The ingredients in sourdough bread are harmful to your fur buddy and can cause serious digestive issues, including gastric dilation- volvulus (GDV), which causes your dog severe pain.
Let us dig deeper into why you shouldn’t feed your dog with sourdough bread to save your furry friend unnecessary pain over the wrong diet.
Why sourdough bread is harmful to your dog
Sourdough bread will cause these negative health impacts to your dog:
It causes bloating
A major ingredient in creating sourdough bread is yeast.
The yeast causes bloating in your dog’s digestive tract.
The condition may worsen if the dough ingested is uncooked.
Bloating, also known as Gastric Dilation- Volvulus (GDV), is when your pet’s stomach becomes gassy.
The gas causes extreme pain and leads to blocked blood flow to the heart, dead tissue, a twisted spleen, and pressure on the diaphragm.
Signs that your dog has a bloated stomach are;
Foamy saliva
Drooling
Swollen stomach
Quick and shallow breathing
Agitation
Restlessness
Unable to vomit
Alcohol poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is another serious condition for dogs brought on by the yeast in the sourdough bread.
During digestion, the sourdough bread ferments in the dog’s belly creating alcohol which is quite harmful to dogs.
Some dogs develop allergies from eating wheat-based products frequently.
If your dog has frequent bouts of diarrhea, vomiting, ear infections, and skin rashes, the sourdough bread could be the culprit.
Signs to look out for are;
Itchy, flaky skin
Rashes
Foot chewing
Loss of fur
Obsessive licking
Digestive problems
Inflamed paws
It contains ingredients toxic to your dog
Chocolate and raisins are some ingredients added to sourdough bread to boost the flavor.
Dogs are, however, incompatible with chocolate and raisins.
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, which dogs can’t metabolize easily, leading to a toxin build-up.
Early signs of chocolate toxicity in dogs are diarrhea and vomiting.
Critical signs are;
Irregular heartbeat
Internal bleeding
Heart arrhythmia
Tremors
Seizures
Raisins are classified alongside grapes and currants as foods that cause kidney failure in dogs when ingested.
Whether eaten whole or in food, raisins contain a highly toxic poison to dogs.
According to VCA animal hospitals, it is unclear why raisins, currants, and grapes are toxic.
It’s suspected that the poisons are from mycotoxin, a toxic substance produced by fungus or mold, or an aspirin-like drug naturally found in grapes that decreases blood flow to the kidneys.
Speculation is rife that tartaric acid, also found in grapes, may cause adverse effects in dogs.
Whatever the cause, these three fruits remain dangerous to dogs and should be avoided.
Initial symptoms of raisins toxicity to the dog are;
Easy to prepare safer alternatives to sourdough bread for your dog
The treats below aren’t substitutes for a wholesome meal but will leave your dog happy and appreciative:
Pumpkin and peanut butter treat: Mix two cups of whole wheat flour, half a cup of peanut butter, one cup of pureed pumpkin, and two eggs. Add some water to get the consistency needed, then roll out on a flat surface. Using a cookie cutter or glass rim, cut out the shapes, place them on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Sweet potato treats: Use pureed sweet potatoes, two eggs, and a cup of whole wheat flour. Mix well and bake for 25 minutes.
Oat and broth dog biscuits: One cup of wheat flour, one cup of oats, chicken or beef broth, and peanut butter. Mix the ingredients, then roll out the dough on a flat surface. Cut out into desired shapes, place on a cookie tray, and bake.
Apple cinnamon biscuits: One cup oat flour, half a cup of applesauce, one teaspoon of cinnamon, and one egg. Mix the ingredients well, roll out the dough, cut into desired shapes, and bake.
Peanut butter and banana cookies: Mix two bananas, peanut butter, one egg, and some oat flour thoroughly. Put in a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
Carrot and apple doggy treat: You will need one cup of whole wheat flour, half a cup of applesauce, one cup of grated carrots, and one egg. Mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, cut out into shapes, and bake.
Simple recipe
Carrot and apple dog treats
Ingredients
Two and a half cups of whole wheat flour
Half a cup of oats
Half a cup of peeled and grated carrots
Half a cup of cored and shredded apple
A third of a cup of vegetable oil
One egg
Instructions
Grease your cookie sheet and preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celcius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the whole wheat flour and oats in one bowl.
Mix the shredded carrots, apples, oil, and beaten egg in another bowl.
Add the flour to the wet ingredients.
Roll out the dough on a flat surface and cut it into desired shapes.
Bake for 45 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
Hi, my name is Megan Turner and I have worked in a dog’s shelter for four years now. It is truly my dream job, and I see hundreds of dogs every month being united with new owners to give them a loving forever home.
Unfortunately, handicapped dogs are much more likely to be ignored when a family is picking out their new pet. Handicapped pets need more care than non-handicapped pets, so it is understandable why they are often harder to rehome.
