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Does your dog love to sit and beg when you eat gouda cheese? Most dogs love to eat cheese! But is gouda cheese safe for dogs to eat?
Has your dog eaten some gouda cheese? Are you worried the gouda cheese will make your dog sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand it can be scary when your dog eats something he shouldn’t.
In this article, we’ll take a look at gouda cheese and whether or not it can make your dog sick. Let’s get started!
What is Gouda Cheese?
Gouda is a semi-hard cheese, which is rich, buttery, and sweet. This type of cheese is usually aged about size months or less before it’s ready to eat.
Gouda cheese is a Dutch cheese that comes from a place of the same name in the Netherlands. It’s one of the most popular cheeses around the world! The first mention of gouda dates back to around 1184, which makes this one of the oldest types of cheese still eaten today.
This cheese is usually made from the milk of goats, cows, or sheep. Experts recommend serving gouda with a bitter beer or a deep red wine. Of course, you can eat it just about any way you’d like! And dogs are not discerning. If there’s a piece of gouda around, they’ll try to snarf it down!
However, can gouda cheese make dogs sick?
Gouda Cheese & Dogs
The good news is that gouda cheese is not toxic to dogs. However, it can make them sick. This is because gouda cheese is high in fat, which means it can cause digestive tract issues in some dogs.
In addition, some dogs are dairy intolerant or have an allergy to all dairy. So, it is possible gouda could make dogs with these conditions sick.

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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Gouda Cheese Ingestion in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog eats gouda cheese:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea (may include mucus)
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Gassiness
You may notice these symptoms if your dog is dairy intolerant or has simply eaten too much cheese. In this case, diarrhea may last for about 24 hours. If it lasts longer, then be sure to call the vet. You want to avoid your dog becoming dehydrated from diarrhea and vomiting.
Dogs that are allergic to dairy may show the following symptoms:
- Breathing difficulties
- Hives
- Itchy, red, irritated skin
- Diarrhea (may include mucus)
- Vomiting
- Gagging/coughing
If your dog shows these symptoms and is allergic to dairy, then call the vet immediately. This could be an emergency. Do not wait to see if your dog’s symptoms improve or get worse. This is an allergic reaction, which can be severe in some dogs, and even lead to death.
The good news is that, in most cases, eating gouda cheese in very small amounts will not hurt your dog. And if your dog becomes sick, then go ahead and call the vet. It’s better to be safe than sorry and ensure your fur baby gets the treatment he needs!
Connect with a verified veterinarian in minutes. Licensed vets are available 24/7 to answer your questions. No need to worry about your furry family member.

Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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