If you love baking at home, and you have a dog, you are probably used to chasing them out the door. Yeast, after all, is toxic to dogs – and just about any home baking will involve the use of yeast. If you find your dog eating dough or yeast, you should probably make an emergency trip to the veterinarian.
Yeast is alcoholic, of course, and high quantities of ethanol can be found within the dough. This means that your dog is running the considerable risk of being put in harm’s way simply by eating some bread. But what about sourdough? Can dogs have sourdough?
The simplest way to answer this would be that, much like normal bread, sourdough can be a dangerous presence for your beloved dog. They are unlikely to be able to eat sourdough without suffering from the same problems as other dogs eating normal bread.
Can dogs have sourdough?
The main thing to note is that it depends on the nature of the bread. A dog eating a small amount of cooked sourdough is likely to maybe have a sore stomach and produce some rather unwelcome toilet trips. However, if they eat uncooked sourdough, get them in the car and en route to the veterinarian immediately.
Yeast can create dangerous bloating within the stomach that can impact organs, make it hard for your dog to breathe, and also introduce dangerous alcohol toxins into their body that could literally kill them. If you ever catch your dog eating uncooked sourdough – or any bread – get them checked out right away. You will be very lucky if your dog only has minor discomfort – eating raw dough is very dangerous.
Cooked bread, and only a single bite of the stuff, should produce nothing to worry about in the grand scheme of things. As soon as you see them chomping on sourdough that is raw, though, you cannot hang around – you must get them checked out by a professional who can properly look over their health and condition.
What should I look out for in my dog if he or she eats sourdough?
The most obvious and serious worry is the presence of bloating. This will be most visible by their belly becoming needlessly large, and your dog beginning to start drooling over the place. You might notice they seem alert and annoyed for no real reason – if they cannot sit at peace, it is a clear sign of bloat when paired with the dog.
More worryingly, your dog might try to vomit to make themselves feel better but they are unable to do so. If you notice your dog foaming in terms of their saliva and/or panting heavily, get them to the veterinarian now. You cannot wait any longer.
To be safe, we recommend keeping your dog out of the kitchen if you are baking with dough – yes, even sourdough. Keep all yeast and baking goods stored in a place that your dog cannot get to or reach. Avoid leaving out freshly baked bread, too; dogs are drawn to the stuff, despite it being terrible for them!
So, can dogs have sourdough? No. Like other bread, the risks far outweigh any potential rewards.