I doubt if it's really 'beneficial' since they should be getting all their nutritional needs from their food, but as long as it doesn't have sugar in it, it probably won't hurt them. One of my cats loves to sneak licks of yogurt from the Dannon containers, but the other one doesn't like it.

I think it is. If they like it, go for it! I supplement my cats' food with sour cream, Dannon plain yogurt (and chicken, beef, etc) - processed food - for either people or animals - cannot be that good.

My dog suffers from frequent colitis and we give her about a teaspoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt every day. The vet recommended it for her along with other meds for her most recent bout. It seems to help her and she just loves it.

yogurt can have a probiotic effect. all 3 of my dogs get a dollop of vanilla yogurt 2x/day. they also get about a teaspoon of canned pumpkin 2x/day.

if you have a dog with serious digestive issues, whether permanent or temporary, it would be a good idea to get a more powerful probiotic from your vet.

My sharpei has a very sensitive digestive system and we give her something called "fresh digest" that I get at Petco...it's a good digestive enzyme and also has cut down on the gas she passes as well as helping her with digestion.

I started giving my dogs a dollop of yogurt every morning a couple of years ago. They love it and they seem to have a lot less gas issues with it.

Thanks all! I am using it every day now for the dogs. I have ordered a cheap yogurt maker on-line though because making it with the heating pad is a little inconsistent. If it gets even a bit over 110 deg. during the 7 hours, the cultures die before it thickens up enough.

Still - I enjoy making it myself.

What a fun project. I go through 2-3 big Dannon containers of plain yogurt a week, and would love to start making my own! I love yogurt :)

One of my 2 new kittens loves yogurt, the other turns up his nose.

I used to make my own yogurt with a Yogourmet yogurt maker. Fabulous! I sought out raw milk (from Amish farmer) to use in making it. It was much, much better than from store-bought (whole) milk. We've since moved and no Amish nearby and I haven't tried finding another source of raw dairy. (And no, I wasn't afraid of using it "raw" because you heat the milk up a bit in making the yogurt--or it doesn't "set" well--enough to sort of pasteurize it).

Well, the dogs absolutely love it and from what my vet says and what I have read on-line, it is very good for them. I got my yogurt maker ($22) and made it for the first time yesterday. Much smoother than with the heat pad, but this time I used whole milk and let it go overnight (12 hrs.)

Six of the seven cats love it also but I don't know how often I will give it to them - maybe twice a week or so.

I don't usually post here but must mention that if an animal won't eat yogurt you can buy acidophilus (probiotic) capsules at the health food stores. It's very easy to open a capsule and either put the powder on their food or put it directly in their mouth. When they get a taste of it they like it as it's milk powder and somewhat sweet. You must keep the capsules in the frig to keep the organisms alive.

If you use yogurt make sure it's live culture or there is no probiotic benefit. It's very good for any animal's digestive system. I've used it for all our pets as well as infant livestock, and for myself for years.

I think most Dannon yogurt contains high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is NOT good for any living creature, humans included.

However your own homemade plain yogurt and/or any unsweetened, unflavored cultured yogurt (Stonyfields for instance) is very healthful and beneficial. Yogurt contains pro-biotics which are the beneficial bacterial found in the intestines. Particularly as we and our dogs age we often do not produce enough of these good bacteria that aid digestion. Also after taking antibiotics it is good to replenish the pro-biotic supply because the antibiotics kill not only bad bacteria but also the good ones. My little sheltie used to like yogurt but she's gone now and my collie does not like yogurt. Therefore I supplement his food with pro-biotics bought in the vitamin/supplement aisle.

Additionally yogurt, like the milk it is cultured from, is a nearly complete food and is healthful for dogs and people. It is healthful for cats too, providing they do not have a lactose intolerance. None of my cats ever had this problem but I understand many do, as do most persons of Asian descent.

Enjoy your yogurt making. My husband used to make our own buttermilk which was excellent!