Can Dogs Eat Potatoes?

The humble potato is the main component of several popular comfort foods, including tater tots, hash browns, and French fries. White potatoes can be a wholesome diet when prepared properly for humans, but can dogs eat potatoes?

It depends, is the response. They do contain iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and a number of other vitamins and nutrients that dogs require. However, there could be negative health repercussions if you don't prepare them correctly or if you give your dog an excessive amount.

Could Dogs Consume Raw Potatoes?

Never feed a raw potato to your dog. The nightshade family of vegetables, which also contains tomatoes, includes white potatoes. Like tomatoes, raw potatoes contain solanine, which can be poisonous to some dogs. However, a potato's solanine content drops as it is cooked.

If you do give your dog potatoes, make sure they are roasted or boiled without any additional ingredients. Dogs should not eat potatoes that have been fried in oil, such as French fries or potato chips, or that have had butter or salt added. Potatoes, which can trigger blood sugar surges, shouldn't be fed to your dog if they have diabetes.

If you choose to give your dog baked or boiled potatoes, you should do so sparingly because a dog's body is intended to obtain the majority of its nutrition from animal protein. Too many carbohydrates can lead to obesity or other health issues in dogs.

Sweet potatoes: Can Dogs Eat Them?

White potatoes are less nutrient-dense than sweet potatoes, making the former a healthier choice. They also contain other minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.

Start with a modest bit of potato to ensure your dog can digest it because every dog is different. Before adding a new food to your dog's diet, you should always consult your veterinarian.

***Update: Recent research has suggested that potatoes, while not poisonous, may not be appropriate for a dog’s everyday diet. From the UC Davis School of Medicine: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an alert about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. DCM is a disease of the heart muscle that leads to reduced heart pumping function and increased heart size. The alterations in heart function and structure can result in severe consequences such as congestive heart failure or sudden cardiac death. While the most common cause of DCM is genetic, on rare occasions other factors can also result in the condition, particularly in breeds that are not frequently affected.”