Can Dogs Eat Parmesan Cheese? When it is or isn’t an Emergency

We believe it would be a wise choice for dog owners to not let their dogs eat parmesan cheese, even if it isn’t considered toxic to pets. Plain parmesan cheese may not have a toxic element but it can still pose a health threat to dogs in other ways.

The first risk is the amount of sodium parmesan cheese typically contains. It’s definitely a lot higher than other types of popular cheese. According to measurements from the USDA, 100 grams of parmesan cheese may contain up to 1,529 mg of sodium. Dogs, especially smaller breeds, can be at risk of suffering from salt poisoning so it’s best to not let them eat salty products like parmesan cheese.

There is also the risk of lactose which most types of cheese will contain to some degree. Parmesan cheese is considered to have a negligible amount of lactose but it may still be enough to trigger a reaction from a dog, many of which suffer from lactose intolerance.

Nothing good will really come out from letting a dog eat parmesan cheese so please make sure to keep such dairy-based products away from your pet’s reach. For other human foods, check out our list to see what’s safe for dogs to eat.