Can Dogs Eat Roti? Is it Safe to Feed Chapati to Dog?

My mother-in-law is an avid animal lover and made a routine to feed the chapati to stray dogs and they love it!

Roti makes up a large part of Indian diet, we tend to feed our dogs with rotis. But, is it Safe to feed chapati to Dog?

Can Dogs Eat Roti?

Roti made from wheat flour can be harmful to the dogs with gluten allergy or when given daily. Roti is made of wheat flour (maida) and contain gluten. Gluten can trigger health problems when consumed daily. So, it is not safe to feed roti to the dog on daily basis. Ocassionally, you can.

Roti is made from wheat, it does carry nutritional value and can help in growth but a quick discussion with a vet and referring to several studies revealed some facts about feeding the dogs with wheat-based food.

Feeding dog wheat based roti on a daily basis is not recommended. In the beginning, it will not cause the problem but prolonged exposure to gluten in the roti can develop gluten allergy in the dogs.

Moderation is the key when it comes to feeding roti to your dog.  Feeding your dog chapati now and then won’t trigger allergy but don’t make it a routine.

Understanding the Gluten & Roti

Roti is a staple Indian bread also known as chapati, phulka and Indian flatbread.

Roti is mostly made with wheat flour, is a rich source of protein and other nutrients but it does carry gluten which can be harmful to the dog in the long run.

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat and various other grains. Gluten is composed of  glutamine and gliadin. Though glutamine is fairly safe to dog and humans, gliadin triggers allergies that leads to gluten intolerance.

Not only chapati but other food products that are cooked using wheat flour should be avoided. Cake, doughnut, muffins, bread are few to name.

How Gluten is Harmful to a Dog?

Though some doggies can easily digest wheat-based food, many show gluten intolerance.

Undigested gluten gets accumulated in the gut, covers up microvilli and derange the food digestion capacity of dogs.

The digestive system of dogs begins with the mouth (salivary glands, tongue, teeth) then continues as the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, liver, pancreas, rectum, and anus.

As the dog chews the food, it gets mixed with saliva and pushed in the stomach & small intestine where it mixes with the digestive enzymes like Amylase, Protease and Lipase.

Protease helps to break down the gluten in the intestine but with increase in nutritional deficiencies, sedentary lifestyle, and beginning on unhealthy food leads to reduced production of protease in some dogs.

The insufficiency of protease causes gluten to remain intact which then gets accumulated in the intestine and blocks the microvilli (small finger like projection in the intestine that helps in digestion).

Chronic gluten build up in the intestine triggers digestion problems in the dogs and can develop the allergy to gluten.

Since the digestive system gets deranged due to gluten, dogs may suffer from nutrition insufficiency which can lead to weight loss, fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and nausea.

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How to Look for Gluten Intolerance in Dogs?

Dogs build gluten intolerance over a period and the condition is difficult to diagnose easily. The tests are available to check if your dog is allergic to gluten or not but these tests are expensive.

Since, symptoms of gluten intolerance mimic like any other allergies in pets, often dog owners mistake it for other types of allergies and continue feeding dogs with gluten rich food.

If your dog is showing the signs of discomfort or nausea after food, fatigue, poor quality feces, red-itchy paws, weight loss and constant chewing or licking paws, get him checked with a vet and put him on a gluten-free diet for a few weeks to see if he can improve or not.

Can Dogs Eat Jowar Roti?

Yes, dogs can have jowar roti, since it provide several nutritional benefits.  Roti made from ground whole grain sorghum is a rich source of digestible complex carbohydrates which are safe to dogs. Also, jowar roti  helps satiate dogs and can reduce feeding volume.

Common Food items a Dog Should Eat & Avoid