gas and bloating can be painful and lead to other issues with your dog.

Even though a small amount of dairy isn’t toxic to your American Bully, it’s best to limit their intake. Puppies have plenty of the lactase enzyme, but this enzyme fades out of their system as they age and are weaned off their mother’s milk.

Milk Alternatives That Are Safe for American Bully

When providing your American Bully a well-rounded diet, there are milk alternatives out there that can provide your dog with the calcium and fat they need to stay healthy. You should always talk to your vet before introducing your dog to any new foods.

Powdered Milk

While cow or goat milk has plenty of benefits (like calcium), many breeders use powdered milk.

You can add this milk alternative to their food, as some breeders do. Powdered milk has many of the same benefits as regular milk, but the parts that your dog struggles with have been removed during the drying process.

Powdered milk is just dehydrated cow or goat milk. The dehydration process removes the lactose enzyme, which makes it easier for your dog to digest. This makes it an excellent alternative for your American Bully to get that calcium they need. 

Vegetables

There are many vegetables out there that are high in calcium that are safe for you to feed your American Bully. Vegetables aren’t just great for humans. Dogs need them, too, and the veggies on the list below are some of the best options with high levels of calcium.

• Broccoli
• Acorn squash
• Collard greens
• Kale
• Spinach

Chicken

Chicken is an excellent source of protein for dogs, and as a bonus, there is a decent amount of calcium. Most of the time, dry dog food has chicken in it. However, if you’re looking to feed your American Bully homemade dog food, adding chicken is a great idea.

You’ll want to make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly before feeding it to your dog. If you know your dog’s dry dog food already contains chicken, check the label to see how much fat and calcium your American Bully is receiving. They may need more, which could just be some chicken scraps left over from your dinner (as long as it isn’t seasoned).

Fish

Some fish have a high-fat content that is perfect for your dog. Some fish are already high in fat and calcium, but others are just a great fat and protein source. You can combine high calcium veggies with their fatty fish intake to give them a great nutrient source. 

You’ll want to beware of fish that are also high in mercury and other heavy metals. However, you’d be safe to feed your dog any of the fish listed below:

• Salmon (also high in calcium)
• Anchovies
• Sardines (high in calcium as well)
• Herring
• Mussels
• Trout (can also give your dog the calcium they need)
• Cod
• Bass
• Pollock

Calcium Supplements

If you’re worried about your dog’s bones and feel they aren’t getting enough in their diet, you can give them a calcium supplement. This is an excellent alternative to milk because you can regulate their calcium intake yourself without any guessing. 

Summary

Milk has several benefits to American Bully puppies. It helps their bones develop and gives them plenty of vitamins to boost their immune systems. However, as they get older, their tolerance for milk starts to fade. So, while an American Bully puppy can drink milk, the adults shouldn’t.