Artificial sweetener in yogurt harmful?

spookzilla

spookzilla

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I recently discovered my cat loves yogurt, but I don't want to give him any of mine as I buy the sugar free type. Does anyone know if a small amount of it would be harmful? I certainly wouldn't give him a lot but I was wondering about licking out my dish as a treat. I've also heard it's good for them as it contains 'good' bacteria. I guess I could buy the plain stuff but most of it would go to waste.
 
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maxcat08

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Cats all seem to like milk and milk products, but I've read that it isn't good for them....they don't digest cow's milk very well and could be the source of allergies.
Also, there are other components of yogurt that are not good for them...the sugar/sweetners, preservatives, etc.

Perhaps a small lick off the tip of your finger once in a while...but I wouldn't take the chance of feeding it to them too often. I don't know that cats need probiotics and all those digestive enzymes that humans can eat.
 
kluchetta

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On one hand I used to share my yoplait light with Elsa every day when I was "taming" her. There didn't seem to be any ill effects. That was before I ever came on TCS, and I'm not sure I'd do it a lot now...but I also have given her regular full-fat plain yogurt when recovering from a very serious intestinal surgery and it seemed to really help her.
 
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katgoddess

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I've read that yogurt is fine to give cats and so is cottage cheese, from a vet web page. Since I give my dog plain yogurt daily, once in a while, I give a small teaspoon to Mango, too. I've not seen any ill effects.

My concern is about the artificial sweetener in your yogurt. Many "sugar-free" products contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs - the effects on cats are not currently known, but food-wise in general, cats seem to be much more sensitive than dogs, so I would steer clear of the yogurt if it does contain xylitol.

I always use organic plain yogurt with live bacterial cultures (probiotics).
 
cc12

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Originally Posted by KatGoddess

I've read that yogurt is fine to give cats and so is cottage cheese, from a vet web page. Since I give my dog plain yogurt daily, once in a while, I give a small teaspoon to Mango, too. I've not seen any ill effects.

My concern is about the artificial sweetener in your yogurt. Many "sugar-free" products contain xylitol, which is toxic to dogs - the effects on cats are not currently known, but food-wise in general, cats seem to be much more sensitive than dogs, so I would steer clear of the yogurt if it does contain xylitol.

I always use organic plain yogurt with live bacterial cultures (probiotics).
Click to expand...
This is my thinking as well. I would not give my pets any artificial sweeteners. I don't use them myself because of their links to cancer. A small container of organic plain yogurt should be okay. In small amounts. Cottage cheese is low in lactose. Yogurt provides healthy bacteria for the digestive tract. I have been told from my vet that it is okay from time to time.
 
meowers

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You could also try goats milk yogurt, it is easier to digest for humans, so cats should do well. Go for organic plain flavors. Kitty hates cottage cheese, but maybe yours will like it.

Let us know what happens. I'm looking into probiotics for the cats tummy health.
 
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