If your dog eats raw dough, it’s important to take action quickly to avoid potentially serious health issues. Raw dough made with yeast and baking powder can expand in a dog’s stomach and cause bloating, discomfort, and gas. The unbaked dough can also release alcohol into the dog’s system as the yeast ferments the natural sugars, causing alcohol toxicity. Some signs your dog may have eaten raw dough include a distended or hard stomach, vomiting, weakness, loss of coordination, behavioral changes such as stumbling or appearing drunk, and collapse or coma in severe cases. If you suspect your dog has eaten raw dough, contact your veterinarian or animal poison control immediately.
What types of dough are dangerous for dogs?
Most types of unbaked dough can be dangerous for dogs, including:
- Bread dough – Especially yeast dough which causes the dough to rise. The yeast produces alcohol as it processes the sugars, which can lead to alcohol poisoning in dogs.
- Cookie and cake batter – Contains baking powder and baking soda to make it rise. These can rapidly expand in the stomach and cause bloating issues.
- Pizza dough – The combination of yeast and the fatty ingredients like oil and cheese makes this dough especially problematic.
- Dumpling wrappers and spring roll wrappers – These unleavened doughs still expand in the stomach.
In general, if the dough requires time to rise and expand, it could potentially be dangerous. Even small amounts of dough can expand up to twice their size, so don’t assume a small ingestion is harmless.
Why is raw dough dangerous for dogs?
There are two main reasons why raw dough is dangerous for dogs:
- Expanding dough: The raw dough can continue to expand in the warm and moist environment of your dog’s stomach and intestines. As the dough expands, it can put pressure on the stomach or intestinal walls, causing pain, bloating, nausea, and potentially blockages.
- Alcohol poisoning: Raw dough containing live yeast will continue to ferment sugars into alcohol and CO2. This alcohol gets absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream and can cause alcohol toxicity. Symptoms depend on the amount ingested but may include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of coordination, respiratory issues, low blood sugar, seizures, and even coma.
How much raw dough is dangerous for a dog?
Any amount of raw yeast-based dough could potentially be dangerous for a dog. According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, even small ingestions should be taken seriously.
Larger ingestions are definitely cause for greater concern. For example, a 50 lb dog that ate an entire loaf of rising bread dough could end up with severe alcohol poisoning or an obstructed intestine.
It’s the combination of expanding dough, ethanol alcohol production, and reaction time that contributes to the danger level for the dog. Don’t wait to see if symptoms develop – contact your vet immediately if you know or suspect your dog ate raw dough.
Amounts of different types of raw dough that could be dangerous:
- 2-3 balls of raw pizza dough
- 3-4 raw bread rolls
- 1/2 loaf of rising bread dough
- 6 large raw cookie dough balls
- 1/4 batch of cake or muffin batter
What are the symptoms of raw dough ingestion in dogs?
Some common symptoms that may indicate your dog ate raw dough include:
- Distended or hard stomach
- Unproductive vomiting or retching
- Weakness
- Depression
- Loss of coordination, stumbling, or appearing drunk
- Rapid breathing
- Low body temperature
- Seizures
- Collapse or coma
Symptoms can appear within 30 minutes but may be delayed for up to 12 hours after ingestion as the dough expands. Yeast dough intoxication can also cause high blood sugar and electrolyte imbalances.
What to do if your dog eats raw dough?
Follow these steps if you believe your dog ate raw dough:
- Contact your vet or animal poison control immediately. They will advise you on safe induction of vomiting at home or may request you come in immediately.
- Collect and bring a sample of the dough or packaging to the vet appointment.
- Monitor your dog closely for symptoms like vomiting, lethargy, or bloating.
- Your vet will likely induce vomiting to empty the stomach, then provide IV fluids to rehydrate and maintain blood sugar and electrolyte levels.
- Your dog may need to stay at the vet clinic for longer term monitoring and supportive care, especially if symptoms like drunk appearance or low body temperature develop.
- Avoid giving hydrogen peroxide or salt water to induce vomiting before speaking to your vet, as this may complicate matters.
With prompt veterinary treatment, most dogs recover fully after eating raw dough. However, delayed treatment or large ingestions can result in severe alcohol poisoning, coma, and even death in some cases.
How to prevent dogs from eating raw dough
To keep your dog safe, follow these tips when handling or preparing raw dough in your home:
- Store all dough out of your dog’s reach, ideally in the refrigerator.
- Supervise your dog any time you’re working with raw dough.
- Only allow access after baking, when alcohol production has stopped.
- Never leave baking ingredients unattended on countertops or tables.
- Clean up any spills or crumbs thoroughly after baking.
- Secure the trash can lid tightly to prevent scavenging for discarded dough.
- Train your dog on a strong “leave it” command.
Even well-trained dogs can be tempted by the smell of sugary dough, so prevent access whenever possible. If you regularly make homemade baked goods, consider keeping your dog in a separate closed room while preparing dough.
Are there safe doughs for dogs?
Some doughs are low risk and can be safely consumed by dogs in moderation, including:
- Fully baked bread products – The alcohol dissipates with baking.
- Tortillas and flatbreads – Minimal rising so lower risk of bloating issues.
- Dog treat dough – Specifically formulated to be pet safe.
- Unleavened doughs like salt dough or naan – Won’t expand significantly in the stomach.
Avoid sharing any dough or batter with your dog before confirming it’s completely safe. Even small amounts of yeast-based dough can potentially cause problems. Talk to your vet if you’re unsure about a specific recipe or baked good.
Veterinary treatment for dogs who ate raw dough
Veterinary treatment focuses on emptying the stomach contents, providing supportive care as needed, and monitoring for complications. Steps include:
- Inducing vomiting – This helps empty the stomach before substantial amounts of dough can be ingested. Vets use hydrogen peroxide or apomorphine for quick but controlled vomiting.
- Gastric lavage – Stomach pumping under anesthesia may be done to completely remove dough from the stomach.
- IV fluids – Fluids help maintain hydration and blood sugar levels. The vet may add dextrose to the fluids or give dextrose paste to increase blood sugar if it drops too low.
- Medications – Antacids or anti-vomiting medication may be given to soothe the stomach. Longer term antibiotics or anti-fungals are sometimes prescribed.
- Monitoring – Dogs are monitored for any developing symptoms and may need to stay at the vet clinic for 1-2 days or longer for observation.
With aggressive treatment, the prognosis is good for most dogs following raw dough ingestion. However, dogs that develop severe symptoms like low blood sugar, coma, or seizures have a guarded prognosis.
Cost of treatment
Treatment costs will vary based on the severity and complications but may range from $300 up to $2,000 in severe cases requiring extended veterinary hospitalization and care. Pet health insurance can help offset these costs if you have a policy prior to the incident.
Preventing future raw dough ingestion
To prevent repeat issues of your dog eating raw dough, take these precautions:
- Keep all yeast dough and batter safely secured in your pantry or refrigerator.
- Never leave any dough unattended during baking.
- Clean up all crumbs, spills, and residual dough from mixing bowls.
- Correct behaviors like counter surfing or garbage raiding through training.
- Consider using baby gates or crates to restrict access to the kitchen during baking.
- Reward and reinforce “leave it” commands around food.
You may also want to avoid baking with yeast dough around your dog until their behavior improves. Supervise closely and apply distraction or management strategies to set your dog up for success.
FAQs
Can one bite of pizza dough hurt my dog?
Yes, even a small amount of pizza dough could potentially be dangerous for dogs. The combination of yeast, oil, and warmth allows the dough to rapidly expand and release alcohol into your dog’s system. Contact your vet immediately if you notice concerning symptoms after eating pizza dough.
Will dough rise in a dog’s stomach?
Yes, raw dough containing yeast or chemical leaveners like baking powder and baking soda will continue to expand and produce gasses in a dog’s stomach. This can cause painful bloating and distension.
How long after eating dough will a dog show symptoms?
Symptoms can appear within 30 minutes but may be delayed for 6-12 hours as the dough expands in the stomach. Alcohol poisoning from the fermenting yeast may take even longer to show obvious signs. Stay vigilant for the next 24 hours after ingestion.
Can dogs eat pizza crust?
Leftover baked pizza crust is generally safe for dogs to eat in moderation. Avoid giving them raw pizza dough, which could expand in the stomach. Also go easy on cheese-stuffed crusts high in fat, salt, and calories.
Is Play-Doh safe for dogs?
No, Play-Doh is not meant to be edible and contains high amounts of salt that can cause excessive thirst and vomiting if dogs ingest it. Supervise closely when kids play with Play-Doh around pets.
Conclusion
Raw bread and pizza dough pose a dangerous risk to dogs due to the potential for bloating, alcohol poisoning, and obstructed intestines. Even small ingestions warrant caution and quick veterinary guidance. With prompt treatment, most dogs recover fully after eating raw dough. However, prevention is key, so keep all baking ingredients safely stored and supervised. Train your dog on “leave it” commands and reward them for avoiding counters and unattended dough. With diligence and caution, you can safely enjoy baking while keeping your dog’s health protected.