Can Dogs Eat Cream Cheese? Yes, in moderation: Safe Amount by Weight

In moderation

Yes, in moderation

a small dab of plain cream cheese is safe for most dogs and is often used to hide pills. It is high in fat, so keep it to tiny amounts, and avoid flavored cream cheese with garlic, onion, chives or xylitol.

Cream Cheese for dogs at a glance

Can dogs eat it?	In moderation
Calories	About 17 kcal per 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese
Main benefit	Handy for hiding pills
Main risk	High in fat and calories
Puppies?	In tiny amounts once on solid food; puppies have sensitive stomachs

How much cream cheese can a dog eat?

Vets recommend keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. One 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese has about 17 kcal. The chart shows the most a typical spayed or neutered adult dog could have in a day if cream cheese were the only treat.

Dog weight	Daily treat budget	Max cream cheese per day
10 lb (4.5 kg)	35 kcal	2 × 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese
20 lb (9.1 kg)	59 kcal	3 × 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese
40 lb (18.1 kg)	98 kcal	5.5 × 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese
60 lb (27.2 kg)	133 kcal	7.5 × 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese
80 lb (36.3 kg)	166 kcal	9.5 × 1 teaspoon plain cream cheese

Benefits and risks

Benefits

Handy for hiding pills
Not toxic in plain form
Low in lactose compared with milk

Risks

High in fat and calories
Flavored versions may contain garlic, onion or chives
Lactose-sensitive dogs may get diarrhea

How to feed cream cheese to your dog

Use plain cream cheese only
A pea- to teaspoon-size dab for pills
Count it in the treat budget

What if my dog ate too much cream cheese?

Eating more than the recommended amount usually causes nothing worse than an upset stomach: soft stool, gas or vomiting. Skip treats for the rest of the day, keep fresh water available and call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than 24 hours or your dog seems unwell.

Planning treats? Check your dog's full daily needs with the dog food calculator or dog calorie calculator.

Cream Cheese and dogs: FAQ

Can dogs have cream cheese?

Yes, a small dab of plain cream cheese is safe for most dogs and is often used to hide pills. It is high in fat, so keep it to tiny amounts, and avoid flavored cream cheese with garlic, onion, chives or xylitol.

Can dogs have cream cheese frosting?

Not as a treat: it is high in sugar and fat, and some frostings use xylitol.

Can puppies eat cream cheese?

Yes, in very small amounts once they are eating solid food. Puppies have sensitive stomachs, so offer a tiny piece and stop if you see loose stool. Most of their calories should come from a complete puppy food.

More "can dogs eat" guides

Browse lists: human foods dogs can eat · foods dogs can't eat

Sources

This guide is general information for healthy adult dogs. Dogs with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.

Can Dogs Eat Cream Cheese?