We enjoy sharing our food with our furry friends. Roasted, mashed and even french, the potato is present on our dinner table, during winter days. The question that pops up in every dog owner’s mind is “can my dog eat potatoes?”. The answer is yes, dogs can eat a small portion of baked or boiled potatoes. When you’re preparing your lunch or dinner before you add seasoning or butter, set aside a potato for your dog. By not adding seasoning or oil to the potatoes, it will be safe to feed your dog some boiled or roasted potato from time to time. Skip the seasoning. You can put some fresh herbs such as parsley on top. Don’t forget to let the potato cool off before you feed it to your dog.
Do you own a Siberian husky? You can also read about how cold is too cold for your dog.
Are potatoes good for your dog?
Cooked or boiled potatoes are not poisonous for your dog, but recent research suggests that potatoes may not be appropriate for a dog’s diet. The dog food with potatoes as the main ingredients given to your dog every day for years can lead to DCM. DCM is an acronym for canine dilated cardiomyopathy. This is a disease of the heart muscle that leads to reduced heart pumping function and increased heart size. Still, most of the dogs with DCM have inherited this disease genetically. You can read more about this subject here.
Don’t feed your dog french fries or french items like potato chips. No junk food for your dog. French fries are not that good for us either, but we are indulging this treat on our own risk. We are responsible for our dog’s health, and we have to make healthy decisions. He can’t choose healthy food for himself. If you’re eating a burger with some french fries, I bet your dog will want some. Your dog will eat the french fries covered with oil, spices, and mayonnaise, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for his health too.
Can dogs eat french fries?
Your dog should not eat French fries. French fries are tasty for us, but they are salty, greasy, and seasoned with plenty of salt. The salt and extra oil can seriously harm dogs. We all know that French fries are high-fat and rich in calories and they will lead to obesity if it’s consumed a large amount. The same goes for dogs. A large number of French fries consumed by a dog will lead to gastroenteritis, obesity, diabetes, stomach ache, bloating, and other gastrointestinal issues.
But what happens if my dog ate French fries?
Two or three French fries will not harm your dog, but it’s better if you can avoid French fries when it comes to his diet. If you come home with a fast-food menu that also includes French fries, you should resist the temptation and don’t feed your dog French fries. It will be better for him if he has none. Especially when the French fries are accompanied by ketchup or sauces. A spoon of ketchup, depending on the brand, contains almost 154 milligrams of sodium. A dog needs a small amount of sodium per day, and all that extra sodium is not healthy for him. The mayonnaise and the barbeque sauce are even worse for your dog.
Let’s keep French fries away from our furry boys and girls. We want a long and healthy life for them.
Are potatoes good for dogs?
I feed my dogs potatoes on special occasions. A few times per year will not harm them. Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates. You will find carbohydrates in many commercial dog foods. Rice or potatoes are used in plenty of kibble recipes. Small squares of potatoes are found in some dog wet foods. That being so, take another look at your dog’s diet and see if it is balanced. Your dog can take a limited amount of carbohydrates, and the excess will lead to obesity. Especially if your dog is not that active.
The protein and fiber content found in potatoes is low. A cup of potatoes has 3 grams of protein. Also, a medium-sized potato contains about 3 grams of fiber.
Potatoes are a good treat for your dog from time to time. A treat made of an unseasoned baked potato is perfect for active and healthy dogs. The potato is a source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, chromium, iron, and zinc.
Don’t feed potatoes to a diabetic dog. Potatoes increase the blood sugar level therefore, potatoes shouldn’t be a part of a diabetic dog’s diet.
Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?
Yes, dogs can eat mashed potatoes. All you have to do is to leave the mashed unseasoned. Therefore, don’t add any salt, butter, cream, or any other item that you usually use when you’re preparing mashed potatoes for yourself. If you’re home cooking for your dog and you want to give mashed potato at his meal, don’t forget to add a good source of protein too. Serve mashed potatoes with some unseasoned grilled chicken breast.
You can also combine the mashed potatoes with some dog wet food. Pay attention to the ingredients list and see if there are not already added carbs.
This mashed potato meal shouldn’t be given to your dog on a daily basis. It’s a meal for a special occasion when you want to spoil your dog with something surprisingly tasty.
Can a dog eat sweet potatoes?
Dogs can eat sweet potatoes in moderation. Sweet potatoes are a low-calorie treat for your dog and a natural source of fiber. They are a better choice over white potatoes because they provide more vitamin A. The vitamin A is important to vision and growth. Still, your dog should eat sweet potatoes in a limited amount. He will enjoy the sweet taste, or at least mines do. My huskies have a sweet tooth and they will do anything for something sweet. Sweet potatoes are no exception. They like to chew on carrots, apples, or anything sweet. I usually replace the store-bought treats with some vegetables or fruits.
Sweet potatoes – homemade remedy for dogs
Sweet potatoes are good for your dog if he has diarrhea due to the fact that they are rich in fiber. Boil half of a medium sweet potato, mash it with a hand potato masher or with a fork, and let it cool off. Feed it to your dog during the day or at one meal. It depends on how big your buddy is. This will reduce loose stools. Sweet potatoes have natural anti-inflammatory properties that will help your dog with allergies.
How to make sweet potato wedges for your dog?
I usually bake my dog’s sweet potato wedges at the same time as mine but in separate trays. By doing so, their potatoes will not have any oil or spices from my sweet potatoes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C
- Choose 1 medium sweet potato or two sweet potatoes that have a similar length so they will be roasted at the same time. The quantity depends on how much you need to make.
- Wash the sweet potatoes vigorously so there will be no residue left, such as dirt
- Cut it into wedges
- Place them onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment
- Spread the sweet potatoes wedges around
- Bake them in the preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for almost 20 minutes or until they are cooked
- Let them cool off
- Use a small portion for his meal or during training. My huskies always have to work for their treats.
Can dogs eat cooked potato skins?
Are you baking some sweet potato wedges for you? But can you feed cooked potato skins to your dog? I always bake sweet potato wedges with skin and this question popped in my mind. Are potato skins good for my dogs? Well, we all know why we let the skin on the potato when we’re baking them. The potato skin adds more fiber and potassium to our meal, but it’s safe for our dogs? The answer depends on if your dog can digest it. If you know that your dog can digest the baked skin, then he can eat baked potato skin. Therefore, I can safely share sweet potato wedges with my Siberian huskies. I will sprinkle lots of spices on my sweet potatoes, but there will be no seasoning on the potatoes that I’m baking for my dogs. The unseasoned, sweet, natural, and delicious taste of sweet potatoes will make my dogs happy. If you are worried, you can remove the skin after the potatoes are baked. Some dogs may have a problem digesting the skin.
Raw potatoes are bad for your dog
You should never feed raw potatoes to your dogs. Raw potatoes contain traces of solanine which is toxic to dogs. Also, raw sweet potatoes contain trypsin inhibitor which will make your dog less able to digest protein. My Siberian Huskies enjoy stealing stuff from the kitchen, and potatoes are no exception to that rule. I placed the potatoes on the kitchen table and left to bring more groceries from the car. My huskies stole a potato and started to play with it. If it rolls like a ball, it must be a ball. Fortunately, they don’t eat anything if it’s not given by me, so they didn’t try the raw potato. The potatoes are now secured and safely placed away from the wrath of huskies.
Final thoughts
You can feed your dog normal potatoes or sweet potatoes. Just keep it simple. Don’t put season or oil on them, when you boil or bake them in the oven. I feed only a small amount of sweet potatoes to my dogs and I keep their diet balanced. A tablespoon to each other it’s enough from now and then. They are both active dogs. Don’t overdo it, keep in mind that moderation is the key. Do you think about adopting a Siberian husky, or do you already have one? Read the Siberian husky feeding guide here.
Source: FDA Investigating Potential Connection Between Diet and Cases of Canine Heart Disease
