Can my dog have soft serve ice cream as a special birthday treat?

I love that you want to throw Gizmo a birthday party! He's such a handsome boy, and he deserves that party. If you give a little of both, that would be fine but don't give him large amounts of each item. Also be sure to take lots of pictures, especially with a party hat on :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs typically do not have a complete intolerance to dairy, but as it is not a mainstay of their dietary needs, it can cause GI upset. I typically do not recommend giving dogs straight milk, and lower sugar ice creams can have artificial sugars (such as xylitol) which are toxic to dogs. Regular ice cream or cheese can be fine in small amounts but it based on each individual animal. If you want to give your dog anything dairy as a small treat, only start with one thing in very small amounts to see how Brody tolerates it and ensure he doesn't develop any vomiting/diarrhea.

Thank you for relying PetCoach today to ask if you can give your dog ice cream cone. I can't say that it's the best idea for Jovie, but I would be lying if I said I haven't give my dog a small amount of [ice cream](https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/ice-cream/) from time to time. You might expect some diarrhea from ice cream, but that is likely the worst consequence she may have. Beagles have tough tummies in my experience since they tend to eat just about everything. Minor upset can typically be managed at home with a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Transition slowly to the regular diet afterwards.

Happy Birrthday Queen! Make sure that she only has a small serving of cake or treats. We don't want her sick on her birthday. No bones, fat or grease should be used and minimal to no sugar. I found this recipe online that should be acceptable just make sure she doesn't eat the whole thing! Foods that she isn't used to can give her diarrhea or worse, potentially pancreatitis. So only a small serving even though I'm sure she'd be cute diving into a whole cake. https://www.browneyedbaker.com/dog-birthday-cake/

I think Chewy had himself a snack! No it should not cause any harm. If he has a really sensitive gut, it might make some diarrhea for a day. But I doubt even that is going to happen. Since ice cream has a lot of sugar, some of his gut bacteria might have a field day with gas production......sooooo that may be a temporary side effect.

Thank you for relying PetCoach today to ask if you can give your dog [strawberry](https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/strawberries/) ice cream. Yes and no. A small amount of strawberry [ice cream](https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/ice-cream/) occasionally may be fine, but it could also lead to stomach upset in sensitive dogs. Most dogs are lactose intolerant, which means they may have difficulty digesting dairy products. If you choose to offer strawberry ice cream, make sure it does not contain xylitol (an artificial sweetener), chocolate, [raisins](https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/raisins/) or macadamia nuts. These ingredients are all toxic to dogs.

Puppies and dogs both don't digest dairy well at all, and it's not recommend to give them dairy at any point in their life. That being said, I used to on very rare occasions give my dog a vanilla ice cream cone, but I'd have to deal with diarrhea afterwards. I would not give your puppies any ice cream until they are at least a year old, and then only in very small amounts on very rare occasions. I hope this helps :-)