Are Potatoes Good for Dogs? Benefits, Risks, and How to Feed Them Safely

Written by Kelly Gredner, RVT, VTS (Nutrition)

If you've been asking yourself whether potatoes are good for dogs, the short answer is yes, cooked potatoes are safe and can be a healthy part of a dog's diet in moderation. According to veterinary nutrition experts at PetMD, plain cooked potatoes provide dogs with digestible carbohydrates, fibre, and nutrients like vitamin C and potassium when prepared correctly.¹ That's why potato shows up in some complete and balanced dog meals today, not as a filler, but as a genuinely useful ingredient.

Of course, how a potato is prepared, and how much of it ends up in the bowl, makes all the difference. Raw potatoes are a different story entirely, and there are a few health conditions where potatoes deserve extra caution.

Why Cooked Potatoes Are Good for Dogs

Cooked potatoes are good for dogs because cooking breaks down most of the compounds responsible for their risk, leaving behind an easily digestible, nutrient-rich vegetable. Plain potatoes, baked or boiled without butter, salt, or seasoning, are considered a safe carbohydrate source for most healthy dogs.¹

Cooked potato also brings genuine nutritional value to the bowl. It's a source of:

• Vitamin C

• Potassium

• Manganese

• Iron

• Copper

• Dietary fibre

While dogs don't strictly need carbohydrates in their daily diet, they digest them easily and convert them into usable energy. That's one reason potatoes work as an energy source in some professionally formulated dog meals.

Why Raw Potatoes Are Dangerous for Dogs

Raw potatoes are dangerous for dogs because they contain solanine, a compound that can be toxic in large enough amounts. Solanine belongs to the same family of compounds found in raw tomatoes and green potato skins, and cooking significantly reduces its levels.

Signs of solanine exposure can include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and in severe cases, neurological symptoms.² Green-tinged potatoes, potato sprouts, and the plant's stems and leaves carry the highest concentrations, so these should never be given to dogs, cooked or not.

Why Diabetic Dogs Should Avoid Potatoes

Diabetic dogs should generally avoid potatoes because their high starch content can cause blood sugar spikes.² This is one of the few situations where the general answer to are potatoes good for dogs shifts to no.

Potatoes have a relatively high glycemic index, meaning they raise blood glucose more quickly than many other vegetables. For dogs managing diabetes, this can make blood sugar harder to control, even in small amounts. If your dog has diabetes or another condition affecting blood sugar, talk to your veterinarian before adding potatoes or sweet potatoes to their diet, since both behave similarly in this regard.

How Sweet Potatoes Compare to Regular Potatoes for Dogs

Sweet potatoes are a different plant entirely from regular potatoes, and they bring their own set of benefits to a dog's bowl. Cooked, plain sweet potato is a nutritious source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.⁶

Sweet potatoes are also gentle on digestion and low in fat, and they contain beta-carotene, the antioxidant compound responsible for their orange colour. Beta-carotene supports eye health, skin health, and a strong immune system, and has been studied for its role in reducing oxidative stress in the body.

What the Research Says About Potatoes and Canine Heart Health

Potatoes themselves have not been proven to cause heart disease in dogs, but they have come up in an important area of ongoing veterinary research worth understanding.

In 2018, the FDA began investigating a possible link between certain grain-free diets and a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, including breeds with no known genetic risk for the disease. Diets involved in these reports often listed peas, lentils, or potatoes among their first ten ingredients, in place of grains.³

Follow-up research has since pointed more specifically at legumes like peas and lentils than at potatoes. One review found potatoes present in a notably smaller share of the diets linked to reported cases compared to peas and lentils, and when those potato-containing foods were tested, they showed similar protein, fat, and taurine levels to grain-inclusive diets.⁴ The FDA closed its public updates in 2022, citing insufficient evidence to establish that any single ingredient causes DCM.⁵

What actually seems to matter most is the overall diet, not one ingredient in isolation. A recipe that's professionally formulated to be complete and balanced, tested against recognized nutrient standards, and built around quality animal protein looks very different from a boutique formula built mostly around potato or legumes in place of it.

How to Safely Feed Your Dog Potatoes

The safest way to feed your dog potatoes is cooked, plain, and in moderation, as part of a balanced diet rather than a replacement for it.

• Always cook potatoes fully, baked or boiled, before feeding

• Skip the butter, salt, oil, and seasoning

• Remove any green spots, sprouts, or skin

• Treat potato as a topper or occasional addition, not the main course

• Avoid potatoes for dogs managing diabetes, unless your veterinarian says otherwise

Used this way, potato and sweet potato can be a genuinely useful part of a well-rounded diet, rather than something to worry about.

Potatoes Done Right, One Recipe at a Time

At Tom&Sawyer®, we know that ingredients matter, and so does how they're used. Every recipe is gently-cooked with Human Grade ingredients and formulated to be complete and balanced, so when potato or sweet potato does appear in a recipe, it's there alongside quality animal protein, not in place of it.

Our Turkey Gobbler Feast recipe features potato alongside turkey, butternut squash, and cranberries, while our 🍁 Kangaroo* recipe pairs sweet potato with novel kangaroo protein for dogs who need a limited ingredient option.

Not sure which recipe is the best fit for your dog? Our meal plan questionnaire can help match your dog's needs to the right meal, because when it comes to whether potatoes are good for dogs, the right recipe and the right amount make all the difference. Every bowl is built to support happier, healthier, longer lives™.

* currently available in Canada only

References

1. PetMD - Can Dogs Eat Potatoes? Benefits, Risks, and Feeding Tips. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-potatoes

2. American Kennel Club - Can Dogs Eat Potatoes? https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-potatoes/

3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration - FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

4. American Kennel Club - Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Dogs: Closer to Solving the Mystery? https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/dilated-cardiomyopathy-dogs-update/

5. American Veterinary Medical Association - Until More Science Is Available, FDA Will End Public Updates on Potential Link Between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy. https://www.avma.org/news/until-more-science-available-fda-will-end-public-updates-potential-link-between-certain-diets

6. PetMD - Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes? Benefits and Risks. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-sweet-potatoes