In this dog blog, we will answer the query, “Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?” We will also cover the ingredients in the mashed potatoes that are harmful to your dog, which types of mashed potatoes are the best for your dog, and how much mashed potatoes are safe for your dog.
Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?
Yes, dogs can eat mashed potatoes. It is healthy for your dog to consume mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes shouldn’t have butter, salt, or any kind of spices otherwise, they can upset the stomach of your dog. A calculated amount of mashed potatoes is good for your dog.
Which ingredients in the mashed potatoes are dangerous for your dog?
Following ingredients in the mashed potatoes are dangerous for your dog:
Butter
Butter is unhealthy if your dog consumes it too much. Butter has a high amount of fat content and consuming fatty food is not healthy for your dog.
Consuming butter for a long time can add extra weight to the body and also leads to a complex condition known as Pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis means inflamed pancreas. It can be acute and has a very sudden onset. When your dog consumes too much butter at once, it will cause an acute episode of pancreatitis.
Chronic pancreatitis develops over time. It doesn’t develop in one day, but when it develops it can lead to other complications.
Salt
Salt can be very dangerous and consuming sodium can cause sodium ion poisoning in your dog.
You would see the following symptoms if your dog is suffering from sodium ion poisoning:
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Irregular respiration
- Increased thirst and urination
- Seizures
- Confusion
- Incoordination
The salt content in the blood also controls the blood pressure in the body. Too much sodium can cause a spike in the blood pressure of the body.
Onion and garlic
Onion and garlic are not healthy in any form. Most of the time garlic and onion powder are added to the mashed potatoes recipe.
Onion and garlic release toxins in the blood that can cause the destruction of red blood cells in the body.
Milk
Milk is another ingredient on the list. You may know that milk is the only food when dogs are babies. They live only on mother’s milk. In this way, they have lactase enzyme to digest lactose in the milk. Lactose is milk sugar.
When the puppies are weaned, they no longer have that level of lactase in the body. If you give milk to your dog, it will lead to:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Itching
- Gas production
This is due to the lactose intolerance in your dog. The body is no longer digesting the milk sugar.
Spices
Some mashed potato recipes have spices in them. This is because it is a human staple and we like to eat spicy things.
Consuming spices like pepperoni or black pepper can cause sneezing, stomach irritation, and vomiting.
This is because the black pepper is causing irritation of the mucosa of the stomach. Too much pepper around the nose can cause continuous sneezing and swelling around the nose.
Which types of mashed potatoes are the best for your dog?
The white mashed potatoes and the sweet mashed potatoes are the best ones for your dog. This is because they have lower carbohydrate content than any other form of mashed potatoes.
The low carbohydrate content will not cause any disturbance in the blood sugar level of the body.
Diabetic dogs can consume a very small amount of white potatoes in their diet.
How much mashed potatoes can you add to the diet of your dog?
You should go for the 10% calorie rule. It means if your dog has a calorie requirement of 100 calories then you should give 10 calories from the mashed potatoes.
Moderation is the key. If you give too much to a healthy dog, it will upset the health of the healthy dog.
It is advisable to first calculate how many potatoes your dog can consume. After that, make a mash of the potatoes and give them to your dog in small amounts.
Giving the calculated mashed potatoes at once can cause issues in your dog.
How can you prepare mashed potatoes for your dog?
So far we have briefly discussed the different aspects of mashed potatoes. It is not very difficult to answer the question.
You can give baked or boiled mashed potatoes to your dog with no added salt, butter, milk, onion, or garlic.
There are also some recipes you can prepare and serve to your dog.
Conclusion
This dog blog answered the question, “Can dogs eat mashed potatoes?” we also covered the ingredients in the mashed potatoes that are harmful to your dog, which types of mashed potatoes are the best for your dog, and how much mashed potatoes are safe for your dog.
References
https://www.vegannie.com/dog-food-recipes/kibble-topper-mashed-potato-bites/
https://www.dailypaws.com/dogs-puppies/dog-nutrition/what-can-dogs-eat/can-dogs-eat-mashed-potatoes
