As pet owners prepare special meals for Thanksgiving this week, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reminds cat and dog owners to keep their pets out of the kitchen and away from uncooked bread dough. According to the APCC, a pet’s body heat can cause ingested dough to rise in the stomach. The dough expands as it soaks up alcohol that is produced during this process. The results include abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, disorientation and depression in pets that have ingested the uncooked bread dough, the APCC says.
If the pet ingests a large amount of bread dough, surgery may be necessary to remove it. The animal may also need treatment for alcohol toxicosis, which is caused when the dough begins to ferment in the stomach, the APCC says.
Pet owners can help keep their pets safe by limiting the animals’ access to the kitchen during meal preparation and not feeding them table scraps from the holiday meal. For more pet poisoning prevention tips, visit the APCC website.