Bread is a famous food item that is consumed across the globe. It is one of the oldest food items humans have made. From sandwiches to French toasts bread is used in a variety of edible items. It must be present in your kitchen right now. Not only this, but even our pets are also really familiar with bread. Sometimes, while eating bread in any form, you think about sharing it with your pup. Is bread safe for dogs? Is this your question? Then here is your answer. Dogs can eat bread but there are a lot of limitations as per the type of bread and what is inside that bread.
Dogs can eat bread but in a moderate quantity. If the dog is healthy and exercises daily then feeding bread to that dog is considered safe and sound. Although, a dog is a carnivore, so it can do well even without any kind of bread. Bread is not harmful to dogs but still one needs to be careful while feeding any kind of bread to their dog.
Is It Safe For Your Dog To Eat Bread?
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Before feeding bread to your dog, keep some important points in your mind. Wheat is the basic ingredient in most of the forms of bread. If not, it will be mentioned on the pack. Feeding wheat to your dog is not a wise step at all if your dog is allergic to wheat which is a basic element of bread.
Risks Associated With Feeding Bread To Dogs?
Bread dough is considered a health hazard for dogs, not because it has water and flour but the reason is yeast which is an important part of the bread and used it its preparation. Eating bread dough can cause the dog stomach to distend. Moreover, as a result of consuming bread, ethanol levels can increase in the bloodstream of dogs to a dangerous level.
If the bread keeps swelling even after reaching the stomach of your dog, it will result in bloating. The more dangerous aspect is from the alcohol toxicosis that can lead to a depressed central nervous system, seizures, drunken gait, and weakness. Your dog can slip into comatose as well.
There are certain types of bread that cannot be fed to the dogs at any cost and under any circumstances. There are a lot of varieties of bread that have additives such as fruits, nuts, raisins, and chemicals that enhance texture, nutrition, flavor, and shelf life of the bread. Xylitol, another element found in the bread can impose serious threats on the health of your dog.
Certain bread contains raisins and raisins are a dangerous food item for dogs because these are highly toxic. They affect kidneys and can be fatal in most cases. Don’t remove raisins and feed the rest of the bread to your dog, because even the part of the bread that does not contain raisins can be harmful and fatal for the dogs.
The bread that has nuts and seeds is beneficial for humans but this is not the case for dogs also. Nuts and seeds are not considered a healthy option for dogs because they can cause pancreatitis and other digestive issues in dogs. Maximum problems related to nuts in dogs are because of Macadamia nuts.
Furthermore, there are additives and artificial sweeteners are present in the bread and they are not good for the health of your dog. In addition to that onion bread, garlic bread, and banana bread are completely a no go area for the dogs. The onion and garlic bread can cause huge damage to the red blood cells of dogs, whereas, most of the banana bread contains chocolate chips that are fatal for dogs.
Sometimes, there is seen or unseen mold or fungus is present on the bread. This is hazardous not only for the health of humans but also for the health of dogs.
What Kind Of Bread is Suitable For Dogs?
The best choice for your dog regarding the bread is the whole grain bread. This is the only type that has no harmful or extra ingredient that has the potential to harm your lovely pet. It is not only safe for your dog but also beneficial. The dietary fibers in the bread help and ease the bowel movement of the dog. There are chances that your dog cannot tolerate gluten, in such case, go for gluten-free bread.
What Quantity Should Be Served?
Bread should be given to the dog as a treat on an occasional basis. Cut down small pieces of bread and feed it in small quantities. Never give a whole loaf of bread to the dog for eating because more than enough amounts can lead to intestinal issues such as bloating and intense stomach ache.
4 Most Dangerous Types of Bread
- Banana bread: avoid feeding banana bread to your dog because they have chocolate chips which are fatal for the health of dogs.
- Onion and garlic bread: the chemicals found in garlic and onion can cause damage to red blood cells and pose threats to the health of your dog.
- Raisin bread: raisins are famous for causing kidney issues in dogs. Mostly they cause kidney failure that results in the death of the dog.
- Nut bread: bread that contains nuts should be kept miles away from the lovely pets. These are not suitable for the health of dogs.
Conclusion:
Bread is found in every household in America. This is a staple food for a lot of countries around the world. While munching on a sandwich or French toast, you would want to share it with your pup. But care is required while doing this because not all loaves of bread are suitable for your dog. Give bread to your dog occasionally. Whole grain bread is the best option for your dog. Keep garlic bread, onion bread, nuts bread, and banana bread away from your dog because they can result in lethal situations for your dog. Play safe while feeding anything to your dogs because sometimes damages to health are irreversible.