With those big eyes staring at you, how can you resist giving your dog a bite of potato from the dinner table? Unfortunately, not all of the foods we eat are suitable for our pets. For instance, potatoes seem innocent enough, but can dogs eat them?
The answer is that it depends on how much you give your dog and how it was prepared. Raw potatoes have a high risk of negative health effects.
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Vitamins A, B6, and C, as well as minerals like magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium, are all present in potatoes. Because these nutrients are good for both humans and dogs, giving them to your pet isn’t necessarily a bad idea. But potatoes also have a lot of carbohydrates, which can be a problem for animals with diabetes or obesity. So while puppies can eat potatoes, their diets shouldn’t consist solely of them.
Another issue is the amount. Like with many foods, there may be negative health effects if your dog consumes too many potatoes. If you choose to give your dog potatoes, remember that dogs are built to get the majority of their nutrients from animal protein. Start with a small portion to make sure they can digest it without any trouble. According to the 10% rule, which states that treats should make up no more than 10% of your pet’s daily calories, you can generally give them potatoes as a treat.
Avoid potatoes entirely if your dog has diabetes as they may result in blood sugar spikes.
You should never feed your dog raw potatoes. Like other nightshade family vegetables (like tomatoes and eggplants), raw potatoes contain solanine, which can be toxic to dogs. The good news is that cooking potatoes lowers their solanine content.
It’s best to serve potatoes to your dog boiled, steamed, or baked without any seasonings if you do so. Your canine companion shouldn’t consume potatoes that have been fried in oil, such as potato chips and french fries, or that have been seasoned with salt, butter, or cheese. But you can also mix them with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt or other cooked vegetables that are safe for dogs, like sweet peas and carrots.
Before you prepare the potato skin for your pet, inspect it. If there’s a green color, it means solanine is present. The best course of action is to avoid potatoes with green skin and to always remove the peel before giving them to your dog because cooking such potatoes won’t completely destroy the solanine.
Be mindful of the size as well. Solid potato chunks should not be fed to your puppy because they are difficult to digest and could clog the dog’s digestive system.
If you grow potatoes, make sure to use a fence or other barrier to keep your dog away from them.
Just like steamed, baked, and boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes are not only not good for your dog, but they’re also not great for them.
Make sure you don’t add any salt, seasonings, garlic powder, or onion powder if you’re giving them to your dog. Garlic and onion powder can make dogs anemic and are toxic to them. Additionally, dogs who consume a lot of salt risk dehydration. Most seasonings will irritate the stomach and cause digestive issues.
What about instant mashed potatoes? It’s not a good idea to feed your dog these because they contain some unhealthful ingredients, especially for young puppies. What, then, about instant mashed potatoes is bad for your dog?
source: DogTime
Can you give your dog mashed potatoes?
If properly prepared, mashed potatoes can be a healthy treat for your dog. The best way to serve potatoes to your dog is roasted, boiled, or steam them without adding butter, gravy, fats, salts, or seasonings.
Garlic, onions, and chives are extremely toxic to dogs and can damage red blood cells, resulting in severe anemia, if they are added to the mash. Because the toxins are more concentrated, garlic and onion powder are even more toxic. Read more in our earlier articles about feeding dogs onions and garlic.
You can give your dog small amounts of frozen, dehydrated, or instant mashed potatoes without any issues. The majority only contain potatoes, with later additions of milk, salt, butter, or water during the cooking process. Offering plain, unseasoned potatoes is a great treat that dogs will enjoy because they don’t like spices.
Bear in mind that adding dairy products like milk or sour cream can cause stomach issues or diarrhea in some dogs who are lactose intolerant. Having said that, as long as the mashed potatoes don’t have any onion or garlic seasoning, a small amount of dairy-based mashed potatoes won’t harm them. Your dog won’t be harmed by very small amounts of salt, pepper, or butter, but it pays to be careful.
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Keep fancy additions like soured cream, spices, and seasonings out of any mash you serve your pet so they won’t consume anything that will upset their stomach or make them sick.
However, because potatoes are a high glycemic food and will cause a spike in your dog’s blood sugar levels, they shouldn’t eat mashed potatoes if they are plain if they have diabetes.
Harmful Reason #1: Loose Stool/Diarrhea
A person’s digestive tract may become hypermotile, or move more, if they consume too much fiber.
Some dogs are more susceptible to loose stools and, in some cases, full-blown diarrhea as a result of consuming more fiber in their diets.
Any additional fiber in the diets of other dogs won’t have an effect on them.
Another common complaint from dog owners is that their dog’s flatulence increases after consuming mashed potatoes.
When the increased gas is removed from their systems, this is very common and usually goes away.
Stop giving your dog mashed potatoes as a treat if they exhibit uncomfortable behavior as a result of intense gas. Then, immediately call your veterinarian.
FAQ
What happens if my dog eats mashed potatoes?
Too much mashed potato can make your dog ill, like most foods. Anything consumed in excess can upset a dog’s stomach and result in vomiting and diarrhea. Additionally, the dish’s abundance of dairy, fat, or salt may irritate their stomachs and result in illness.
Can I feed my dog potatoes everyday?
Because even an excessive amount of cooked, unseasoned potatoes can poison your dog with solanine, you shouldn’t give him potatoes every night. To maintain their health, dogs should only occasionally consume potatoes.
Is mashed potato good for dogs with diarrhea?
Plain, unseasoned mashed potatoes may be helpful for dogs with diarrhea, though they shouldn’t take the place of any medication or treatment that your veterinarian has recommended. They have fiber, are bland, and are unlikely to irritate the gastrointestinal tract.