Dogs, like humans, can consume potato skins. They are not harmful, and a small amount will not harm your dog. In general, if your dog swiped some potato skins from the counter, you shouldn’t be worried.
That does not, however, imply that you should give your dog all of your potato scraps. While a small bit won’t hurt your dog, they shouldn’t make up the majority of your dog’s food or even be given as rewards. This is owing to their high macronutrient content.
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Potato Skins and Their Nutritional Value
Potatoes, as you might expect, are primarily composed of carbs. Because they are a starchy vegetable, they contain a lot of carbohydrates. For humans, this is perfectly acceptable. However, it is not always the greatest option for our canine companions.
Due to their regular contact with humans, dogs have gained the ability to digest grains and starches. They do, however, require a lot of fat and protein to survive. When given complete control over their diet, dogs have been proven to pick a diet high in fat and protein. Animals are usually quite good at selecting a diet that allows them to thrive, so we may reasonably conclude that this is their ideal diet.
The issue is that potatoes are low in both fat and protein. Rather, they are almost entirely made up of carbs. This is not what our dogs require to flourish, thus potatoes should not account for a significant amount of their food.
Potato skins do have certain vitamins and minerals in them. All of these nutrients, however, can be found in foods that aren’t as high in carbs. Potato skins, for example, have a surprising amount of iron, but meat is always a better source.
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Potatoes and Dilute Cardiomyopathy
While a few potato skins will not harm your puppy, there is evidence that big amounts of potatoes can create major difficulties.
The FDA is investigating into a possible relationship between some dog meals and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy, a fatal heart illness in dogs. While the analysis is still ongoing, preliminary findings indicate that dog meals heavy in potatoes, peas, and lentils are more likely to cause heart problems.
This is most likely related to taurine, a vitamin that your heart needs. Something in potatoes, peas, and lentils may impact the body’s ability to utilise taurine, but no one knows for sure.
In the meanwhile, we recommend limiting your dog’s potato intake. It’s fine if they eat a few bits off the floor, but you shouldn’t serve them a bowl of potato skins every day.
One raw potato skin will not harm your dog, once again. Raw potatoes, on the other hand, contain the toxin solanine. Potato peels don’t have much in them, so unless your dog eats a lot of them, they’ll be alright. This is the same poison found in Nightshade plants, which are related to potatoes.
Only the green sections of the plant contain solanine. If the underside of a potato skin is green, it most likely contains higher levels of solanine. Of fact, because potatoes don’t have a lot of solanine in general, even the green parts won’t have much.
While you don’t need to hurry your dog to the vet if he eats a piece of raw potato, you should probably prepare any potato skins you want to serve your puppy.
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Be Careful with Seasonings
While potato skins aren’t toxic on their own, they may be seasoned with compounds that are harmful to our dogs. Onions and garlic, for example, are harmful to dogs.
Salt should be avoided as well, especially if your dog is little. What we consider a small amount of salt can be a large amount of salt for small dogs. This can skew their sodium intake, resulting in long-term health issues.
Can Dogs Eat Potato Skins?
Don’t be concerned if your dog ate some potato skins from the counter. Even if they were raw, a little bit won’t hurt them. You should keep an eye on your dog for signs of digestive discomfort, which is frequent when they try a new diet. There’s no need to rush them to the vet.
Having saying that, we do not recommend giving your dog potato skins. They don’t fit into a dog’s preferred diet and might cause difficulties if consumed in large quantities. Potatoes should not be part of your dog’s regular diet.
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