Out of all of the things that we can feed our dogs, one of the most common questions can revolve around yeast. Yeast is used in so many of our day-to-day cooking that it can be almost assumptive that your dog can handle yeast intake. Is this the case, though? Or should you perhaps take a closer look at what your dog is being fed before you start giving them yeast?
Dogs tend to have a bit of a thing for carbs, and yeast can obviously be used in carb-heavy bread mixtures. However, dogs and yeast are NOT playmates. Your dog should not be given yeast at any point. If you spot your dog eating yeast, you should make a beeline for the veterinarians immediately.
It is no exaggeration to say that your dog eating yeast could kill them. Yeast is one of those products that you cannot leave lying around. The double-whammy is that dogs seem to love the stuff, despite the fact that it is absolutely terrible for their general health and wellbeing. With that in mind, you should try to understand whether or not dogs can have yeast – and why you should avoid giving them yeast at all costs.
Can dogs have yeast?
No, they cannot. Eating yeast or bread dough could kill your dog, quite literally. So, can dogs have yeast? No. Yeast is an extremely toxic substance for a dog to eat, and ingestion of it could literally bring an end to their wonderful lives. The two main problems with yeast are down to bloating in the stomach and the presence of alcohol.
Alcohol is toxic to dogs, to the point of it being life-threatening. Yeast has alcohol in it, of course, and this means that your dog can quickly become poisoned if it eats too much of the stuff. The main worry is the bloating, though – the yeast will rise up in a warm and moist environment. You know, like a stomach. Once in the stomach, it will force their stomach to expand to unhealthy levels and this can lead to size, pressure, bloating, and eventually potential life-threatening interior damage.
Your dog can also be poisoned with alcohol from eating yeast. As such, you need to make sure that your dog does not eat any of this stuff. The ethanol that is released as the yeast has fermented creates a problem. Absorbed into the bloodstream of your dog, their life soon becomes at risk.
A bloated stomach creates a gas that cannot be expelled, increasing stomach size and pressure and thus reducing blood flow, rupturing the stomach lining, and damaging the body internally. This quite literally puts your dog at risk of death – that is no exaggeration.
If you see your dog making a move for yeast, stop them. Use reinforcement training to make sure your dog understands yeast is NOT for them. Hide your yeast in a place that your dog cannot reach or get into. Unfortunately, too, dogs are drawn to the stuff, so you need to be very vigilant and protective.
Can dogs have yeast? Absolutely not. Avoid at all costs. There is no benefit and the negatives could literally see your dog die – and nobody wants that.