What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Bread?
If your dog eats bread, watch for signs or symptoms of concern, including:
One or two bites of plain white bread without spices, sugar, or butter shouldn’t be too much of a cause for concern. Just prevent your dog from eating it on a regular basis. If your dog ate a loaf of bread, contact your vet.
What you need to know about bread and dogs
Vets don’t consider most bread toxic to dogs. The trouble for your pooch lies in the ingredients, toppings, and form in which it’s consumed.
Dogs require high-protein diets. They’re facultative carnivores (some consider them omnivores), which means they can digest plants and proteins as long as protein is the principal ingredient in their daily diet.
As dogs evolved from their ancestors, their digestive systems barely changed. Their bodies still require high protein, low fat and carbs, and very few grains.
When the ancestors of modern dogs consumed excess carbohydrates and fats, their bodies stored them for energy use when food wasn’t plentiful. In domestic dogs, those excess carbs get stored too. But since our dogs get regular meals, those carbs build up, causing weight gain.
Bread is a high-carbohydrate food. Its carbs turn to sugar (energy) in the body. If you feed your dog balanced dog food and healthy dog treats and give them enough exercise, there’s no need to feed them bread as a treat or as a regular part of your dog’s diet.
Wheat bread contains gluten, which many dog parents try to avoid. Some dogs can have an allergic reaction to wheat, although vets consider wheat bread to be a healthier option for your dog. If your dog is allergic to wheat, you can offer them bread made with rice or coconut flour.
White bread can relieve stomach pain or bind to foreign objects. But eating too much can cause weight gain, which can lead to obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and joint pain.
The sugars in bread can cause havoc with your dog’s teeth because they adhere to the teeth and gums. The sugars attract bacteria to the teeth, creating tooth decay. As the decay advances, it becomes a periodontal disease. Veterinarians and studies have proven that most dogs have dental disease by the age of three.
Can dogs have uncooked bread dough
Dogs can’t have uncooked bread dough. According to The American Kennel Club, it can be hazardous. Interestingly, their stomachs offer the ideal conditions for dough to rise. When they eat it, it expands and distends their stomach, releasing toxic levels of ethanol into their bloodstream – possibly leading to alcohol toxicosis.
Do not feed your dog uncooked bread dough, and if your dog has ingested any and you notice any of the following symptoms after your dog has eaten bread dough, contact your vet immediately: