Can Dogs Eat Bread? and What Factors Should Owners Consider in Their Diet?

Bread is a staple part of the human diet. Everyone loves eating it as it’s yummy in taste and is an excellent source of energy. But is it something our canines can consume, too? Can dogs eat bread?

Simply put, yes, your furry friends can eat bread in moderation. However, it should be properly baked and doesn’t contain toxic ingredients such as garlic, chocolate, raisins, or seeds. A piece of bread doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits to canines, so we don’t recommend it feeding to dogs.

But the good news is that if your four-legged companion gets some bread from the kitchen for consumption, it won’t harm them.

What kinds of bread are safe for dogs to eat? Are there any risks of feeding bread to dogs? We at Petsfleet provide a comprehensive guide on “Can dogs eat bread?” So, let’s start without any delay.

Is it Safe for Dogs to Eat bread?

Yes, dogs can safely eat bread like humans, but in moderation. Feeding your dog bread as a treat often won’t cause any harm. But that’s only true when you feed dogs a completely balanced diet, and they do exercise as well.

But is bread beneficial for our four-pawed pets? Consuming bread won’t benefit our canine companions. That’s because bread is a filler food and lacks any nutrients to fulfill the nutritional requirements of dogs.

If you are a diet-conscious pet owner, you know better that bread is loaded with carbs. That’s why feeding too much bread can lead to obesity in canines.

You can give brown and white bread to your dog. That’s because these breads don’t contain toxic ingredients and toppings like butter or jam. Therefore, go for plain white or brown bread the next time you want to give bread to your dog as a treat.

Is There Any Risk of Feeding Bread to Dogs?

Although bread is not harmful to dogs, there are some exceptions. Here are some risks that you should consider before feeding bread to your furry friend to ensure his happy and healthy life:

Harmful Bread Dough

Have you ever baked a bread at home? You know the bread dough rises in a warm, moist, and clean environment during baking. Therefore, for dogs given bread dough, their stomach provides optimum conditions for bread to rise. That said, bread dough is hazardous to your canine friend.

When a dog consumes bread dough, the yeast dilates your dog’s stomach to make the dough rise and release toxic ethanol levels in the dog’s bloodstream. Consequently, your dog suffers from bloating due to the pressure of rising dough. But don’t ignore alcohol toxicosis, which is dangerous for canines.

Call your vet promptly if you have caught your dog consuming bread dough. Watch out for any symptoms of alcohol toxicosis in your canine:

• Weakness
• Depression
• Coma
• Seizures
• Hypothermia

Toxic Bread Ingredients

Plain white or wheat bread is safe for dogs to consume unless they are allergic to wheat. You should avoid feeding some breads to canines due to their toxic ingredients.

Raisins found in some breads and bakery items are highly toxic to dogs. Even a few raisins can hurt your dog and make him sick. Therefore, avoid feeding raisin breads to canines as a treat, even if the part you are providing lacks any raisins.

The next toxic ingredient in bread for dogs is garlic. Your dog’s nose might get attracted to garlic bread, but it can result in serious side effects. These include diarrhea, weakness, pain, and vomiting.

In addition, nuts and seeds in some breads enhance their flavor and provide health benefits to humans. However, they can be problematic to dogs, resulting in pancreatitis and stomach irritation due to their high-fat content.

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in some brands of peanut butter and baked items. Unlike humans, xylitol is toxic to dogs and can result in severe consequences.

Before feeding bread regularly to your dog, make sure to check the ingredients so your dog won’t end up in trouble.

Can Dogs with Upset Stomach Eat Bread?

You might have heard that feeding bread suits dogs with upset stomachs. But that’s not the case every time. Feeding a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice is better for dogs. Or you should call a vet to seek advice.

Bread is loaded with calories, so feed your dog only small pieces of bread occasionally to avoid obesity-related problems.

FAQs

What Types of Bread Should I Avoid Feeding My Dog?

You should avoid feeding garlic bread to dogs as garlic is toxic for them. Also, garlic bread is packed with fat from oil and butter, which is unhealthy for dogs. Avoid feeding seeded bread to canines; although they are not toxic, they are not easily digested. Sourdough bread is also a big no for dogs as fermented dough can produce alcohol in a dog’s system when consumed.

Why Do Dogs Love Bread?

Like humans, dogs love bread because of its delicious taste. Moreover, the naturally occurring sugars in bread cause dogs to crave more. The fluffy, doughy texture of bread is also unique to dogs; therefore, they love this yummy baked item.

What to Do If My Dog Ate Bread Dough?

If your furry friend consumed yeast-based dough, contact your vet immediately. Calling a vet is best if your dog ate a piece of bread containing toxic ingredients. However, if your dog gets fully cooked bread that doesn’t have harmful components, don’t worry; he will be completely fine.

Can Bread Make a Dog Sick?

Yes, consuming bread containing toxic ingredients can hurt your dog. Eating excessive amounts of bread can result in diarrhea, vomiting, and even blockage due to bread expansion caused by yeast.

Conclusion

In short, our canine friends can consume bread unless it’s in excessive amount and contain toxic ingredients. However, eating bread won’t provide nutritional benefits to our pups as it is filler. If your pet wants some piece of bread, feed him brown or white bread (plain) occasionally and avoid giving garlic and seeded bread. At the end of the day, we all want our pets to be healthy, don’t we?