Generally speaking, many dogs can taste a little piece of thoroughly baked bread every now and again without experiencing any serious ill effects, as long as it isn’t raw and doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients such as raisins or garlic. But what about toast? If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you have to watch what you share with your dog because a lot of desserts, toppings, and sweet snacks contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs.
In the case of French toast, some recipes may contain harmful or even toxic ingredients for dogs, while others may be safe to offer in a very small amount on special occasions, without any of the usual toppings. Bread or toast should not be offered to dogs suffering from an allergy to wheat or other grains used for making bread, eggs, or dairy. However, there is absolutely no health benefit if your dog has toast, while there are some downsides.
Too much French toast consumed frequently isn’t a healthy snack option for your dog as it will cause them to gain weight due to its high-calorie content, fats, and carbohydrates. Some French toast recipes contain extra ingredients that aren’t safe for dogs, so if you do decide to offer your pooch some French toast, make sure that the French toast you give your dog is homemade and contains only safe ingredients.
What Ingredients Should I Watch Out for?
French toast is usually pretty easy to make and only contains a handful of ingredients, such as bread, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and milk. But sometimes French toast isn’t quite tasty enough on its own, and adding chocolate spread, syrup, nutmeg, and raisins can bring out a bit more flavor and sweetness. However, many of these ingredients you need to keep away from your dog, as they may be harmful or even toxic, such as nutmeg, vanilla extract, and raw yeast dough. If you are making bread or toast for yourself, you have to make sure your dog cannot reach any of the ingredients by mistake. Do not leave any around due to the risk of spillage.
Chocolate
Chocolate and chocolate products contain theobromine and caffeine, two ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Depending on your dog’s size and how much chocolate they ate, signs of chocolate toxicity can vary. The milder signs are diarrhea, lethargy, and vomiting, while more severe signs are seizures, tremors, heart problems, excessive urination, thirst, and abdominal pain.
Vanilla Extract
Vanilla in its pure form is not considered harmful for dogs. However, many recipes include vanilla extract, which contains alcohol. Dogs should not have any vanilla extract, as the alcohol content may lead to toxicity, particularly in smaller and toy breeds. You may argue that the amount used for baking is quite small, but we feel it’s just not worth the risk. Some vanilla extracts are alcohol-free.
Nutmeg
Nutmeg can be just as dangerous to dogs as chocolate, depending on how much is consumed. No amount of nutmeg is safe for dogs. This spice contains myristicin which can cause your dog’s blood pressure to go up, increase their heart rate, and cause hallucinations, abdominal pain, tremors, confusion, and seizures. The amount of nutmeg in recipes is generally small, but your dog may still experience adverse effects, depending on the amount and their size, so it’s just not worth the risk of making your pooch ill
Raisins
Raisins are also a big no-no for dogs. Just like grapes, raisins can cause kidney damage or kidney failure in your dog. However, raisin toxicity usually starts with vomiting and diarrhea, excessive thirst, loss of appetite, weakness, bad breath, dehydration, and kidney damage occurs within 24-48 hours.
Xylitol
One of the less obvious ingredients that are often found in the toppings of French toast, such as flavored yogurt, chocolate, and syrup, is xylitol. It is a sugar substitute that is found in a variety of food products that should never be given to your dog. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs and can cause their blood sugar to drop. Signs of xylitol poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tremors, seizures, and coma. Sadly, it can lead to liver failure and death.
If your dog has consumed any of these dangerous ingredients, contact your vet immediately. You’ll need to inform them on how much your dog ate and when, as well as any signs they may have. Your vet will give you instructions on what to do and whether they want you to bring your dog in for treatment, observation and care.
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Cow’s Milk
Know if your dog is lactose intolerant. If they are, stay on the safer side by not giving them cow’s milk or food with this ingredient. This may cause gastrointestinal upset, bloat, vomiting or diarrhea. All dairy products should be avoided.
What Toppings Can I Add?
Dogs can taste sweet things, so adding a few yummy ingredients on top of the piece of French toast you give them could be a nice treat, unless your dog is diabetic. However, these toppings should be natural and safe for dogs, such as fruit. Remember that not all fruit is safe for dogs, it should be given in moderation, and it should always be cut up first to avoid choking. Below are some fruits that aren’t toxic to dogs that you can add to their French toast, but only in moderation as an occasional special treat:
- Apples (without the core and seeds)
- Bananas
- Cranberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Ripe Mango
- Pears (without the core and seeds)
- Watermelon
Conclusion
Dogs can eat some types of French toast sparingly as long as it does not contain toppings such as chocolate, nutmeg, raisins, or products made with xylitol or other harmful ingredients. French toast does contain a lot of calories and can lead to weight gain if your dog eats too much of it. If you want to add a topping to your dog’s snack, stick to chopped-up, non-toxic fruit such as blueberries, cranberries, and bananas.
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Featured Image Credit: SherSor, Shutterstock
What Ingredients Should I Watch Out for?
