For humans, potatoes are known to have a lot of benefits. They are rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, so it is always recommended to make them a part of your diet. Similarly, potato skins are also very beneficial for humans, providing them with essential nutrients and a considerable amount of fiber.
However, when it comes to your dogs, potatoes are also healthy, only when they are cooked. Raw potato, any kind of potato plant, and potato skins are considered to be extremely toxic for your dogs, leading to a condition called ‘Green Potato Poisoning’. It occurs in your dog when it consumes a large quantity of Solanine, a type of glycol-alkaloid that is present in raw potatoes and potato skins. Green potato poisoning can lead to heart and digestive problems in your dog, along with difficulty in breathing.
Are potato skins good for dogs?
If you are hoping to read something along the lines of how good are potato skins for your dog and what benefits they offer, I regret to inform you that you are bound to be disappointed. In reality, potato skins are not good for your dogs at all, due to the high amount of oxalates present in them, an excessive dose of which can eventually lead to kidney problems.
If you really want to share your meal with your dog, you should always remove skins from every little potato piece. If after all of this hard work, your dog still eats a little potato skin, it is fine. But, quantity matters a lot so you should always keep an eye on how much potato skin it is eating.
Are potato skins bad for dogs?
If we had to answer the above question in a single word, it would be ‘yes’. There are several reasons behind potato skins being bad for dogs, but the most prevalent one from those is the presence of oxalates in potato skins. When consumed in large quantities, oxalates tend to cause problems in the dog’s nervous system, digestive system, urinary tract, as well as kidneys.
Can dogs eat cooked potato skins?
There is a misconception among the masses that as cooked potatoes are safe for your dog, cooked potato peels are safe too. However, this is not the case. Cooked potatoes, with nothing added to them, are safe for your dogs, but cooked potato skins are not, as even though they are cooked, they are not free of the oxalates and solanine present within them. But if your doggo ate only one cooked potato skin, probably your should not worry.
Can dogs eat baked potato skins?
When potato skins are baked, they can be given to your dog in moderation. It is a known fact that potato skins contain the most amount of nutrients right underneath them, while also providing a high amount of fiber. However, you need to keep a vigilant eye on the number of baked potato skins consumed by your dog, to ensure that no mishaps occur, as an overdose of oxalates can trigger health issues.
Green-skinned potatoes have a higher amount of solanine in their skin. If your cooked or baked potato happened to be a green-skinned potato, you should not give it to your dog. If it’s a regular potato, one or two small/medium cooked potato skins can be okay for your dog, but anything more can cause your dog to have serious stomach problems.
Can dogs eat raw potato skins?
No. It is as simple as that. Your dog should never ever be fed raw potato skins because of the toxins it contains. Even if your dog somehow eats up a small number of raw potato skins, it will start experiencing symptoms similar to those of food poisoning. These symptoms will tend to aggravate with the increase in quantity consumed, so it is best to make sure that none of it is consumed at all.
Can dogs eat sweet potato skin?
Sweet potatoes are not necessarily harmful to your dog, but it is advised not to feed them too. The reason behind this is that recent research has suggested that sweet potatoes are not necessarily toxic and poisonous, but can cause intestinal blockage in your dog’s digestive system.
Moreover, when it comes to raw sweet potato skins, they can lead to Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) in your dog, which is a disease of heart muscles. It increases the size of the heart while reducing its functioning. The severity of this disease can also lead to congestive heart failure or sudden cardiac death.
What are the symptoms of potato poisoning in dogs?
When your dog consumes potato skins over a certain limit, it starts to experience a condition called ‘Potato Poisoning’. In this condition, your dog starts displaying certain symptoms, which are dependent upon the number of potato skins consumed, along with the size and health of your dog.
Although these symptoms are mild in the majority of the cases, they come in handy in giving you a better idea of your dog’s condition. Some of these include:
- Difficulty in breathing
- Blood in vomit
- Dilated pupils
- Dizziness and trembling
- Excess drooling
- Extreme (high or low) body temperature
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Loss of sensation
- Seizures and shocks
If you see any of the symptoms appearing in your dog, it is best to consult a vet at your earliest and then act upon their advice at all times.
What is the treatment of potato poisoning in dogs?
Once you are sure that all the symptoms of your dog’s condition match the condition for potato poisoning aka green potato poisoning, you should take it to your vet as soon as possible. At this point, you need to tell your vet all about what your dog ate, in what quantity, and at what time, apart from any prior medical conditions and histories. The better details you provide to the vet, the better and easier will be the diagnosis process.
The vet will perform a couple of basic tests on your dog, which might include
- complete blood count
- chemical panel
- blood glucose level
- kidney and liver function test
- chest x-ray
Once all the tests are performed and your vet has a clear idea of the condition, they will go ahead with the treatment.
In most cases of potato poisoning, the treatment is generally the same, which involves induced vomiting through Apomorphine and absorption of any remaining toxins through activated charcoal. Your dog will be given IV fluids to regain its strength, along with some medications that will gradually help to boost its nervous system.
