Dogs are pretty smart and are arguably among the most intelligent of all animals kept as pets. Their cognitive abilities are evident in all the cool tricks and skills they learn from using and flushing the toilet to learning math.
Unfortunately, not everything that dogs do is smart and their habit of eating pretty much anything they can find is proof of that. One thing that dogs commonly eat is raw bread dough.
Dogs cannot have bread dough because it is actually very dangerous for dogs to consume and it should be avoided at all costs for the sake of their health and even their lives. Consuming bread dough raw could cause a lot of issues for your dog including food poisoning from the bacteria present in uncooked ingredients.
In the sections below, we shall take a closer look at all the reasons why you shouldn’t let your dog eat bread dough.
We will also look at strategies to prevent your dog from accidentally trying bread dough as well as what to do if your pooch sneaks a bite or two of the raw dough.
Should I Let My Dog Eat Bread Dough?
You should never let your dog eat bread dough as it is bad for their health and could even result in life-threatening conditions.
So, what is it about bread in its raw dough form that is so dangerous to your dog? Here are two of the most important answers.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning should be your biggest concern when it comes to feeding your dog bread dough. This is because raw ingredients, such as eggs and flour, may be harboring bacteria or parasites that can poison your dog.
Salmonella from raw eggs is the most commonly implicated microbe present in raw bread dough and other raw or undercooked pastries. For the most part, many healthy dogs may not be affected as aggressively by Salmonellosis as human beings are.
However, infection with Salmonella could cause serious gastrointestinal irritation for your dog with signs and symptoms including:
Salmonella infections could also have long-term consequences to the dog including pregnancy complications. The dog could also serve as a carrier for the bacteria and transfer the infection to human companions.
Alcohol Poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is another thing you may have to worry about in your dog if they eat bread dough.
This is because bread dough has all the ingredients required to make alcohol including yeast, sugar, and carbohydrates. The fermentation process of making alcohol is catalyzed within the warm environment in your dog’s stomach.
This will result in all sorts of issues from alcohol intoxication and poisoning to bloating from the gaseous byproducts of the process.
Is Raw Bread Dough Bad For Dogs?
Raw bread dough is incredibly toxic for dogs. Your dog may end up consuming it in cases where you as the owner frequently make homemade bread. It could be that the bread was not cooked well enough or that the dough had not been fully rested.
Consuming raw bread dough will cause a lot of issues for your doggy. Here are a few signs and symptoms of the ensuing adverse effects.
Bloating
When raw bread dough gets into contact with gut flora and digestive enzymes in your dog’s digestive tract, a kind of fermentation process is triggered. This results in the production of gases that fill up the dog’s stomach and intestines.
The bloating will cause the dog’s abdomen to swell and become very tender. It also reduces their appetite as there is already so much pressure within the gut.
Perhaps the most deadly of consequences is gastric dilatation volvulus where the stomach twists on itself due to excessive distention.
Vomiting And Retching
Vomiting and retching are caused by irritation of the dog’s gastric mucosa by the products of fermentation and breakdown of the raw bread dough. It could also be due to bacteria present in the raw ingredients.
Whatever the case, it is important to carefully monitor your vomiting dog as they can very easily become dehydrated and go into hypovolemic shock.
Confusion, Seizures, And Coma
The fermentation of the raw bread dough produces alcohol-like effects that could cause confusion and seizures in the dog. These signs and symptoms could also be a result of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance as a result of vomiting and diarrhea.
In severe cases, the dog may suffer altered consciousness and eventually fall into a coma.
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Raw Bread Dough?
If your dog eats bread dough, the very first thing you should do is to call your vet. Make sure to give detailed information on the ingredients used in the dough as well as the estimated amount that your dog may have consumed.
Your vet will then advise you on whether or not to bring the pooch in for a consult or to just watchfully wait.
In the meantime, ensure that your dog is sufficiently hydrated by providing clean water in an easily accessible and visible location.
