Are you a pet owner and conscious about your pets’ well-being? A pet owner always wants to properly take care of his dog’s food. What is beneficial and what is harmful for him? Dogs are crazy for eating crunchy potato skins. But Can dogs eat potato skins? When you are working in the kitchen your four-legged companion comes to you, begging for a snack with puppy dog eyes. A pet owner never ignores his beloved wish and gives him something for snacking like a potato skin.
Potato skin appeals to dogs, they want to consume a large amount of it. They consider it a delight and crunchy treat. As a pet owner, we are wondering what is the most suitable food for our canine. Whenever our dogs wiggled to eat potato skin. A question arises in our mind, Can dogs eat potato skin? whether can they consume and digest it safely.
Potatoes are one of the items, that can find their humble way into our meals with or without skin. But Can dogs eat potato skin? The answer is, Yes dogs can, but in moderation. It’s better to avoid potato skin as your pet’s food. For a detailed and long answer. Keep reading this article. Providing healthy and nutritional food to dogs is the responsibility of pet owners.
In this article, we will discuss which types of potato dogs can eat. Without any further ado, let’s dive into it.
Can Dogs Eat Potato Skin?
If you have a pet, you know how much your companion loves to eat food items in the kitchen. No matter, if it is the potato or its skin. Your furry friend rolls at your feet and asks you for potato skin. You came here to know that dogs eat potato skin?
Potatoes contain SOLANINE and OXALATES, which have severe medical consequences for your dogs. You cannot feed potato skin to your pet due to these chemicals. While dogs can have cooked and baked potatoes, it’s not very toxic and dangerous for their health. Potatoes and tomatoes are from nightshade vegetables.
Dogs can eat a little piece of potato skin, so it’s better not to feed them. Excess of potato skin creates medical issues for your dog. Potato skin has essential nutrients for humans. It contains various minerals, vitamins, and content fibers. Potato skin provides vitamins B6 and C, nutrition, and dietary fiber. It is considered for humans, but it is not recommended for pets, as dogs’ needs differ from humans. If it’s suitable for humans, it doesn’t mean your dogs can have it.
When you peel off potato skin, your canine swipes some potato skin. You should not be worried about this. But you can’t hand a bowl full of potato skin to your dog because you don’t need them anymore. It is dangerous for your dogs.
Why Can’t Dogs Eat Potato Skins?
If your potato skin is finely cooked, dogs can have some. Cooked potato skin has less salt and oil which dogs do not need in their diet. Dogs cannot have Raw potato skin. Raw potato skin is vastly dangerous for your pet. For a pet owner, safety is a primary concern when it comes to his dog’s health.
Potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which is considered low-burning food. They are high in fiber which may cause kidney and heart disease consequences in your dogs. Potato skin contains the highest level of ‘‘Glycoalkaloids’’ like Solanine and Chaconine. Excess of solanine may hurt your dog. Cooked potatoes cut down the level of these chemicals. Eating potato skin may cause Solanine poisoning in your dog.
Here I’m mentioning symptoms of Solanine poisoning. If you see any of these in your pet after consumption of potato skin, contact the veterinarian immediately.
- Diarrhea, vomiting, and any kind of gestational issue
- Breathing problem
- Luthrage
- Confusion
- Vision problems
- Heart disease
- Fever
- Throat pain
- Weakness
Potatoes are vegetables that contain ‘’Oxalates’’. Oxalates are a specific kind of chemical, found in different types of vegetables. Oxalates are both soluble and insoluble. No matter which he consumes, Soluble oxalates immediately attack your canine’s bloodstream. Non-soluble may cause gestational issues for your dog. Avoiding feeding potato skins to your dog is a better option. It will be helpful to prevent oxalate poisoning.
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Symptoms of soluble and insoluble Oxalates poisoning are different, you have to know well about it too. It helps you to better look after your pet. Soluble Oxalates poisoning symptoms are
- Blood in urine
- Loss of appetite
- Abnormal Heart rhythm
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Kidney failure symptoms
Potato skin is usually fibrous and tough. It is hard to digest for dogs and leads to bloating and gestational discomfort. It contains more protein, some dogs have allergic reactions from having excess protein. Such as itching and skin irritation. Consuming a large piece of potato skin can be throat in the gestational system of our canine which can be a fatal condition and requires veterinary help.
Can Dogs Eat Raw Potatoes?
No, dogs cannot eat raw potatoes. Never let them eat raw potatoes. Raw potatoes have more Solanine than cooked potatoes and their skins. Solanine is a poison for dogs. As you know, can dogs eat potato skins? Consuming a small amount of potato skin is fine. But Raw potatoes are a real danger for dogs.
Dogs have an opposite digestive system than humans, where humans can digest potatoes easily, dogs’ digestive system reacts negatively in response to consuming potato skin.
Animal-based protein is suitable for dogs’ digestive systems. Ingestion of raw potatoes may cause gestational issues, diarrhea, gas, and vomiting. If your dog eats a small piece of raw potato you do not have to rush to your dog’s vet. You can just call the vet and get some guidance and precautions which he recommends. Consuming a large piece of raw potato is dangerous for your furry friend.
Can Dogs Eat Cooked Potatoes?
Ingesting Cooked and baked potatoes is the best choice for dogs which pet owners should consider, They contain beneficial sources like dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins and are easy to digest for your canine. You can feed cooked potatoes to your dog in moderation. Potatoes have iron, fiber, vitamin C, zinc, and calcium which are beneficial for dogs as well as humans.
By cooking, the potato cuts down all of its saline, so you can give a small piece to your dog. Give your puppy plain potatoes. Don’t add salt, butter, and milk as a treat. Dogs don’t need these treats and that may cause health issues for your companion.
Potatoes are carbohydrates, which serve more energy to dogs. Properly cooked potatoes provide a good source of energy and make them healthy which improves your canine’s regular activities. Potato starches break down by heat and make them more absorbable and digestible. The vitamins and minerals of cooked potatoes improve and enhance their metabolism, immune system, and brain function.
Don’t feed potatoes with skin to your dog. Peel off all the skin, and rinse it with water. Well-cooked or baked potatoes are good treat meal options for your dog. Remember that ‘’Moderation is the key.’’ You can Include potatoes occasionally in your pet’s diet with moderation.
Can Dogs Have Mashed Potatoes?
Dogs can have plain mashed potatoes. As I said before, moderation is the key, Dogs can have mashed potatoes occasionally, but including them in dogs diet is not worth it, as dogs need a balanced diet with carbohydrates, animal-based proteins, and different kinds of vegetables. Feeding only mashed potatoes can cause health imbalances and weakness.
You can’t give your mashed potatoes, you have to make separate plain mashed potatoes for your companion. Mostly we added salt, cream, mixed herbs, garlic onion powder, and other seasoning to our mashed potato. Garlic, salt, and onion are dangerous for dogs.
Feed him plain mashed potato. Mixing herbs can damage his red blood cells which leads to complicated health problems. Dogs cannot digest mashed potatoes with seasoning and spices. Mashed potato with salt causes dehydration in dogs. A little bit of salt for us is a lot for dogs, Seasoning potatoes leads to sodium poisoning with symptoms of vomiting, severe thirst, diarrhea, and even death.
Are Potatoes Healthy For My Dog?
It is healthy to feed cooked potatoes to your dog. Potatoes are rich in nutrients. It contains a wide amount of vitamins C and B6, magnesium, and iron which is healthy for dogs and humans as well. Cooked Potatoes are a good source of energy and easy to digest.
Adding potatoes to your dog’s diet occasionally is a good choice. Dogs like multiple foods in their meals. Don’t feed him potatoes.
Potatoes are a healthy option for a dog in moderation. If you are going to include potatoes in your diet and never eat them before. Start Feeding him with a small piece and monitor, if it causes any irritation and allergic reaction. Consult a vet as soon as possible. It is noted by pet owners that some pets are allergic to potatoes. There are some healthy ways of feeding potatoes to dogs.
- Give him a perfectly cooked potato
- Remove the potato skin
- Fried potato and french fries are not good for dog
- Avoid all the seasoning
- Occasionally give potatoes in a portion. Including potatoes in his regular meals can lead to Solanine poisoning.
- Potatoes contain large amounts of calories, by regularly having potatoes can increase the chances of obesity.
Can Dogs Eat Green Potatoes?
No, never feed green potatoes to your canine. Have you had potatoes at your home for a long time and you haven’t eaten them yet? Is it turning green? Potatoes turn green because of their chlorophyll production. In simple words, you can say ‘’old potatoes’’. Green potatoes have higher solanine than normal potatoes and it is dangerous for pets as well as humans. You cannot feed green potatoes even if they’re cooked and raw.
Anytime you give cooked potatoes to your dog, make sure that you have peeled all green skin and parts from the potato. Consuming green potatoes reduces the nervous system’s function and worst effect on body organs by building up solanine poison in the tissue. While eating only a small piece of green potatoes can show symptoms of food poisoning due to the highest amount of solanine and chaconine.
Green potato reacting symptoms may occur depending on the condition, your dog’s size, his illness, and the amount of potatoes he consumes. Here are some symptoms you have to be aware of.
- Cardiac dysrhythmia
- Bleeding
- Burning throat
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Headache
- Heart problem
- Jaundice
- Gestational issues such as vomiting diarrhea
- Death
- Numbing
- Burning sensation of tongue, lips, and mouth
What are the Effects Of My Dog Eating Too Many Potato Skins?
Now we have enough awareness about whether dogs can eat potato skin, mashed potato, cooked potato, or green potato. Its beneficial and non-beneficial consequences. But what if your dog eats too many potato skins with his food? It’s a fatal danger for dogs. Excess of potato skins damages your dog’s health. These are the symptoms you will observe in your dog if he consumes too many potato skins.
Gastrointestinal Upset
Potato skins are fiber and tough and it’s difficult to digest and make your dog bloated.
Big chunks of potato can abstract into a dog’s gastrointestinal tract which is a severe complicated medical situation. Eating too many potato skins makes his gastrointestinal system upset and causes diarrhea, vomiting, bloating, discomfort, and irritation. These things affect your dog’s health worst, causing weakness and dizziness. Consult your dog’s veterinarian immediately, and get him properly treated.
A dog’s digestive system is designed for animal-based protein, he can easily digest protein like meat and fish. Vegetables like carrots and cucumbers without skin and avoid gastrointestinal upset.
Digestive Distress
Digestive distress is also a symptom of gastrointestinal issues. Excess of eating potato skin or any kind of food that is not suitable for your canine makes the digestive system distressed. Many health issues your dogs can face due to digestive distress.
Vomiting, allergies, infection due to digestive distress. You can observe, ‘Appetite loss’ your dog’s disinterest in food. ‘Abdominal pain’ due to digestive distress, dogs feel pain in their abdominal area. Excessive gas, Changes in stool, watery and loose stool with changes in color, discomfort, pains, and difficulty while passing stool. More drooling, dogs usually drool more while facing digestive distress.
Solanine Toxicity
Nightshade family food contains solanine. Tomatoes, potatoes. Bell peppers and eggplant are from the nightshade family. Your dogs can have them in moderation. And can be harmful in large amounts for dogs. Excess of nightshade vegetables causes solanine toxicity in dogs which can cause multiple health issues such as; common are diarrhea, gestriotational upset, drooling, and loss of appetite.
And some severe health issues that immediately need vet care. Elevated heart rate,’ Dilated pupils’ dog’s eyes pupils swallow and become large. They are lazy and tired. Solanine toxicity refers to neurological issues like seizures and tremors in most cases.
Pancreatitis
Pancrase is an organ that plays a key role in food digestion. Pancreatitis is considered an ‘’Inflammatory Disease’’. Pancreatitis is a common disease, it can be severe by eating too many potato skins. In pancreatitis, your dogs might face lethargy, Rapid breathing and heart rate, fever, and distended abdomen.
Caloric Intake
Potatoes are carbohydrates and high in calories. Cooked and fried potato skin with seasoning has a severe impact on a dog’s overall health. Caloric intake leads to weight gain and obesity. In obesity, your dog might face a wide range of health issues like joint pain, sugar, and heart disease.
While relying on only potato skins as a proper meal, nutritional deficiencies, and weakness may occur all the time. Dogs need a proper meal that includes more protein and less carbohydrates.
Allergic Reactions
Potato skin is usually not considered as an allergic food. It has some high protein and compound substances that might cause allergic reactions in some dogs. Consuming too many potato skins can result in several skin allergies like itching, skin irritation, ear infections due to constant scratching, and also some respiratory allergies like cough, sneezing, and nasal.
To rescue your beloved canine from all these diseases, it’s better to keep a close eye on your pet. Don’t let them have a large amount of potato skin. In feeding potato skins ‘’Moderation is the Key’’. You can give them skins occasionally as a treat.
How Should I Treat My Dog If It Has Eaten Too Many Potato Skins?
Sometimes dogs eat potato skin when the owner is not around them. If you are a pet owner you have to be aware, Can dogs eat potato skin? How much can he eat? What should you do if your dog eats too much potato skin? You can observe from your dogs inappropriate behavior like discomfort, and itching after eating them. You have to take immediate action in this situation. Here are some guidelines you have to consider and take these steps.
Assess the Situation
Be calm. Don’t rush yourself to take immediate action. Assess the situation of your dog, and determine how much potato skin he consumes, whether is it raw or cooked. Is it seasoned with spices or plain? Assessing the situation will be helpful for the veterinarian to treat your puppy.
Contact your Veterinarian
After assessing all the situations, call your veterinarian. And ask him for further action. Young puppies, older dogs, and dogs who have heart disease and sugar are more affected by eating too many potato skins. Tell your veterinarian about your dog’s condition or take him to the vet’s clinic and seek medical guidance.
Don’t Induce Vomiting Without Guidance
No matter how bad your dog’s condition becomes. Don’t try to induce vomiting by yourself. Consult your vet first, if he recommends, so induce if you can do it properly. if you induce incorrectly, the dog’s condition will become worse than before.
Monitor your dog
Continuously observe your dog’s condition and monitor his behavior changes. Provide a quiet and comfortable place to rest. It’s better to hold his food for a maximum of 12 to 14 hours. It will ameliorate his digestive distress. If you observe your dog’s condition getting worse, contact the vet immediately.
Offer water
After consuming too much potato skin, if your dog is vomiting and has diarrhea, it may cause dehydration. Dehydration is not good for your canine’s health. Offer him fresh water in small amounts. Avoid giving him too much water while he is facing diarrhea, it will be hurtful for his gest-rotational issue.
Avoid home remedies
Do not apply any kind of home remedies to your pet. Dogs are different from humans. Any kind of remedy is suitable for humans, not necessarily work on dogs. It’s better to avoid home remedies and seek professional guidance.
Follow veterinary instruction
Consult your dog’s veterinarian, and tell him whatever you observed about your canine condition. It will be incredible if the vet comes and examines your dog’s condition and treats it according to reports and tests. Follow all the instructions and recommendations that the vet provides. It will help in your dog’s fastest recovery.
Prevent future incidents
Amazingly, you are concerned about your dog’s health. Keep a close eye on your companion to stop eating potato skins. Occasionally give him a treat with moderation, and observe and monitor his health condition to prevent future incidents.
All of these instructions and guidelines will surely help you. But remember that, these all are general instructions. All dogs are different from each other, not everything is suitable for anyone. Treat your dog according to his health and contact the vet as soon as possible.
Summary
Now you have awareness about whether can dogs eat potato skins. As we have seen, dogs can have cooked and plain potato skin but in moderation. Fried and seasoned skin is not for dogs. Excess of potato skin makes him dangerously ill and damages his health as well.
Too much potato skin may cause Solanine and Oxalates poisoning in your dogs, you can consider the symptoms that I mentioned above. Before including any new food in your dog’s diet. It is better to seek professional guidance.
We didn’t recommend any kind of human food, or feeding for dogs. Dogs’ digestive systems are different from humans. It’s better to avoid potato skin to prevent your dog from health issues and provide him with a proper diet plan which is recommended by his vet. It will be supportive of your canine well-being.
