My dog

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Can dogs eat it?

Can dogs eat bread?

Only with care Plain white or wholemeal bread in small amounts will not hurt most dogs, but it adds nothing. Never raisin, garlic or mouldy bread.

Why

Plain bread is usually harmless but is mostly carbohydrate and calories with no benefit to a dog on a complete food (AKC). The risks are in what is added: raisins, garlic, nuts including macadamias, and xylitol in some baked goods. Mouldy bread can contain mycotoxins that cause vomiting, tremors and seizures (RSPCA, PDSA). Raw bread dough is a separate emergency.

Signs to watch for

If your dog ate bread

Plain bread needs nothing. For raisin, garlic, nut or mouldy bread, or raw dough, call your vet.

If your dog has eaten something toxic

Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet now. Do not wait for signs, and do not make your dog sick unless a vet tells you to. Take the packet with you.

Australia: poison advice lines
  • Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738. Open 24/7. Its own home page says consultations with a Poisons Information Consultant are available from $75 AUD. Older pages still call it free: RSPCA Australia's knowledgebase (last updated December 2023) and the helpline's own 2019 launch news, so ask about the fee when you call.
United States: poison advice lines
United Kingdom: poison advice lines
  • Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509 000. Open 24 hours, run by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service. £35 per call 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, £45 at all other times including bank holidays, paid by card (Amex not accepted). If your pet shows collapse, seizures or breathing difficulty, it says to contact your vet immediately instead.
Canada: poison advice lines
  • Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661. Its own site says it is available throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, 24/7. A USD 89 per incident fee applies, which includes follow-up consultations.
New Zealand: poison advice lines
  • Animal Poisons Helpline: 0800 869 738. Open 24/7, the same service as in Australia. New Zealand's National Poisons Centre says it is available to all New Zealand pet owners and that charges do apply; the amount for New Zealand callers is not stated.
  • National Poisons Centre (for people). New Zealand's National Poisons Centre handles human poisonings and says it is not expert in animal poisonings. For a pet, call your vet or the Animal Poisons Helpline.

How to give it safely

If you share, a small piece of plain bread, occasionally.

This is general guidance, your vet sets the actual schedule. Puppies, small dogs and dogs with a health condition can react to smaller amounts. Check with your own vet before changing what your dog eats.

Other foods people ask about

Fruit cake and Christmas pudding No, toxic No. Fruit cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies are packed with raisins, sultanas and currants, which can cause kidney failure in dogs. Oatmeal and porridge Yes, in moderation Yes, cooked with water and plain. Oatmeal is a good fibre source, but skip instant, flavoured and milky versions. Pasta Yes, in moderation Yes, a small amount of plain cooked pasta. Keep the sauce away: many contain garlic and onion. Quinoa Yes, in moderation Yes, plain and cooked. Quinoa is used in some dog foods. Do not share quinoa dishes made with onion, garlic or salt. Raw bread dough No, toxic No. Raw yeast dough keeps rising in the stomach and makes alcohol as it ferments. Both can be life threatening. Rice Yes, in moderation Yes. Plain boiled rice is easy to digest and is often used in a bland diet after a stomach upset.

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Sources

Last reviewed 2026-09-29.