A cautionary word about veterinary advice from the internet
Beckett ate half a loaf of raw bread dough. He stopped at half because he was caught in the act. At this point, a certain amount of scolding the dog ensued. His English is weak, so the tone is more important than the language. Hence, we tend to say things like, “Beckett, look ashamed!” He obliges by lowering his head and offering his largest puppy eyes. (His tail is still wagging, though, so we’re working on the “Whole dog ashamed!” command.)
With the Collie sufficiently shamed, Carolyn and I turned to our respective concerns. I was pretty unhappy because that bread was supposed to be my lunch. Carolyn was concerned about potential medical consequences for the dog. Googling ensued, followed by a frantic call to the vet’s office.
The Internet had apparently told Carolyn that the uncooked yeast in the bread dough would expand indefinitely in the dog’s stomach, causing the dog to explode. As a patient vet explained, this is an urban legend. While the dog may be headed for a limited quantity of gastrointestinal distress, there is no risk of bloat or of a larger explosion that might level a city block. We neither needed to rush the dog to the vet nor run for the hills.
