Dogs have been our constant companions for at least 15,000 years. They have evolved from wolves and have enzymes that help them digest some foods that humans eat that wolves can’t digest. It’s not surprising that your dog often wants to eat just about everything you eat. That doesn’t mean that everything we eat is safe for your dog to eat. For example, what about whipped cream? Can dogs have whipped cream when you add it to your coffee or put it on a dessert? Surprisingly, a little whipped cream won’t hurt most dogs.
If you’re wondering if your dog can have a Puppuccino from Starbucks, the answer is yes, unless your dog is diabetic or has another health problem that suggests he should avoid a high-fat diet.
Learn more about dogs and whipped cream in the nutritional information below.
Whipped Cream Nutrition
You can have whipped cream several different ways. You can buy it in a small frozen tub at the grocery store. Or, you can buy it in a pressurized can. You can even make your own from heavy cream if you have a little patience and an electric mixer (this version includes a little sugar and vanilla extract). Fresh whipped cream may taste a little better but they all taste good. Pressurized whip cream and frozen whip cream do contain some artificial flavors and preservatives.
One cup of whipped cream from a pressurized can contains 5 percent protein, 76 percent fat, and 19 percent carbohydrates. It’s low in sodium which is good but it’s very high in saturated fat, which is bad.
One cup (60 grams) contains 154 calories. (Remember that whipped cream is very fluffy so one cup contains a lot of air along with the whipped cream.)
Whipped cream is not very high in any vitamins or minerals though one cup does contain 60.6 mg calcium which is 6 percent of the daily recommended value for a human. It also contains 45.6 mg of cholesterol which is 15 percent of the daily recommended value.
Can I Give My Dog Whipped Cream?
Whipped cream is very high in fat. Additionally, it has some small amount of sugar added. These factors can make it a questionable treat if your dog is overweight, obese, or diabetic. If your dog needs to avoid a lot of fat in his diet, then whipped cream is a no-no.
The sugar in whipped cream can also be an oral health problem that leads to dental disease. Lots of dogs have problems with tooth decay, especially if the teeth aren’t brushed regularly or if our veterinarian doesn’t check them for disease.
As for the Puppuccino from Starbucks, the whipped cream sounds like ordinary whipped cream from a pressurized can (it does contain carrageenan which upsets some people). But it can have added syrup which you might want to skip.
However, if your dog is healthy and not overweight, giving him a small amount of whipped cream as a fun snack shouldn’t be a problem.
If your dog needs to gain a little weight, adding a little whipped cream to his meal can help make them more appealing and add a few calories to his diet.
If you are worried about lactose-intolerance, heavy cream is very low in lactose content. According to the information we found, whipped cream made from heavy cream with 30 percent fat contains 3.3 grams of lactose. If it’s made from whipping cream with 10 percent fat, it may have 4.05 grams of lactose. In either case, this amount of lactose is generally too low to be a problem for most dogs, even if your dog is lactose-intolerant.
Because of the very low amount of lactose in heavy cream and whipped cream, your dog should not have gastrointestinal problems if he eats a small amount of whipped cream. Obviously, if he eats an entire tub of whipped cream, he might make himself sick but that’s because he ate too much and not because of the cream or lactose. All dogs get sick when they overeat.
The bottom line here is that if your dog occasionally eats ice cream, there is no reason why he can’t eat whipped cream. In fact, whipped cream usually has less sugar and lactose than most ice creams.
If you’re still concerned about giving your dog whipped cream, along with making homemade whipped cream where you can reduce or eliminate the sugar, you can also buy dairy-free whipped cream.
How Much Whipped Cream Can You Give Your Dog?
My dogs think that they can never get enough whipped cream. However, whipped cream doesn’t have a lot of nutritional value. It is strictly a treat for most dogs unless you are trying to add calories to your dog’s diet.
Your dog’s energy needs and calories depend on his size, age, and activity level, among other things. Adult dogs need a minimum of 5.5 percent of their calories from fat every day. Most dogs get a far higher percentage of fat in their meals from dog food – sometimes up to 20 percent of a dog food is fat. The high fat in whipped cream can quickly add weight to a dog if you give too much, too often.
We suggest that you only give your dog a couple of big tablespoons or squirts (from a pressurized can) if you want to give him some whipped cream. It’s not about the calories but it is about the fat. It’s also best to avoid syrups and added sugars when possible.
How Often Can You Give Your Dog Whipped Cream?
Most dogs love whipped cream and it does make a good reward if you are training your dog or if he’s been especially good. Whipped cream in small amounts is something that you could give your dog 2-3 times per week as long as he doesn’t start to gain weight. You need to watch his weight if you are letting him have some whipped cream.
Conclusion
Whipped cream is not especially nutritious but it’s not harmful to dogs, especially if it’s homemade. It is very low in lactose so even if your dog is lactose-intolerant it is unlikely to be a problem. Most dogs love whipped cream so it makes a fun treat. You should be careful that you don’t give too much to your dog too often since it can start to put extra weight on a dog. Homemade whipped cream is best but you should be able to give your dog a small amount of whipped cream from a can or frozen tub without problems.
