There are a few different treatments for yeast dough poisoning in dogs. The symptom severity and the amount of time between dough consumption and diagnosis will determine which treatment dogs need.
Inducing vomiting
With early intervention,
inducing vomiting can reduce the severity of yeast dough poisoning. Typically, vets use an emetic called apomorphine for this procedure. Vets may choose to inject this medication or place it behind the eyelid to induce vomiting.
Unfortunately, this procedure isn't always effective when dogs consume large quantities of dough. Yeast dough is sticky and glutenous by nature and may be difficult to regurgitate.
Stomach pumping
If inducing vomiting isn't successful, vets may choose to pump the dog's stomach using a procedure called
gastric lavage. The vet will administer a sedative and insert an endotracheal tube. The endotracheal tube serves two purposes: to administer oxygen and anesthetics and to block stomach contents from entering the lungs during the procedure.
Once the endotracheal tube is in place, the vet team will place an orogastric tube into the pet's stomach and pour water down the tube. Typically, vets will use warm water during a gastric lavage, though in the case of yeast dough poisoning, vets will use cold water to deactivate the yeast and slow replication.
The water and stomach contents will then drain out of the tube and into a container. The vet may have to pump the stomach several times to remove most of the stomach contents.
Vets may also give the dog
activated charcoal through the orogastric tube after pumping the stomach. The vet will closely monitor the dog's vitals throughout the process to ensure the dog is stable and isn’t having complications from the anesthesia.
Stomach pumping is a fairly routine procedure in the veterinary community but isn't without risks. Dogs may have complications from anesthesia, aspirate their stomach contents, or have irritation of the mucous membranes from placing the tubes.
Fluid therapy and dextrose
Fluid therapy is essential for dogs with yeast dough poisoning — especially for dogs exhibiting signs of alcohol poisoning. IV fluids and electrolytes will help rid the body of alcohol faster. In addition to IV fluids, dogs will also receive intravenous dextrose, a form of sugar to stabilize the dog’s blood glucose.
In severe cases of alcohol poisoning where dogs lose consciousness, vets may administer a drug called yohimbine into their IV to help with breathing.
Surgical removal
If vomiting and pumping the stomach doesn't remove the dough, surgical removal may be necessary. Surgery is a more invasive treatment option and will involve putting the dog to sleep.
The vet will create an incision on the dog's abdomen and cut open the stomach to retrieve the dough. After removing all the dough, the vet will sew up the tissue layers and take the dog to a kennel to recover.
If bloating from the ingestion of dough turns into GVD, the vet may need to perform additional abdominal surgery. During GVD surgery, the vet will place the stomach back into the correct position and access the condition of the stomach and spleen.
If the spleen or stomach shows signs of necrosis, they will remove the dead tissue and suture the organs. Since GVD has a high recurrence rate, the vet may suggest a prophylactic gastropexy, where the stomach is adhered to the abdominal wall to reduce the risk of stomach contortion in the future.