Love comes in many forms. Some can be shredded, sliced, melted, baked, and most of them can be found in cheese. Even without our admission, we all agree that cheese completes the taste buds our revolutionary cuisines have to offer.
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We are now shaping cheese into a sphere called “Cheese Balls” from the square pizza, containing a sticky, gooey cheese filling that coats our favorite breading.
Our guilt may imprison us as we bite every inch of cheese balls with our dogs staring. But can we safely offer it to our dogs as a treat? That’s the table topic we have to discover. So, join us as we look for better ways to offer cheese balls and potentially avoid health concerns with our dogs.
What are Cheese Balls?
Cheese balls are small breaded spheres containing cheese filling that we can find in frozen foods and sometimes fresh dishes. They may be called Empanadas or Rangoons — depending on the region you live in.
Cheese Balls are a popular appetizer for humans to enjoy with drinks like beer or wine, but it’s also one of the favorite snacks for dogs.
There are different kinds of cheese balls, such as baking, frying, deep-frying cheese balls. Each method has a different calorie content — with baking having the least calories and fried having more. Cheese Balls also have other ingredients that we may find in appetizers like breading or seasoning mix.
In this article, let’s focus on deep-fried cheese balls.
Food family of Cheese Balls
Cheese balls are part of the “dairy product” family. It is made of flour, milk, and cheese — which are the main components used for manufacturing Cheese Balls.
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In this family, nutrients such as protein and calcium are the primary nutrients we usually seek. Also, it is common knowledge that cheese and dairy products are known as the best source of calcium, but it’s also true for dogs.
So, the question is:
Can Dogs Eat Cheese Balls?
A big, big Y-E-S. Dogs can eat Cheese Balls without fear of health concerns.
The reason is that dogs can easily digest cheese balls compared to other food types. They can also absorb calcium and protein, essential nutrients for their growth and development, especially during puppyhood.
On top of that, cheese balls are low in fat and high in calories. So these can fulfill their daily calorie needs without the risk of adding obesity to their bodies — which is one of the most common health concerns for dog owners out there, especially if you’re feeding them with food types that have more than ten percent (or even more).
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Cheese Balls
Your constant knowledge and creativity in feeding your dogs with cheese balls are equally crucial for your dog’s appetite. So, here are recommended ways:
Offer to your puppies.
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Cheese balls are a dog’s favorite, so it will be easier for them if you start feeding their puppyhood stage with cheese balls. As they grow older and more extensive, food intake, including cheese ball servings, should be reduced to avoid obesity cases.
Use healthy ingredients for baking.
Baked cheese balls are healthier, but be careful not to add other ingredients that may affect your dog’s health. For example, some recipes include breading and seasoning mix, posing an allergy threat for dogs.
We recommend you use healthy ingredients like meat, fish, vegetables, or other health supplements.
Use them as a training treat.
Cheese balls are usually not included in dog food recipes because of the potential “threat” effect it has for your dogs. So, we recommend you to use cheese balls as treats — either on their own (as an appetizer) or as an ingredient for your dogs’ homemade food recipes.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Cheese Balls
There are 100 reasons why dogs can eat cheese balls. Yet, we can only spoil you three reasons why:
Protein and Calcium
Cheese balls contain protein and calcium, which are essential nutrients for your dog’s growth. Without these two main components, dogs can’t live a healthy life.
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These same ingredients are also the building blocks of Cheese Balls — hence it would be harder to manufacture them without including protein and calcium inside.
Low-Calorie Treats
Cheese balls aren’t as fattening as other food types, which is a good thing for dog owners who are conscious of obesity. Cheese balls have lower calories than the usual cheese or dairy products that we usually feed our dogs with.
We need to watch out for possible allergies and health concerns associated with them like others in this article, though.
Treat-Like Functionality
As mentioned, cheese balls can serve as treats for your dogs. However, we recommend you use Cheese Balls alone and on its own, since it has a “treat” effect for them — just like other food types that we usually feed our dogs.
Possible Concerns When Eating Cheese Balls
While we see cheese balls as heavenly comets shaping from above, this food may also manifest as a nightmare to our dogs. Hence, look out for these possible concerns as soon as possible:
Allergies and Intolerance
Cheese balls are dairy products, so they have a high level of lactose. Therefore, if your dog is susceptible to milk or cheese-based food types, we recommend not feeding them with Cheese Balls.
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There’s also the possibility that they may be intolerant towards fat — which means Cheese Balls are not recommended for them.
Lactose Intolerant
Related to the first concern, your dog might be lactose intolerant. Meaning, your dog is susceptible to milk and cheese-based food types — like Cheese Balls.
If you think that your dog may be lactose intolerant, we recommend you not feed them with Cheese balls as they might get diarrhea after eating it.
Overweight or Obese Dogs
Cheese balls are usually for training purposes, such as a treat. Hence, if your dog is already overweight or obese — we recommend you not to feed them with Cheese balls as it may cause further health concerns in the future like diabetes and hyperlipidemia if they are overfed with cheese balls servings.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Cheese Balls
Although they may enjoy eating it, you have to be observant with your dog as its signs are alarming. Here are some:
Stomach Pains
Second, diarrhea may also occur after consuming a cheese ball serving. This could mean that your dog is lactose intolerant or may experience cheese ball allergy-like sneezing, coughing, and redness in the eyes.
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Breathing Difficulties
If your dog starts to breathe abnormally tricky (in a “wheezy” way) after eating Cheese Balls, then it might be due to an allergic reaction from them. In this case, we recommend you not feed them with Cheese balls as they might have a cheese ball allergy.
Constant Vomiting and Diarrhea
If your dog is constantly vomiting or experiencing diarrhea after eating Cheese Balls — then it’s time for us to take extreme measures. It may also indicate that it has an allergy to cheese balls or lactose intolerance.
And if it gets worse, then your dog might have a Cheese Ball Allergy, and you need to seek help from a veterinarian immediately.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Cheese Balls?
If the symptoms above seem familiar to yours — we recommend you not feed them with Cheese Balls as it may cost your dog’s life when it persists. So, the first thing you have to do when your dog is sick is calm, relaxed, and collected.
Then, take them to the veterinary as soon as possible, where they will be treated for allergies or lactose intolerance.
You have to tell your veterinary doctor about the history of the symptoms your dog is suffering from. Cheese Balls and the ingredients mixed on the baked cheese balls.
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In this way, they can prescribe appropriate treatment for your dog regarding their condition right away.
Avoid these similar foods from this family.
Now, we have recollected the possible concerns and signs to check when your dog eats cheese balls. But, first, let’s gather similar foods to avoid:
Milk
If your dog is lactose intolerant, it may be allergic to milk. Hence, cheese ball allergy and intolerance might also occur when eating similar dairy products like yogurt and ice cream.
So make sure that you avoid these food types in their diet plan for the better health condition of your pet!
Wheat
This is another common allergen, and it’s best to avoid feeding your dog with wheat-based foods — like bread, cereal bars, etc. If they have a cheese ball allergy from dairy products, as mentioned above, then this might also be a good choice for avoidance in their diet plan.
Cake
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The cake is another typical food to avoid if your dog has a cheese ball allergy. Dogs may experience the same symptoms as lactose intolerance and allergies when eating cake, so we recommend you not feed them with it in their diet plan.
How to Make Cheese Balls Safe To Eat
Don’t just buy a pack of cheese balls to feed to your dogs. Then, too, you can be creative enough in preparing cheese balls safe to eat. Here’s how:
Use organic ingredients
First, use organic ingredients in baking cheese balls to avoid any possible allergies and lactose intolerances your dog may have. Second, it’s best to use an all-natural recipe using whole foods, which are safe for dogs, like banana bread with carob chips or cheesy pumpkin spice treats!
Always check the food content.
Second, when buying stored-pack cheese balls, you must carefully check the food content to ensure that they’re 100% safe for dogs. In this way, you can avoid any possible allergies and lactose intolerance your pet might have from eating cheese balls!
Consult a table diet with your vet
Finally, you can consult a table diet with your vet before feeding them to dogs. A proper consultation will give us ideas on what ingredients are safe for our pets and which ones aren’t.
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So, the next time you’ll be able to feed your dogs with cheese balls, you ensure that it’s safe for them!
Key Takeaways
Love comes in different forms and shapes. Some can be shredded, sliced, melted, baked, and most of them can be found in cheese. Indeed, cheese balls manifest that love can be in a sphere filled with sticky, gooey cheese wrapped in a crunchy and crispy thin crust. For every bite comes with delight; for every crunch comes with a smile.
For the love of your dogs, you may offer cheese balls, and they can be safe to feed. However, ensure that you feed in moderation, treat-like functionality, and use healthy ingredients for baking.
Your dog may react due to its lactose intolerance, but always bring your dogs to your vet when possible symptoms occur and persist.
At the end of the day, you’re free of guilt when you feed your dogs with love!