I had never been aware of how much food people throw on the ground until I adopted a dog. My pet loves me a lot but, what I’m not so sure about anymore, is that he does it more than bread. Judging by how he defends the pieces of this food that we find every day walking, I think I would be able to change for a hard and moldy crust without batting an eyelid. Sometimes I even give it to him myself when I’m eating and he gives me those round blackmail puppy eyes. However, one question always haunts me: how bad of a dog mom am I for it? We investigated whether or not dogs can eat bread.
Mainly, bread is prepared with flour, water and yeast. Although dogs are carnivores and their diet should be based on animal protein, they can digest bread without any problem. However, as the veterinarian Irene Martínez points out, It is a food that should be given in moderation.
“Bread is a source of carbohydrates and although these nutrients are also in the diet of dogs and therefore they can safely eat it, should never be the basis of the diet“.
This applies as long as our pet does not have intolerances and allergies. If your dog has a grain allergy, bread should be completely eliminated from his diet. In addition, if they do not digest gluten well, they may present digestive symptoms.
Pros and cons
Giving this food to our dog does not have any special benefit, it is simply a quick source of carbohydrates. Although, according to the expert, stale bread can help with dental cleaning as it promotes chewing. However, on the cons side, bread being a source of carbohydrates can promote weight gain.
So, taking all this into account, if your dog does not have any problem with cereals, you can give him a piece of stale bread from time to time. The homemade breads, without artificial additives and that are not made with wheat flour would be the best option to offer our furry ones.
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