The only way a dog—or a human—can digest lactose is if it can create the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose.
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As humans, we may all scream for ice cream…but do your dogs? More importantly, should they?
There’s nothing inherently wrong with feeding your dog dairy products like ice cream and cheese—but just like many humans, some dogs have trouble digesting these foods and end up with digestive upsets like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and vomiting.
The culprit is lactose.
Lactose Intolerance
Not to get too technical, but lactose is basically a type of sugar in milk and dairy that contains two tightly-liked molecules. Those molecules need to be split in order for the lactose to be digestible.
The only way a dog—or a human—can digest lactose is if it can create the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose. Without it, they end up with the well-known problem of lactose intolerance, featuring gas, abdominal tenderness and bloating, and loose stools. The condition isn’t dangerous, but it’s sure no fun.
Milk Allergy
Some dogs have an actual allergy to milk, which usually reveals itself in an immune reaction such as itching, hot spots, rash, hair loss, and chronic skin or ear infections. This is very different than lactose intolerance.
What About Other Dairy?
Again, just like humans, some dogs can digest certain dairy products more easily than others. The reason is that different dairy foods contain different amounts of lactose: so, for instance, your dog may be just fine eating cheddar cheese because an ounce of it contains less than a gram of lactose. Give that same dog a half-cup of ice cream, which contains 11 grams of lactose, and you may end up with a pretty miserable pup.
Cottage cheese is also low in lactose (only 3 grams) and can be a nice treat or addition to your dog’s meal from time …….
Source: https://www.vaildaily.com/opinion/columns/speaking-of-pets-dairy-and-your-dogs/