Introduction
Lactose intolerance is a common problem in dogs and cats. Puppies and kittens usually produce the enzyme lactase, which helps to break down the sugar in milk and dairy products. The problem arises when the animal ages, because they cease to produce lactase, allowing the undigested sugar to wreak havoc on the digestive system.
Diagnosis
With this in mind, it’s not difficult to diagnose lactose intolerance in your dog and/or cat. If the pet is being fed milk and dairy products on a regular basis, and the signs of lactose intolerance, like vomiting and diarrhea, are present, then it’s relatively easy to deduce that the pet is not tolerant of milk.
If a dog or cat owner isn’t quite sure of the cause of their pet’s problems and feels they could be caused by something other than lactose intolerance, then they may want to try an elimination diet. This requires changing the pet’s food routine while keeping ingredients in the diet that include protein and other necessities to the pet’s everyday health. If symptoms then fade, old food sources may be reintroduced to the diet in small doses to see if symptoms reoccur. This allows the owner to pinpoint the cause of the problem.
Problems caused by lactose intolerance may be dose-sensitive. This means that the dog or cat may be able to handle the milk products, but in lesser amounts than it is currently receiving. If the dog or cat really loves milk products and the owner still wishes to occasionally treat the dog or cat with those products, they should be careful to use very small amounts. Regardless, it is a much better policy to try and avoid dairy products altogether and find some sort of substitute that pleases the pet without causing the problems associated with lactose intolerance.