Are Potatoes Good For Dogs?
By Dr. Hannah Godfrey, PhD · · Updated
When choosing healthy vegetables in your dog's diet, do you feel unsure about including potato? People have had many concerns about feeding potatoes to dogs, but, in actuality, they are a healthy grain replacement and a great source of energy!
One important factor when feeding your dog potatoes is to make sure you never feed them a raw potato because they contain solanine (just like raw tomatoes), which is a compound that can be toxic to dogs. Cooked potatoes are very easily digestible in dogs, and they are also low in calories and a great source of Vitamin C, manganese, potassium, iron, copper and fibre.
Although dogs do not need carbohydrates in their daily diet (to be fair, neither do people), they can easily digest them and turn those carbs into energy. They contain 60 different vitamins and phytochemicals including flavonoids, which support immunity and heart health!
** If your dog has diabetes, they should not be given potatoes because that can cause blood sugar spikes.**
Don't forget about another kind of special potato! Sweet potatoes are also very nutritious. They contain vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron and many other important nutrients. Sweet potato is a natural and healthy treat for dogs and brings a sweet flavour they will love!
Sweet potatoes support a healthy digestive tract and are very low in fat. They also contain beta-carotene, which is responsible for the colouring of a sweet potato. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, keeps your dog's vision and bones strong, assists in skin health and also protects against heart disease!
The potato may be easily forgotten, when thinking about vegetables, but remember that they can be a great addition to your best bud's diet!