Can Dogs Eat Potato Skins? – Things You Should Know

The Diet of humans and dogs is a lot different but the core is the same – both cannot digest everything!

The thing to remember is, not everything you eat is good for your little pooch. And, it’s only a healthy diet that can assure a healthy, playful, cheerful, and lively little feline. Diet is a broader term that includes each and everything your dog eats or can eat. It ranges from dog foods to meats, cereals, veggies, lentils, and treats.

Well, dogs cannot eat everything just like humans or other animals. That’s why you need to be careful with some foods like pumpkin, cinnamons, vegetables, and lentils.

How Does a Dog’s Digestive System Works?

As a dog lover, you are well aware of the fact that nothing is more important than the health of your furry pal. Seeing them playing, jumping, and goofing around means the world to every pet owner.

The diet has the key to deciding the health and that’s why carelessly feeding your poor pooches can cause unbearable and sometimes even fatal health hazards.

The digestive system of your furry pals is made to digest proteins mainly. Feeding them carbohydrates (Potatoes are a rich source of Carbs and fibers) in large amounts is not a good idea. But taking some caution, you can feed your dogs with potatoes. without causing harm to their health. Feeding your pet with the right food that he can digest easily is a wise decision to keep them alongside for long life.

What are the Health Benefits of a Potato Diet? 

Potatoes are rich in Carbohydrates, Iron, Vitamin C, Fiber, Zinc, and Calcium. All these nutrients and health-supporting vitamins are equally beneficial for humans and dogs. Considering this, it might be a good thing to be added to the meal bowl but the protein-compatible stomach of your pup might not bear more than few bites stolen from his owner’s plate or offered as a treat.

Now, let’s discuss the main concern, can dogs eat potato skin?

Can Dogs Eat Potato Skins? – Things You Should Know

Also, the potato skin contains oxalates that may produce vomiting, diarrhea, loose motion, depression, motion sickness, tremors, fatigue, arrhythmia, and seizures. If handled poorly, all these conditions are sensitive to severity and can be fatal in no time.

Baked potato skin isn’t as harmful as raw because baking decreases the solanine amounts in the potatoes, decreasing the chance of poisoning.

You may have got answers to your queries like ‘Is Potato Safe for Dogs?’ and ‘Can my Dog Eat Potatoes?’ Well, the explanation isn’t that simple and there’s a lot you need to be careful about.

What are the Potential Dangers of Eating Potatoes? 

If your pet counters any kind of distress and some sickness, it’s crucial to rush to the vet as animal sicknesses can swiftly lean towards severity. Even it isn’t about sickness, consult with your vet before adding anything new to your pet’s diet.

That’s because a very recent study shows the statistics where pets show higher risks of  Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM – a heart disease) if they take a diet containing lentils, peas, potatoes, or legume seeds as the main ingredient. Statistics also showed that Golden Retrievers are more prone to this disease as a result of the aforementioned food choices.

How Many Potatoes Can My Dog Eat?

There isn’t anything exclusively wrong with feeding potatoes but as they are pure carbohydrates and dogs are protein-buddies, the amount should be observed keenly.

According to the American Kennel Club, dogs can take potatoes and potato skin as a treat, not as a meal. That means, only a limited portion is allowed to keep the gut healthy. The experts and vets suggest that the potato content in a pet’s diet shouldn’t exceed 10% of the portion. In other words, feeding a potato up to 120 to 130 calories is alright.

The safe amount also depends on the pet’s health scale. If your dog is obese, feeding them potatoes is not a good idea as potatoes are pure carbohydrates and can cause weight gain. Moreover, if your dog has diabetes, feeding him potatoes even if they are baked, is not safe as Carbohydrates are sugars anyways.

The amount of potato you can feed your dog also depends on the size of your dog. Small dogs weighing up to 10 pounds can eat a quarter cup of potato, half a cup of potato can be served to dogs weighing up to 30 pounds. Large dogs more than 70 pounds are okay to eat a single cup of potato.

The larger the dog, the more potatoes it can eat and vice versa. The amount you feed is directly proportional to the size of your dog. So always make sure to include the right amount of potato to keep your buddy healthy, happy, and fit!

How to Feed Your Dog Potatoes?

Excess of everything is bad but taking a proper and controlled portion can go unnoticed. Here are the top considerations while feeding potatoes to your pets, either with or without skin;

• Be careful with the peels, too much can cause trouble.
• Remove the green parts on the potato skin.
• Make sure to remove any sprouts of baked potatoes.
• The potatoes should be fully cooked.
• Make sure that you do not add any seasoning to them.

Though potato skin is rich in fibers, feeding the right amount of baked or cooked potato skin won’t be as harmful as raw.

The baked or boiled potatoes should always be plain. Do not add any salt, pepper, oil, or other herbs to the potatoes. Peeling the potatoes before feeding them to your dogs is also favorable.

Another important thing to keep in mind is, if your dog has not eaten potato skin before, you should not feed them an ample amount at once. Start feeding in small portions with a break of many meals and note if your feline buddy shows any adverse effects.

What are the Signs of Potato Poisoning in Dogs?

The symptoms of potato poisoning mostly depend upon the amount taken by your pooch. It also depends on the size and weight as a small dog is more prone to show symptoms rapidly. If your dog is already ill or weak, the symptoms and onside of the action can be quicker than normal.

Well, there are a lot of signs and symptoms that can point out excessive potato consumption including:

• The body of your dog may start trembling.
• Your dog may vomit anything it eats.
• You might notice the swelling of the lips or tongue of your dogs.
• Sometimes, dogs experience seizure attacks.
• The body of your dog paralyzes.
• Bleeding from the nose or mouth can also occur.
• The temperature of the dog’s body can get lower or high than normal.
• You may also notice weakness in your dog’s body.
• The pulse rate and breathing rate are also slowed down sometimes.
• Your dog might suffer from jaundice.
• Potato poisoning can also cause heart problems.
• Dilation of the pupils, excess drooling, and dizziness are also some of the symptoms.

The presence of all these symptoms at once isn’t necessary and the degree of damage can be different at different times. You may notice the presence of 2 or more symptoms. Rush to the vet if you notice any.

What are the Safe Ways to Feed Potatoes? 

Potato can be cooked in a lot of forms. They can be boiled, baked, and fried to be served as french fries, mashed potatoes, loaded potatoes (mixed with other dog food, not the seasonings), chips, and so on.

Before feeding your dogs with potatoes, make sure to cook completely as raw potatoes can root for many sicknesses. Moreover, never feed only the skins to your dogs. You can feed cooked potatoes with skins to them.

Concluding everything – cooked, baked, or boiled, peeled, no green parts, no seasoning at all; you are good to put it on your dog’s meal bowl.

As you cannot offer potato as the main ingredient, you’ll need to mix it with other food. Do not add anything to your pet’s diet before consulting with the vet. According to the AKC, you can also offer snacks on Blueberries, Bananas, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cantaloupe, Celery, Carrots, Cucumber, Cranberries, Green Beans, Oranges, Mangoes, Pears, Peaches, Pineapple, Pears, Strawberries, Raspberries, Spinach, and Watermelon with a portion of potatoes.

AKC also clearly explains a list of the food items that should never be included in a pet’s diet. These include avocados, Grapes, Cherries, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Onions. Sticking to the provided guidelines can be your getaway to keep your four-paw friend happy and healthy, conversely, the situations can be heart-wrenching.  

Will Baked Potato Skin Hurt My Dog?

Well, according to the aforementioned information, there isn’t anything wrong with feeding your dog with fully cooked potato in any form but controlled portion size. Same way, there shouldn’t be any issues associated with eating cooked potato peal but only in a controlled amount.

Another thing to ponder here is, the green part of the potato is super rich in Solanine and that’s why it’s crucial to cut off or peel off the green part. Even cooking wouldn’t eliminate it and removal is necessary.

Are Cooked Potatoes Good for Dogs?

Solanine is a chemical substance found in plants – majorly in the plants of the Solanaceae family. Solanine has the potential to cause many health issues if taken in an ample amount.   Like tomatoes and other veggies, raw potatoes also contain a considerable amount of solanine, which may be toxic to some dogs.

However, the concentration decreases in cooked potatoes, and thus, the chances of risk decrease. A small portion of cooked potatoes without any added seasoning wouldn’t cause any harm. 

Can Dogs Eat Mashed Potatoes with Skin?

Same as cooked and boiled, dogs can eat mashed potatoes but as snacks and not as meals. Just like any other treat or snack, the excess can be seriously bad for your four-paw feline. Keep potatoes in the list of snacks and special treats and make sure to never overfeed.

An ample amount at one can significantly upset the dog’s stomach, causing poor digestion, poor appetite, diarrhea, and discomfort. Well, as potatoes are rich in Carbohydrates, they can cause obesity if served more often. Further, you should avoid feeding boiled or mashed potatoes to your diabetic dogs.

Final Verdict:

As you are responsible for your dog’s meal, you should be conscious of what you feed your dogs. In this article, you have read major concerns if you opt for feeding potatoes to your pet. The summary is, your dog can never handle eating raw potatoes and its skin. It’s always better to feed a small portion of cooked, boiled, or mashed potato without any seasoning and preferably, skin removed.

Keeping potatoes as a snack on your pet’s diet list is the most feasible option. The article also explains about symptoms and possible risks of potato poisoning along with the suggested healthy amounts. Take care of your furry friend’s health and soothe yourself by seeing them happily running and goofing around!