Can Dogs Eat Whipped Cream or Starbucks Puppuccinos?

Pure unsweetened whipped cream is safe for dogs. Starbucks uses sugar-sweetened whipped cream in its puppuccinos, so occasional espresso-sized Pup Cups can be a safe treat for most dogs.  Avoid processed and non-dairy whipped toppings like Cool Whip and any whipped cream containing artificial sweeteners like xylitol.

Small amounts of high quality milk products are a healthy treat for most dogs – including hand-whipped organic cream. However, additives in processed foods like whipped cream products can contribute to canine diabetes, obesity, allergies, food sensitivities, inflammation and even hot spots. Lactose intolerant dogs can experience upset stomach from dairy. Products with artificial sweeteners like xylitol can be fatal.

Rest assured though, you can share the occasional Starbucks Puppuccino with your favourite Fur Soul! There are also lots of whipped cream alternatives for those birthday pup-cakes!

What is Whipped Cream?

Pure whipped cream is a simple dairy product that starts with heavy unsweetened cream,  whisked until it becomes light and fluffy.

Food manufacturers have complicated a simple thing and developed whipped cream products that come in spray cans and tubs, along with added ingredients that can be harmful to dogs. These are the most common types of whipped cream and whipped cream products:

Types of Whipped Cream

There are four basic types of whipped cream:

• Pure heavy or light cream (real dairy cream that must be whisked)
• Sugar-sweetened whipped cream (the kind used in Starbucks Puppuccino)
• Aerosol whipped cream (in spray cans like Reddi-Whip)
• Non-dairy topping (usually in tubs like Cool Whip)

Not all kinds of whipped cream are safe for dogs.

Which Whipped Cream is Safe for Dogs?

Pure Whipped Cream (Whisked Heavy or Light Cream): Safe for Dogs?

Pure unsweetened organic whipped cream is the safest type of whipped cream for dogs. This is fresh liquid dairy cream that you need to whisk to turn it into stiff peaks (just like grandma made to top her homemade pumpkin pie). It is pure cream with no additional ingredients.  One tablespoon of heavy cream (36% butterfat) provides 5.4 grams of fat, while light cream (30-35% butterfat) has 2.9 grams.

Don’t give pure whipped cream to dogs who:

• are prone to pancreatitis. Pure cream is high in fat to help hold its shape, so avoid giving to dogs who are prone to pancreatitis.
• are obese. Just 1-2 tablespoons can provide a 30 pound dog with almost a third of his daily fat requirements. Stick with a diet of clean meats, vegetables and healthy oils.
• are lactose intolerant.
• have sensitivities to the milk protein known as casein.

Is Starbucks Puppuccino (Pup Cup) Safe for Dogs?

Dogs don’t need sugar, but when you’re ordering that Starbucks caramel macchiato for yourself,  it’s ok to ask for a small “Pup Cup” of sugar-sweetened whipped cream for your excited dog. It’s the second safest whipped cream product for dogs.

Starbucks offers dog owners a free puppuccino or “Pup Cup” for their fur babies. A Pup Cup is a tiny espresso size cup of straight up sugar-sweetened whipped cream. Starbucks uses a whipped dairy cream product with typical added ingredients, including mono- and diglycerides and carrageenan. Vanilla syrup is added for flavour, so your pup will also get sugar, water, natural flavors, potassium sorbate and citric acid. When completely full, an espresso cup holds 3 ounces (90 mL) or about 6 tbsp of whipped cream.

As long as you don’t make this a regular treat, your dog should be able to enjoy this once in a while. Just watch for stomach upset.

Starbucks Pup Cup is a secret menu item,
so dog parents need to ask for it.

We aren’t aware of dairy-free puppuccinos yet, but you can always ask for an espresso cup of unsweetened almond or coconut milk if you prefer to give your dog dairy-free alternatives.

Don’t give sugar-sweetened whipped cream or Puppuccinos to dogs who:

• have diabetes. The added sugar can affect blood glucose.
• have lactose intolerance
• are sensitive to the milk protein casein

Aerosol Whipped Cream (Spray Cans): Safe for Dogs?

If you don’t want to whisk cream yourself, you can buy it ready-made – with some added ingredients – just don’t make a habit of giving this to your dog. Instant whipped cream in a pressurized can uses nitrous oxide gas to “whip” the cream into an airy texture (what would grandma say?).

Other common ingredients are not deadly to dogs, but also aren’t part of a healthy, clean diet:

• sugar/glucose-fructose
• skim milk powder
• cellulose gel
• locust bean gum
• cellulose gum
• carrageenan
• mono and diglycerides
• polysorbate 80
• nitrous oxide

Don’t give whipped cream in spray cans to dogs who:

• have diabetes. The added sugar can affect blood glucose.
• have lactose intolerance
• are sensitive to the milk protein casein
• have serious illnesses that require a clean, low-toxin diet (such as cancer, liver or kidney disease or auto-immune illnesses)

Is Cool Whip (Non-Dairy Whipped Topping in Tubs): Safe for Dogs?

Cool Whip is one of several brands of imitation whipped cream. Although marketed as “non-dairy”, it typically contains skim milk and the dairy protein casein, which is an allergen for some dogs.

Ingredients in Non-Dairy Whipped Toppings

With a long list of extra ingredients and sweeteners, non-dairy whipped toppings are one of the worst choices for your dog:

• hydrogenated vegetable oil
• high fructose corn syrup
• skimmed milk
• light cream
• sodium caseinate
• xanthan and guar gums
• polysorbate 60
• sorbitan monostearate
• sodium polyphosphate
• beta carotene

Don’t give Cool Whip to dogs who:

• have diabetes. Sugar and corn syrup can affect blood glucose.
• have lactose intolerance
• are sensitive to the milk protein casein
• have serious illnesses that require a clean, low-toxin diet (such as cancer, liver or kidney disease or auto-immune illnesses)

Is Sugar-Free or Unsweetened Whipped Cream Safe for Dogs?

“Unsweetened” means no added sugar and no sugar substitutes. Since hand-whisked dairy cream only contains naturally-occurring milk sugars, it’s generally safe for dogs in small amounts. Make it organic to increase nutritional value and avoid genetic manipulation.

“Sugar-free” means the product does not have added sugar, but still could contain artificial sweeteners that can be deadly to dogs.

Sugar Substitutes – Beware of Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar substitute often used by people, but is extremely toxic to dogs. Even a tiny amount of xylitol can cause severe drops in a dog’s blood sugar, seizures, liver failure or death. Read the ingredients and never give your dog any food products that contain artificial sweeteners like xylitol.

Sugar 

Although not deadly to dogs in small amounts, sugar is well known for causing inflammation, and contributing to chronic inflammatory diseases, diabetes, obesity, stomach upset, reduced immunity and imbalanced gut flora (dysbiosis) in dogs. 

Limit the amount of sugar-sweetened whipped cream you give your dog to an occasional Pup Cup.

Dogs don’t have a “sweet tooth”, so avoid or limit sugar and corn syrup.

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup’s negative effects are similar to sugar. In addition to contributing to obesity and diabetes, research also links corn syrup to heart disease including hypertension and metabolic syndrome (in people). As one of the world’s largest genetically modified crops, corn now contributes to food sensitivities, allergies and inflammatory diseases. In dogs, the most common reactions to corn include allergies and hot spots.

Don’t feed your dog any products with corn syrup or related processed sugars (caramel, glucose, fructose, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, cane juice, beet sugar). If there is corn syrup in your whipped cream, avoid or limit it to a very small amount on rare occasions.

When used as a life saving measure in emergency veterinarian medicine, corn syrup can rapidly increase blood glucose in hypoglycaemic dogs. However, it is not part of a healthy diet.

Other Ingredients in Whipped Cream: Safe for Dogs?

Vanilla Extract

Don’t feed your dog any products with corn syrup or related processed sugars (caramel, glucose, fructose, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, cane juice, beet sugar). If there is corn syrup in your whipped cream, avoid or limit it to a very small amount on rare occasions.

Vanilla is a natural spice that is safe for dogs in small amounts (such as the amount used in the vanilla syrup added to Starbucks Pup Cups). 

Cellulose Gel

Used in food, cosmetics, packaging material – and whipped cream products – this genetically modified bacteria product is used to mold items and maintain their shape. It is also used as a cheap filler for livestock feed (fibre) and used extensively in dog food to bind water and modify the quality of dogs’ feces (stool). 

Recognized by the FDA as “generally safe”, it is also used in foods as a stabilizer, thickener, gelling agent and suspending agent. 

Xanthan Gum

When real whipped cream is made from unsweetened organic, grass-fed dairy, it provides a good source of fat and protein, along with nutrients like vitamin A, vitamins D and E, calcium and phosphorous. A little bit is a healthy treat for dogs who aren’t lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy. Unless dairy is from cows (or goats) on an organic grass-fed diet, limit these products.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil

Oils that start off healthy are often processed to extend their shelf life, such as the case with hydrogenated vegetable oils. Injected with metal catalysts under extremely high pressure, once-healthy oils are turned into a substance closer to plastic than food. Your dog’s body cannot digest these products. Efforts to eliminate them from his body can result in free radicals, thickened blood, increased cholesterol, poor brain and heart health and a strained immune system.

FAQs

Does whipped cream have too much fat for dogs?

Cream has a high butterfat content (30%–36%) which makes it easier to hold its shape. Since most dogs should keep their fat intake to about 5-20% of their diet, there is a potential for weight gain in your whipped-cream eating dog. In dogs with health conditions like pancreatitis, high fat diets can be especially hard to digest and can injure their digestive organs.

At a deeper biological level, when cows are forced to eat corn, soy and other grains instead of grass, their milk and meat contain higher levels of inflammatory Omega-6 fats, which must be balanced by Omega-3 fats. Balance your dog’s Omega-6 fat with healthy omega-3 rich oils such as green-lipped mussel oil, ahiflower oil or hempseed oil. 

Can dogs have lactose intolerance?

Most dogs can have small amounts of dairy products like milk or cream, without stomach upset associated with lactose intolerance.  Certain dogs are unable to digest the milk sugar known as lactose and can show signs of intolerance such as: diarrhea, gas (flatulence), nausea or vomiting. Puppies are more tolerant to lactose in mother’s milk, so a dog may develop an intolerance as he ages. If your dog is lactose-intolerant, choose dairy-free alternatives such as coconut cream or almond milk. 

Avoid dairy from concentrated caged animal feeding operations; choose organic, grass-fed dairy.

What can I use instead of whipped cream for my dog?

If you’re planning to bake some homemade cookies or a cake for your dog’s birthday pawty, there are safe and healthy toppings besides traditional whipped cream. Use organic cottage cheese or cream cheese, whip full fat coconut milk, or blend lightly cooked vegetables and fruits for a colorful topping. 

If you’re a Cool Fur Momma or Poppa, try these delicious ideas:

• Spread a thin layer of plain organic cream cheese on top your dog’s birthday cake
• Bake grain-free peanut butter cookies with a drizzle of melted carob (never use chocolate) 
• Scoop some plain organic cottage cheese on top of grain-free carrot pupcakes
• Whip up some coconut cream or full fat coconut milk into an airy topping and dab onto these stress reducing homemade La-La Lavendar Dog Biscuits
• Sprinkle chopped or blended fresh fruits on top of grain-free cookies  Healthy choices are apples, bananas and blueberries
• Puree lightly cooked carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkin and spread onto these homemade Halloween “Spookies” (cookies)

Perhaps the most concerning issue with mass-produced dairy products is that they come from concentrated caged feeding operations (CAFO). CAFOs use low quality, genetically modified food, antibiotics, growth hormones and other drugs for confined cows. Stressful and cruel conditions for the animals leads to a quality of dairy that we wouldn’t want to nourish ourselves or our dogs with. Check with your local dairy farmers to find out what’s in your milk and cream.

Be kind to all living beings. Respect the earth we share.