Should you feed your dog potatoes?

Features of digestion in dogs

Dogs digest food much faster than humans. The intestines are shorter, and food entering it is absorbed almost instantly. Dogs also lack enzymes involved in the breakdown of certain carbohydrates, in particular starch. And, as you know, potatoes are famous for their high content. Therefore, the vegetable is difficult for the animal to digest. But this does not mean that you need to completely abandon it in your diet.

The dog’s diet must be carefully considered so as not to harm its health.

Potatoes in a dog's diet

The dog's diet should be balanced and varied. When he eats dog food, there is no need to worry, because the animal receives the necessary vitamins and minerals. When the dog has become accustomed to natural food, it is worth adding vegetables and fruits to his menu. In particular, the benefits of potatoes are difficult to overestimate.

Can dogs eat tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage and other vegetables?

The main thing is not to exceed the recommended amount when feeding:

• For medium and large-sized dogs – 1-2 tubers per week, that’s 100-150 grams.
• Miniature pets require a smaller dose, no more than 50 grams in 7 days.

Is there any benefit

Potatoes are valued due to their composition. The vegetable contains:

• calcium, phosphorus and magnesium;
• vitamins C, E and B.
• iodine, which ensures the functioning of the thyroid gland and strengthens the immune system;
• potassium, which has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system.

Note! Potatoes normalize the functioning of the intestines and stomach when consumed correctly. The vegetable also relieves spasms and removes toxins from the body.

Harm to dogs

Potatoes have a negative effect when the dog eats them in unlimited quantities. It is unable to cope with the high starch content, which leads to intestinal and digestive disorders in general.

Fried potatoes are harmful to animals

Potatoes: benefit or harm

By nature, dogs are predators. Before animals were domesticated, they ate birds and rodents, which they ate along with the stomach contents of their prey - grass, cereals, and plant roots. In the summer they could also eat berries. Nature itself made sure that the dog’s menu consisted not only of meat protein, but also vegetable carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber, and starch.

The dog's intestines are designed in such a way that they cannot absorb a lot of carbohydrate foods. However, a small amount of products containing these substances will not harm your pet. Potatoes contain:

• cellulose;
• carbohydrates;
• minerals;
• vitamins.

In addition, it is a natural antioxidant, antispasmodic, and helps in improving the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. That is why potatoes can be called a medicinal product in a pet’s diet.

It is no coincidence that manufacturers of elite dog food (Exclusion, Arden Grange, etc.) include potatoes in nutritional mixtures.

What kind of potatoes are allowed?

For dogs, fried potatoes are a prohibited food. It should be abandoned in any case. Primarily due to vegetable oil, which releases toxins during heat treatment.

Raw potatoes

Can dogs really have melon: fact or fiction?

When choosing potatoes for your dog, you need to carefully examine the tubers. If there are green spots on them, then the vegetable contains corned beef. This is a toxic substance formed during storage. It is better not only for animals, but also for people not to eat such vegetables.

Raw potatoes without visible spots or rot can be given to dogs. The root vegetable with the peel is considered useful. But before offering it to the animal, it must be thoroughly washed. Sometimes dogs are given potato peelings to add to another dish.

Boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes

Whether you can give your dog boiled potatoes depends on how they are cooked. For example:

• Vegetables cooked in their skins are more beneficial. It retains maximum nutrients.
• Baked potatoes contain almost the same vitamins as raw potatoes. Its addition to the diet is welcome. In this case, you need to cool the dish.
• Mashed potatoes are mixed with porridge and other vegetables when feeding your pet. The dish is not as healthy as the tuber seen or boiled in its jacket, but some of the valuable substances are retained in it.

Boiled potatoes can be added to soup for dogs, along with carrots and cabbage. But it is worth remembering that spices are contraindicated for animals. Also, many veterinarians advise avoiding broth cooked with meat.

Important! Pork is a prohibited food for almost all dogs.

Spoiled food

Mold or spoiled foods, particularly potatoes, pose a danger to the animal. They can cause diarrhea and diarrhea. And such manifestations are fraught with dehydration, which can lead to dire consequences.

The dog should be given exclusively fresh, unspoiled product.

What not to feed a dog

Any sausages, smoked products, as well as canned food (not for dogs) are strictly prohibited. This also includes spices and spicy foods.

You should also not give your dog chocolate; the consequences of eating it can be fatal. Alcoholic products, even as a joke, are also prohibited, this includes kvass due to the yeast content in it. Citrus products are not recommended due to their high allergenicity. And avocado contains a toxin that poisons the dog’s body. Lentils and legumes are not suitable for the diet due to the increased risk of gas formation. The effects of popcorn on dogs have not been studied, so it is best to limit it too.

Important! In any case, if the owner doubts the benefits of the product, then it is better not to give it without first consulting with a veterinarian. The owner should avoid prohibited foods for dogs and not even try to give them to the dog.

Cat food is another item on this list, because the composition is absolutely not suitable for dogs

The owner should avoid prohibited foods for dogs and not even try to give them to the dog. Cat food is another item on this list, because the composition is absolutely not suitable for dogs.

Dangerous foods for dogs

How to train a dog to eat potatoes

What cereals can be given to dogs: is it possible to give porridge?

A slice of raw potato, without stains or signs of rot, can be placed next to the dog’s bowl. If the root vegetable interests him, he will try it. Another option is to add raw or cooked grated vegetables to your dog’s usual dish.

Note! Potatoes should be just an additional ingredient, like a seasoning, an additive rich in vitamins and minerals.

If the dog doesn’t like the new taste, don’t insist. It is better to offer him other vegetables and experimentally find out what he prefers.

Raw potatoes for dogs

Raw potatoes contain many vitamins. Dogs with well-developed intuition love to chew on pieces of tubers. If the animal is indifferent to the vegetable, half of the tuber can be grated and mixed with food. Potatoes with skins are the most useful, but for the dog you need to select absolutely healthy tubers, without green spots and specks of rhizoctonia, then wash them with a brush.

Some owners add crushed potato peelings to their pet's food, but they need to be washed so long and thoroughly that it's easier to throw them away. Starting from January and until the new harvest, raw potatoes are given to the dog only in peeled form. During the germination of planting material, it is necessary to ensure that the dog does not accidentally eat a green tuber and become poisoned by solanine.

How to feed

Potatoes should accompany meals or act as a treat. But you should never use it as a main dish.

Is it possible to feed your dog potatoes every day?

• Offer twice a week, for a total of 2 tubers. This is enough for the dog to receive the necessary vitamins and nutrients.
• You cannot give more than half a potato at a time, less is possible.
• You don’t need to feed your dog a vegetable every day, otherwise digestive problems cannot be avoided, even if the pet reacts normally to the product.

Special dry animal feeds also contain potatoes, but their amount does not exceed 4 percent of the total volume. The main thing is that it is not one of the first five main ingredients. Then you can doubt the quality of the product. Dried potatoes or, as they are otherwise called, flakes, are also added to the feed.

Potato flakes

Note! From February until the new harvest is received, it is better to forget about the healthy root vegetable. This will avoid poisoning your pet with solanine.

How to help with poisoning?

Dogs are one of the most indiscriminate animals. They try to put everything that seems interesting to them into their mouths, and therefore the owner is forced to constantly monitor his pet

so that he doesn’t inadvertently eat something extra.

If the dog is still poisoned by potatoes, then you need to urgently give him activated charcoal or another absorbent, thereby causing the animal to vomit. If it is possible to do an enema, then do it first, and then give activated charcoal.

You can pull out vomit from your pet in another way, for example, by pressing on the root of the tongue with your fingers.

IMPORTANT! Under no circumstances should you induce vomiting if your dog begins to have convulsions.

Food and non-food

There are two types of poisoning:

• food - poison enters the body from the digestive system;
• non-food - poisoning occurs through the skin, tissues of the respiratory tract, etc.

Potato poisoning belongs to the first type and is considered not particularly dangerous.

Signs that can help identify intoxication in an animal:

• complete apathy;
• refusal to eat;
• lack of coordination - the dog cannot stand up, staggers;
• breathing problems;
• decrease in base body temperature;
• severe diarrhea with or without foamy vomiting;
• inappropriate behavior;
• convulsions;
• cough;
• coma 2-4 hours after poisoning, etc.

It is difficult to detect poisoning in a pet at an early stage.

The first signs appear after 4-6 hours in an adult and after 2-3 hours in puppies and adolescents. The presence of at least one of them signals a possible stomach problem.

, because there is a high probability of harming the animal even more. So, self-medication is only possible if the owner is sure exactly what caused the dog’s poisoning. If your pet does not get better, you should take him to the veterinarian, who will put on an IV.

Potatoes are dangerous for animals in any form, whether raw or thermally processed.

The harmful substances in the tuber are not reduced. But most of them are found in green potatoes. Therefore, under no circumstances should you allow your dog such a product. It is very poisonous and, as a rule, leads to severe poisoning.