Toxin Tuesdays: Bread Dough

Bread dough can cause more issues in our pets than you make think! (Image Source)

Bread dough may not seem like something that would classify as a toxin, but in our pets it can cause some serious side effects. While pets can be exposed to bread dough any time there seem to be spikes around holidays (Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc) as more people are making things from scratch. As pets ingest the dough, it will begin to rise in the warm, moist contents of their stomach. This will cause gas to be released and can lead to some of the clinical signs we see.

Best to keep pets away when cooking! (Image Source)

The most common side effect of ingesting uncooked bread dough is vomiting, bloating or most severely flipping of the stomach (GDV or gastric dilatation and volvulus). Other side effects can include an increased heart rate and hyperactivity, some pets will vocalize while others may become very depressed. Many times as the condition progresses they will become weak.  If you pet has a bloated stomach or is trying to vomit with nothing coming up this is an emergency and they should be seen by a veterinarian right away. (For more information on bloating and GDV please visit the following website).

Although they may want to help or sample your cooking, it is best to avoid uncooked food! (Image Source)

When presented to the veterinarian they will likely want to run blood work to assess electrolytes and glucose levels and also take x-rays to assess the stomach or look for a foreign body obstruction. The bread dough can be rapidly absorbed so if the patient is already symptomatic or we are unsure when the exposure occurred your veterinarian may not recommend inducing vomiting. In an emergency situation sedation may be necessary and a cold water lavage (where cold water is pumped into the stomach) can help decrease the rate at which the bread is absorbed and fermenting.

Accidental exposure to uncooked bread dough may make your pet feel sick! Get them to the veterinarian right away! (Image Source)

With aggressive and quick treatment most dogs will experience a full recovery. If the case becomes more complicated such as a progressing to a stomach torsion. Recovery can take much longer and may have a slightly worse prognosis. If you are baking especially around the holidays, make sure your pet is directly supervised or confined until all baking products are put away!