Ricotta is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cows, and goats. The word ricotta means recooked in Italian, and ricotta production involves reheating the whey leftover from making other cheeses.

It has a mild, slightly sweet flavour and a texture that is somewhere between that of cottage cheese and cream cheese. Ricotta cheese is a versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide variety of sweet and savoury dishes.

This cheese is mostly used in Italian Cuisine and it’s always used as a key ingredient in most of the dishes. It is also used in other parts of the world in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Ricotta cheese is very versatile,  it can pair with any kind of ingredient at all. In savoury dishes, it is often used as a filling for pasta dishes like ravioli or as a topping for pizzas and flatbreads.

And in sweet dishes, it can be used as a filling for pastries and toppings for waffles and pancakes. 

Ricotta cheese is a popular ingredient among athletes and bodybuilders because it is a great source of protein and low in fat which makes it even better for those trying to watch their weight.

In this article, we will look at the question, can dogs eat ricotta cheese? And also give you a good number of recipes to try out for your dogs.

Can Dogs Eat Ricotta Cheese?

Dogs love food and as a pet owner, you love to see your pets feed well. However it’s important to note that not all human food is good for dogs, some are toxic to them and might cause them harm while some are safe for them.

One such food is ricotta cheese. While ricotta cheese is not toxic to dogs, you do not also have to make it their regular diet or give them too much of it.

Ricotta cheese is a dairy product, which means it contains lactose, some dogs cannot digest lactose properly and this can lead to digestive problems including diarrhoea, vomiting, and gas. In some cases, dogs may also develop more serious health issues as a result of lactose intolerance.

Ricotta Cheese is also high in fat and excessive fat intake can lead your dog to obesity, which explains why you should give your dog cheese in moderation. Obesity in dogs can lead to joint problems, heart disease, and other serious health issues.

Bacteria contamination is another thing you should know. Ricotta cheese is made from milk, which can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria. These bacteria can cause damage to your dogs.

Lastly, if you must feed your dog ricotta cheese, you will have to stick to a minimum amount. 

A small amount of ricotta cheese as an occasional treat is unlikely to cause any harm, but feeding it to your dog on a regular basis can lead to health problems.

If you are looking for a healthy treat to give your dog, continue reading this article because we will provide you with better options and recipes. 

As a pet owner or dog parent, you may have to consider adding fruits and vegetables to your dog’s diet and even lean meat like chicken and Turkey.

In conclusion, while ricotta cheese is not toxic to dogs, it is not recommended as a regular part of their diet. Dogs are lactose intolerant, and excessive fat intake can lead to obesity and other serious health problems. If you do choose to feed your dog ricotta cheese, it should be done in moderation, and you should always be on the lookout for signs of digestive upset or other health issues.

Read More: Can Dogs Eat Peas? Find Out

Health Benefits Of Ricotta Cheese For Dogs

Here’s a quick overview of the health benefits your dog can enjoy.

1. Protein: Ricotta is a protein-rich dairy product; one serving (50 grams) gives 3.77 g of protein. The abundance of protein, calcium, and vitamin A in ricotta cheese makes it a super healthy snack for dogs

Protein is a very important part of a healthy, balanced canine diet. Protein has several roles in the body, Animal protein sources have the highest amounts of essential amino acids.

Dogs need protein to provide energy and build strong muscles, bones, and joints. Protein is also responsible for keeping nails and fur healthy. You will notice a new sheen in your dog’s coat with a regular protein-rich diet.

2. Selenium: Selenium is among the trace minerals that a dog requires in small amounts. Ricotta provides a good source of selenium, which plays a key antioxidant role within the body.

Selenium for dogs plays a key role in thyroid health and acts as a powerful antioxidant, it is also responsible for keeping the thyroid glands in check. Just like human goitre, dogs can also suffer from hyperthyroidism.

3. Omega 3: Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can help to treat canine arthritis and chronic kidney disease.

Ricotta cheese contains omega-3 essential for good eyesight and skin care and for every dog’s life. It helps in the brain development of puppies and reduces inflammation due to arthritis in senior dogs

4. Calcium: The calcium content of ricotta cheese is high compared to different cheeses, making it a good source of nutrition for your dog.

Calcium plays the most crucial role in keeping the bones and teeth healthy and because a dog’s body does not make its own calcium, it is important to have calcium-rich elements in its diet.

5. Low lactose levels: Some dogs are lactose intolerant – meaning that they cannot digest dairy products properly. Ricotta cheese has low lactose levels and is unlikely to cause severe side effects in dogs with lactose intolerance.

Alternatives To Ricotta Cheese For Dogs

There are many alternatives to ricotta cheese that are safe and nutritious for dogs. If you are looking for a healthy treat to give your dog, there are many options available that can provide a range of health benefits. Here are some alternatives to ricotta cheese that you can consider.

1. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a creamy, soft, white cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk curds. It is a great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. Cottage cheese is full of healthy fats, protein, and nutrients that are good for dogs. You can mix cottage cheese with your dog’s regular food or serve it as a standalone treat. Cottage cheese is often given to dogs as part of a bland diet when they have an upset stomach or diarrhoea.

2. Yogurt

Yoghurt is another excellent alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. yoghurt can be a safe snack for dogs, just as long as it’s the right amount of the right kind of yoghurt. Pay attention to the ingredients used for the yoghurt to make sure it’s safe for your dogs. Yoghurt contains substantial amounts of calcium, protein, zinc, and other nutrients. 

These are essential nutrients that play an important role in the growth and development of tissues for your dog. You can serve plain yoghurt to your dog as a treat or mix it with their regular food.

3. Pumpkin

Pumpkin is a great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs that are looking for a healthy treat. the fibre in pumpkin is great for your dog’s digestive health. It is low in calories and high in fibre, which can help improve digestive health in dogs. 

Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamin E, potassium, and beta-carotene. Dr Claudine Sievert explains that “vitamin E is a crucial antioxidant that combats free radicals and supports eye health. You can serve pumpkin to your dog in a variety of ways, including canned pumpkin, pumpkin puree, or even pumpkin seeds.

4. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are another great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. sweet potatoes support a healthy digestive system thanks to their high dietary fibre content. They’re also low in fat You can serve sweet potatoes to your dog in a variety of ways, including baked, boiled, or mashed.

5. Carrots

Carrots are a great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs.  Carrots are rich in Vitamin A, providing a host of nutritional benefits to your dog.   When dogs snack on carrots they get a boost of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. They also get potassium, niacin, beta-carotene, and calcium. You can serve carrots to your dog as a standalone treat or mix them with their regular food.

6. Lean Meats

Good options for lean meat include boneless chicken breasts, lean cuts of beef such as flank steak or sirloin, and pork tenderloin. Most dogs are fine eating lean cuts of meat and fish that have been cooked well so they are a great alternative for ricotta cheese. You can cook chicken or turkey and serve it to your dog as a standalone treat or mix it with their regular food.

7. Green Beans

Green beans are another great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. Green beans are rich in dietary fibre as well as vitamins like vitamin C and A, which both support your dog’s immune health. They are low in calories and high in fibre, which can help improve digestive health in dogs. You can serve green beans to your dog as a standalone treat or mix them with their regular food.

8. Blueberries

Blueberries are a great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs that are looking for a healthy treat. They are low in calories and high in antioxidants, which can help improve overall health in dogs. Antioxidants are beneficial compounds that help to neutralize free radicals in the body, which can cause damage to cells and tissues. You can serve blueberries to your dog as a standalone treat or mix them with their regular food.

9. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. It is high in protein and healthy fats, which can help improve overall health in dogs. Peanut butter is also a good source of vitamins B and E, which can help support immune function in dogs. You can serve peanut butter to your dog as a standalone treat or mix it with their regular food.

10. Eggs

Eggs are another great alternative to ricotta cheese for dogs. They are high in protein and essential amino acids, which are important for maintaining strong muscles and bones in dogs. Eggs are also a good source of vitamins A and D, which can help support immune function in dogs. You can cook eggs and serve them to your dog as a standalone treat or mix them with their regular food.

Alternative Healthy Treats For Dogs Recipes

1. Spinach And Ricotta Cheese Cookies 

Ingredients:

• 3½ cups oat flour 
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup frozen spinach – thawed
• 1 egg
• ½ cup lactose-free milk (or water)

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F) and line the large cookie tray with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, spinach and milk together.
3. (Or use a blender/vitamix for this process, then pour green liquid into a bowl).
4. Add flour and ricotta cheese to the bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
5. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, (around a minute).
6. Roll dough out to about ½ inch thickness, and using a cookie cutter of your choice, or a sharp knife, cut out shapes and place on cookie trays about ⅛ inch apart.
7. Repeat the process of knead, roll, cut out and place, until all dough is used.
8. You can use fork tines to press lightly into each cookie if you like.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until firm and the edges are golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and cool cookies on a wire cooling rack.

2. Mac And Cheese Dog Treats

Prep Time15 minutes

 Cook Time20 minutes

 Total Time35 minutes

 Servings7 dozen (approx)

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or other strongly flavoured cheese
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, and water until the mixture is thick and frothy (approx. 1 – 2 minutes). Fold in the cheese.
3. Add the flour, a half cup at a time, stirring to combine, until you reach 1 1/2 cups. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, continue adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time, knead it in with your hands. As the warmth from your hands works the dough, the cheese will melt and smooth out the dough.
4. If the mixture remains slightly crumbly even after you have kneaded it for several minutes, rinse your hands with cold water, shake them off and work this small amount of water into the dough – that should be just enough to bring it together perfectly.
5. Using a rolling pin, roll out your dough to ¼” thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes.
6. Place the dough on a cookie sheet; the dough will have a very minimal spread, so the cookies do not need much extra spacing.
7. Bake your dog treats for 17 – 20 minutes until the bottoms are lightly golden.
8. Allow the dog treats to sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes after you’ve taken them out of the oven, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For a crisper, crunchier treat, turn off the oven and allow the treats to cool inside overnight.
10. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

3. Green Goddess Ricotta Pasta

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ¾ teaspoon anchovy paste
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 cup chopped mixed fresh tender herbs (such as basil, chives, parsley and/or tarragon), plus more for garnish
• ⅔ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water; drain the pasta and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic; cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add anchovy paste; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach; cook, stirring constantly, until bright green and wilted, about 1 minute.
3. Transfer the spinach mixture to a blender. Add herbs, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt; blend on medium-high speed until smooth and bright green, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to thin the sauce.
4. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat until warmed through, about 1 minute, adding pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
5. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls; sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Garnish with additional herbs, if desired.

4. Gingerbread Dough Treat

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsulphured molasses
• ¾ cup butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 4 ½ cups flour, plus more for rolling surface
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 3 ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Royal icing (optional)
• Sprinkles, cinnamon candies, or any other decorations of your choice (optional)

Directions

• In a medium saucepan, heat the molasses to the simmering point. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until it melts. Stir in the brown sugar. Allow to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Add the cooled molasses and the egg to the flour mixture and mix well until a dough forms. You may need to use your hands to really incorporate the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
• Wrap dough in wax or parchment paper and chill for 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer chilled dough to a lightly floured rolling surface and roll out the dough to one-quarter inch thickness. Roll out a quarter of the dough at a time.
• Cut cookies with your choice of cookie cutter. I chose a traditional gingerbread man, but you can get creative with any kind of cookie cutter you’d like.
• Transfer the cut dough to a baking sheet that has been lightly greased with nonstick cooking spray or lined with a silicone baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. The cookies will puff up, but won’t spread much.
• Cool completely on a rack before decorating with royal icing, decorative sprinkles and candies

5. Bone Broth for Dogs

Author: Kiki Kane

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours

Total Time: 9 hours 35 minutes

Yield: 2-2.5 Quarts 1x

Category: Meal Mix-in

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 pounds of beef marrow bones
• 4 raw pig’s feet (not smoked)
• 8 celery stalks
• 4 carrots or 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 Cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar (some recipes suggest lemon juice but we do not recommend giving citrus to dogs)
• water

Equipment

• large roasting pan
• Instant pot, crockpot, or stockpot

Instructions

1. Place a rack in the middle of your oven.
2. Preheat the oven to a hot-n-spicy 450º.
3. Grease a large roasting pan with olive oil and place your bone in the centre, pig’s feet around the edges, and fill with the celery and carrots in the empty spaces.
4. Bake the bones for an hour, flipping the bones and feet halfway through. If things are getting too brown too fast, turn down the oven or just skip straight to loading the Instant Pot.
5. Put the roughly chopped parsley in the bottom of the Instant Pot or Crock-Pot. Add the bones next, placing the marrow bones in the centre and pushing the pig’s feet around. Top off with as much of the veggies as will fit, filling in some of the cracks. Add the apple cider vinegar, then add cold water, leaving an inch of space under the max fill line.
6. Close and seal, cooking in manual mode for the max time of 240 minutes (4 hours). If your pressure cooker only goes to 120, just run it twice.
7. If you’re using a slow cooker, set it on low for 24-48 hours to get the maximum benefits of the recipe.
8. If you’re using a stockpot on the stove, get the broth up to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then cover and simmer on low for 24-48 hours, checking the pot regularly to make sure the temperature is maintained and nothing is burning or sticking.
9. Use a natural release, then turn off the heat. When the pot is cool enough to touch, you can use a small strainer to remove the larger piece from the broth. Then strain the broth through a fine-mesh colander to catch any loose bone bits.
10. Chill the broth in the fridge for a few hours or overnight until it (hopefully) sets into a gel.
11. Scrape the fat off the top of the gelatinized broth, pausing to appreciate how wiggly and jiggly it is.
12. Serve it up! You can freeze the broth, heat it up a little and pour 1/4-1/2 cup over your dog’s kibble at mealtimes, or serve it alone as a nutritious snack.

6. Homemade Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup peanut butter natural, NO Xylitol or sugar substitutes
• 2 cups whole wheat flour all-purpose can be used instead
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (check your pumpkin pie spice or make your own – NO nutmeg, can be toxic to some dogs)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter. Stir until completely combined.
3. Add in flour and pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon) – stirring just until combined.
4. Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough to one-quarter inch, using flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.
5. Cut shapes out of dough and place on a prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 20 to 40 minutes – depending on the desired level of crunchiness.
7. Remove treats from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

7. Homemade Cinnamon Bun Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (500 mL) whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. (2 mL) salt
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) water or milk
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) Honey
• 1 tsp. (5 mL) cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl stir together water, oil, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until you have a soft dough.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll or pat the dough into a rectangle that measures roughly 8×14-inch. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon and nuts, if using. Starting from a long edge, roll up jelly-roll style and pinch the edge to seal. Using a sharp serrated knife or (even better) dental floss, slice half an inch thick and place slices cut side down on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes, until springy to the touch. Wait until they have cooled completely before you spread them with cream cheese.
5. Makes about 2 dozen biscuits. Store extra in a tightly covered container and freeze. If they are frosted, store the container in the fridge.

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Conclusion 

In conclusion, Ricotta Cheese can be a healthy addition to your dog’s diet, as long as it is administered with caution. As with any new food, you should watch your dog for any signs of discomfort after giving him cinnamon. 

If in doubt, it is always best to consult with your vet before introducing new foods into your dog’s diet.