Can Dogs Eat Flour?

There are lots of human foods which I see my owner eating and I think I’d like to try. But there is a small handful which I have absolutely no interest in having a taste of, and one of those is flour.

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I only ever really see flour when my owner decides that she wants to bake something, and it just makes a mess. It gets absolutely everywhere, on the cupboards, all over the floor, and even up my nose. And it really doesn’t smell pleasant.

But, even though I have no interest in trying flour, my owner tells me that it is actually in a lot of food. She says that flour isn’t a type of food that you eat on its own, instead, it has to be used as an ingredient in a recipe.

She also told me that flour is actually in some of the foods which I like, and not only human food, but my food as well. So, flour is safe for dogs to eat, and let me tell you why…

Can Dogs Eat Flour?

As I have said, yes us dogs can eat flour. Of course, we would never want to eat it on its own as it is pretty much just grains of dust.

But when it is contained in foods, it is safe for us to eat it. However, just because it is safe for us to eat, this doesn’t mean that we need to eat it or that we should eat it.

Also, it is probably best that I clarify what I mean by ‘safe’. When I say ‘safe’ I simply mean that flour contains no ingredients that are toxic to us dogs and so it will not make us extremely ill. However, flour is actually a very common allergen, not only to us dogs but to humans too.

Flour is a very common binding ingredient in lots of different foods for humans, and it can cause lots of humans to have upset stomachs. This is because flour contains something known as gluten, and gluten is a very common allergy for humans.

Some dogs also suffer from this allergy, and so eating flour can also trigger this intolerance in dogs as well.

Eating flour when you have a gluten intolerance will not be deadly, but it can cause some unpleasant side effects such as vomiting.

So if your dog suffers from a gluten allergy then it is probably best to avoid feeding them any human or dog foods that contain flour.

What Happens If a Dog Eats Flour?

The consequences of what happens when your dog eats flour will hugely depend on whether or not they have a gluten intolerance.

A lot of dogs, like me, are lucky enough not to have this allergy, so as long as we only consume flour in moderation it will cause no nasty side effects.

If your dog does have a gluten intolerance, then eating flour, even if it is only in small amounts, can cause some stomach upset.

Consuming gluten has the same effect on the stomach as consuming dairy does if you have lactose intolerance, so while these side effects are unpleasant, they are not life-threatening. Side effects if your dog has a gluten intolerance could include constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting.

However, even if your dog doesn’t have a gluten intolerance, the first time that they eat flour, it could upset their stomach.

Flour is not commonly used in dog food or treats, and so introducing this to your dog’s diet can shock their system.

But there’s no need to worry as none of these side effects are too serious, it will mainly just result in your dog going to the toilet more frequently, and them being gassier. So if your dog consumes flour there is no need to panic.

Can Flour Kill a Dog?

I mentioned earlier that flour is NOT toxic to dogs, and so there is no need to worry about your dog accidentally consuming some.

At worst, the flour will trigger a mild allergic reaction in your dog that will upset their stomach, but it will not kill them.

Intolerances and allergies are a lot more serious if the dog eating the allergen is a puppy, however even if it is a puppy that eats the flour it still will not kill them. Even if your puppy were to eat a large amount of flour, the worst side effects that they will experience are constipation or vomiting.

So there is absolutely no need to worry because eating flour will not kill us dogs. In fact, there are actually some flours that are perfectly safe for most dogs to eat, and they can be used to make treats for us. Let me tell you what they are.

What Type of Flour is Safe for Dogs?

Some types of flour are perfectly safe for all dogs and some even exclude gluten from their recipe.

While you might not immediately think of feeding us dogs flour, it is one of the main ingredients in homemade dog treats, which we absolutely love.

So if you want to treat your dog to some homemade snacks then you should consider using one of the following flours in the recipe.

Some of the best flours to use in dog treats include:

  • Brown rice flour
  • Almond flour
  • Coconut flour
  • Oat flour
  • Buckwheat flour
  • Garbanzo bean flour
  • And lots more…

You will probably notice that these flours are not your traditional all-purpose or self-raising flour, and there is a good reason why I haven’t recommended this.

While both of these types of flour will not harm us dogs, they also will not give us any benefits.

The flours that I have listed above all have a better nutritional value than both self-raising and all-purpose flour, so they will make the treats healthier for us to eat.

But if you haven’t got access to any of these flours then you can use the more traditional types of flour in our treats.

Summary

In short, yes flour is safe for us dogs to eat.

It doesn’t offer us any nutritional benefits, but it is a key ingredient in homemade dog treats which we absolutely love to eat.