Well we had a little scare when my dog ate bread dough. It was sourdough bread dough. For years I made homemade sourdough bread on a weekly basis. Here are the details of exactly what happened leading up to when my dog ate bread dough, how it happened and how my dog recovered.
The incident involved Lulu, our Lhasa Apso mix rescue dog. She was about three years old when it happened. Today she is about to turn eight and doing well, and thankfully we haven’t had any other bread dough incidents since then. Lulu is the first dog I have ever had and the incident was alarming, to say the least.
Dog Ate Bread Dough
How it Happened
Sourdough bread recipes (like the one I was following) often call for the raw bread dough to sit in a bread bowl on top of the refrigerator to rise. I don’t know why the recipes include this step, because the top of my refrigerator is not very warm. During my time baking, I discovered that placing a bread bowl by a heat duct and covering the bowl with a kitchen towel worked wonders for making dough rise in the winter. That’s what I was doing until my dog ate bread dough.
When the bread dough incident happened we were at the point where Lulu had gained a good deal of trust around the house. Our living space remains dog-proofed but she is able to roam, rest where she wants and overall just hang out – and so far she’s done a great job of not getting into trouble. Until the day I was baking sourdough bread and she found my bread bowl.
Related blog posts:
• DIY Sourdough Starter Day by Day
• The Pros & Cons of Adopting a Rescue Dog
• Tips for Writing Pet Sitter Instructions
• How to Prepare Your Dog for a Race
When I Realized My Dog Ate Bread Dough
Yes, it’s totally my fault. I should not have had the sourdough bread bowl at her level, nor assumed she wouldn’t get into it. She rang her PoochieBells (a highly-recommended dog house training tool!) to go outside late that afternoon to use the bathroom, and I noticed the towels on the bread bowl were disheveled.
I immediately thought she gotten into the raw bread dough, but I was having a difficult time finding evidence. It looked almost like the towel just fell in the bowl, messing up the top of the dough. I ignored the bread bowl initially.
My Dog Started to Gag
About 30 minutes later Lulu started gagging. Then we knew. Unfortunately she threw up right on the middle of our living room rug. Yuck. Then she vomited a second time on a towel we had rushed to throw in front of her. After throwing up a second time, she seemed better. I even took her out for a walk that day and she seemed to be in good spirits.
Bread Dough is Dangerous to Dogs
I was worried though because I had read before about the dangers of dogs eating dough made from live yeast. Basically the raw dough can rise inside their warm bellies, causing bloating. Further, the bread dough can block their digestive track and worse. It’s a very serious condition and could lead to death of the dog if untreated.
Dog Ate Bread Dough
Stomach Bloating
We kept an eye on Lulu the rest of Sunday. She was walking fine but just didn’t have the normal pep in her step she usually has. Later we noticed her abdomen was a little bloated. Then at 4 a.m. the next morning she woke us up again. She was making gagging noises. This time it was a false alarm. She did not vomit again.
Increased Urination
We noticed Lulu was also urinating a lot during the 24-hours after the bread dough consumption took place. I have to assume this was a side-effect of eating the bread dough, although I have no medical information regarding this.
By the next evening, which was just over 24-hours since she ate the bread dough our dog seemed 100 percent normal again. She ate her Zignature dog food for dinner and was running around like usual.
I’m so thankful our dog is OK after eating bread dough and that we didn’t need to take her to the veterinarian or to an urgent care clinic. While we were prepared to take her to the vet, if needed, I’m glad we didn’t have to.
My Dog is OK After Eating Bread Dough
I wanted to write this post as a serious warning to other dog owners. And also as a reminder to myself to not sit the sourdough bread bowl at dog level again, and to keep a much better eye on our rescue dog – even though she has gained “some” of our trust.
If you bake sourdough bread, make homemade pizza dough, bake biscuits or any other baked goods that contain live yeast – please be very careful about where you place the bowl and monitor the access your dog has to the area. While Lulu has been trained not to jump on countertops, I know many dogs who do have access to countertops or dogs that are tall enough to easily take food off a countertop.
If you would like more information about what happens if your dog eats raw bread dough, I found this article to be helpful:Â Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat. I hope your pet never eats bread dough, but if they do, I hope that they will be OK.
Have you ever had a health scare with your pet?
*This post was originally published in 2014 and has been updated and republished for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
Katie O. says
February 12, 2014 at 7:34 AMSo glad she’s okay! It’s crazy the amount of stuff that our bodies can handle that pets cannot.
This is another good reminder about why I am not ready to be a responsible dog owner. In my morning haze, I almost fed my beta Advil instead of fish food because the bottles were right next to each other. I don’t think that would’ve gone over well.
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 4:53 PMOh no! Good thing you caught yourself. I had fish once. They were the 10-cent ones. Lived about 3 years actually!
Gailyc says
February 13, 2014 at 11:18 AMStopping by from SITS Girls Comment Love Tribe. Glad to hear that Lulu is okay. I don’t have a dog, but I’m constantly patrolling my house for things my cat might get into. You just never know what they’re going to get into their head that they should “sample.” Looking forward to reading more about your adventure to keep a healthy home and lifestyle; it’s hard to do, so always nice to find inspiration! Have a great day.
Dianna @ Oy Vey a Day says
February 13, 2014 at 1:25 PMThat does sound scary. I’ve had cats throughout my life, and you can’t really put anything out of a cat’s reach. We’ve dealt with a lot of situations similar to this… including one where my cat opened a top cabinet door and got out a bag of marshmallows – he basically liked the powdery coating off of each one and left them stuck in the carpet, on the furniture, etc. Ugh.
So glad to hear that Lulu is OK.
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 4:54 PMThat sounds awful! I should be thankful Lulu doesn’t jump on top of chairs or counters. Otherwise I’m sure she would get into trouble too!
Ellen Morris Prewitt says
February 13, 2014 at 11:36 PMI didn’t know this about bread dough, so thanks for sharing. I always wish dogs had more of a “survival instinct” about what is a good thing to eat, but mine sure doesn’t. stopping by from SITS Girls
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
February 14, 2014 at 7:55 AMI didn’t know bread dough was bad for dogs either. With all the things that dogs eat, I’m surprised they have survived so long! Like another comment noted, they don’t seem to have a “hey, don’t eat that!” instinct. Thanks for sharing your story (and I’m glad everything worked out okay!)
Helen says
February 14, 2014 at 11:27 AMYikes! I had no idea that yeast dough could be such a problem. So glad it turned out okay and there were no last effects for your sweet pup!
Emma T says
February 14, 2014 at 6:47 PMScary, but good all’s ok. The things that dogs will eat!
#SITSblogging
Gabby@MamaGab says
February 14, 2014 at 10:45 PMOh wow, so glad your dog is OK!! My 1 year old was walking around the house just this week with some weird object in his hand. A closer look proved that it was a big ball of bread dough. He’d grabbed one of the dinner rolls as it was rising in the pan! Found you via SITS!
Felicia says
February 15, 2014 at 9:30 AMI’m so glad she’s okay! I could only imagine how scary that must have been for you! I’m thankful that my dog, for the most part, stays away from things she’s unsure of what they are. As a matter of fact, she’s more likely to bark at something like bread dough than to eat it.
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 4:56 PMWow. You have a one of a kind pet! I can’t trust mine with anything. Thanks for commenting.
Julie says
February 15, 2014 at 2:08 PMHow awful. Poor Lulu. I’m sure she was in misery for a little while. I’m so glad everything turned out ok. Well, except the carpet. Sometimes it takes something like this to remind us to be extra, extra careful.
Julie
Theres Just One Mommy says
February 15, 2014 at 3:28 PMNo doubt about it, our furry family members can find themselves in dangerous situations sometimes! Glad she was okay!
Stopping in from #BB100
Heather says
February 15, 2014 at 4:08 PMShame! Thanks for the heads up. Not that I ever bake bread! We have two dogs we love very much, although they are getting fat from all the food my toddler discards.
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 4:57 PMMaybe you can try cutting their portions back? I have heard similar stories from other moms as well. Sounds like quite the battle!
Lisa says
February 15, 2014 at 5:07 PMI was dog-sitting once and my charge got into a large Hershey bar. I panicked and called the vet! She told me that because Hersheys chocolate is more milk and sugar than pure chocolate, the dog should be ok. Whew! Scared me!
(Visiting today from BYB 100 Days)
Thaleia (@Something2Offer) says
February 15, 2014 at 7:51 PMWhen our dear departed dog, Jazz, was just a pup he put away our entire dinner of raw steaks! We were mad but also very concerned that the raw meat would make him ill. He was with us for almost 12 more years:)
Alanna Rusnak says
February 15, 2014 at 8:07 PMOh dear! Dogs and the things they get into! My sister has a HUGE newfoundland and he’s eaten raw steaks, a full chicken that was defrosting in her sink, and a whole rack of cooling cookies among other things. So glad Lulu is okay
diane padoven says
February 15, 2014 at 9:08 PMoh how scary! i am so glad she is ok. when my golden was a puppy he grabbed an entire supermarket roasted chicken from the sink. he ran through the house with it in his mouth and ate a leg (bones and all) before i could get it away from him. the vet said we needed to watch him all night because one of the small bones could puncture an organ. longest and scariest night of my life. he was fine…
best,
diane
Dropping by from SITS girls today.
#SITSBlogging
Sincerely, Jenni says
February 15, 2014 at 9:08 PMWow, glad to hear she’s OK. Yes, raw dough can be very dangerous. Our dog got into a can of biscuits one time and half of it before we caught her. She was very lethargic for several hours, and we were worried for a while. It’s a tough lesson to learn. 🙂
Tina says
February 15, 2014 at 11:40 PMOh my! How scary for you and for her! It makes sense, but it’s not something I would have thought about either. Wow. Glad everything’s okay now. 🙂
Visiting from #BB100
Cristyl @ CHill Thoughts says
February 16, 2014 at 12:34 AMScary! Glad she was OK! I’ve never heard of the dangers of yeast dough to dogs, so thanks for that heads-up, also.
Katie says
February 16, 2014 at 1:06 AMI am so glad that your dog is ok. That must have been very scary for you.
Kimberly B says
February 16, 2014 at 2:00 AMI had a dog that did this as well. Unfortunately, it was a very large amount of bread dough that had been thrown out to the garbage from our freezer. We ended up having to hospitalize him for over a week and it was seriously touch and go for awhile. A week later and a very large vet bill in hand we left the animal hospital and all was well. The first place he headed when we got home was the outdoor garbage bin!
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 4:59 PMWow. I’m glad your pet was OK. I know the dough can be especially bad given how much they eat and if the dog is a larger breed I think it can be even worse as they can experience “bloat.”
Unfortunately they don’t learn their lessons though, as you pointed out.
Domestic Imp says
February 16, 2014 at 11:47 AMWow, something that I never thought of! So glad that following BYB brought me here so I could read this entry! Thanks for the heads up!
Elaine Hodges says
February 16, 2014 at 2:03 PMGlad LuLu is OK and you didn’t have to take her to the vet.
Elaine
#SITSTribe
Kirsten says
February 16, 2014 at 6:45 PMHi Holly stopping by from BYB Challenge its great to see another Clevelander in the challenge :). I am glad Lulu is okay. I had a scare late last year with my dog I am not sure what he ate as he was roaming the countryside in Oberlin and when we got home he was so sick for a few days. I hate that they can’t tell you what’s wrong!
Holly Hammersmith says
February 18, 2014 at 5:00 PMGoing to revisit your blog again. I know I commented yesterday and didn’t see on your bio you were from Cleveland. Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Geri C says
February 17, 2014 at 2:19 AMSo one of these days I will have to share the story my grandfather shared with me and ,y boys about one of their dogs eating 3 pans of bread dough during the Depression. I will just say that me and my boys were kind of freaked out for a few days. LOL! Thanks, Grandpa for giving me 2 days of explaining things I didn’t want to have to explain to my kids!
Anywhoo – I’m glad your dog is okay! That was probably pretty worrisome. I’m enjoying your blog, will stop by when I can! Stopping by (late) from #SITSBlogging!
Dana says
February 17, 2014 at 11:01 AMWow, I am so glad Lulu is ok! Our dog, Sadie, sometimes gets into things that she shouldn’t – and as you experienced – it is very scary!! #BB100
Holly @ My Plant-Based Family says
February 17, 2014 at 7:14 PMThat is so scary! I’m glad Lulu was ok. I bet she wont try that again. I never knew yeast was a problem.
Darlene says
February 17, 2014 at 9:02 PMHi Holly,
I had no clue that dough was so dangerous. Our dear furbabies can sure get into a lot of trouble. They will eat just about anything. Our dog was small so she couldn’t reach up to the table or the garbage. Thank goodness for that. We had to put her down about six years ago. Holy cow it’s been a long time. We still haven’t the heart to get a new dog. I will PIN this post so other pet owners will know the dangers of bread dough.
I’m stopping by from the Boost Your Blog in 100 Days Challenge. I look forward to reading more posts.
Best wishes, Darlene
Christine @ 24 Carrot Kitchen says
March 3, 2014 at 9:07 AMThis is a great informative post! My basset hound did not eat yeast dough, but stole some hallah bread from the kitchen counter. Knowing he was naughty, he gulped it down. Then he started crying in distress probably because he ate too big of a piece. It was after hours so I scooped him up and took him straight to the emergency clinic vet. He was fine, but the vet did ask and warn about yeast dough. I had no idea! Now , I do, of course. Thank you for your post warning others!