Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes?
While you are cooking you spot a ripe, juicy, red tomato on your counter and start to add it to the menu. Should you give some to your dog? Go right ahead as red tomatoes in moderation are a healthy treat for both of you. Just make sure to use only the red fruit as tomatoes, part of the nightshade family, have some toxic chemicals in their green stems and leaves. Even the unripe green tomatoes have too much solanine in their chemical makeup. If you (not your dog) love Fried Green Tomatoes, go ahead, bread, fry, and enjoy them as frying removes the solanine but boiling does not.
How are tomatoes good for dogs?
Tomatoes are a good source of both vitamins A and C which help maintain your cainine’s vision and healthy skin. They are also high in fiber, low in calories and contain the minerals potassium and folate which can contribute to muscle health and normal blood pressure. Lycopene, which we often read the benefits of, can strengthen bones and perhaps reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The beta-carotene in tomatoes may help with cognition and help prevent metabolic syndrome. If you notice, a number of commercial dog foods list tomato pomace in the ingredients. Pomace is a mixture of tomato pulp, skin and crushed seeds which can all be beneficial to a dog’s health.
Why are tomatoes bad for dogs?
As referenced earlier, tomatoes are part of the nightshade family (named thus because of either flowering at night or preferring shady areas) and contain high amounts of solanine which is poisonous to your dog and to us as humans. If your dog ingests green tomatoes, leaves, or stems he may become weak and lethargic with a lack of coordination, have diarrhea, vomit and seem confused. His eyes may dilate and he may begin to hypersalivate. If this happens take him to your veterinarian. If you have a garden and raise tomatoes, please fence that area off from your pet.
Make sure to introduce a small amount of tomatoes or any new fruit or vegetable to your dog. You never know if an allergy might arise or a digestive problem. He might be allergic if he shows signs of diarrhea and excess gas. Can dogs eat tomatoes? Yes, but you have to be very careful that you only feed them ripe fruits without flowers, stems or any other part of the plant otherwise tomatoes are bad for dogs.
How do you feed your tomatoes to your dogs?
Stick to this quirky rule which is opposite to our way of thinking. Green means STOP and red means GO! This is true whether you are giving your pet a few cherry tomatoes or a nice slicing size fruit. Try to use either homegrown, farmers market, or organic tomatoes for your dog and yourself. If you purchase at a large grocery check for freedom from pesticides and chemicals. You can purchase nutritious canned fruit at times so if you are making a fabulous spaghetti sauce and have a bit of tomato leftover just put the extra in his bowl. He might want your sauce also, but too much garlic and onion is disruptive and potentially harmful to his system along with too much pepper. Remember that if you give your dog a regular size tomato to cut it and remove any part from the central stem that may be green.
Here is a yummy recipe for a hot day tomato dog treat.
This is relatively easy to make and is tasty for that special pooch. It just takes a few cherry tomatoes, ½ cup of HOT water, and ½ Tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. If your dog likes it triple the batch to have extras you can keep frozen.
Wash your tomatoes and toss them in a blender or food processor. Pulse till a consistent pulp. Put the hot water in a bowl and sprinkle the ½ T of gelatin over the top. Stir till the gelatin is dissolved then add the tomato pulp. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze for 2-3 hours. Pop them out and let your dog enjoy a cool treat on a hot day. The main reason to double or triple the recipe is because you have to wash out the bowl, blender and spoon each time you make them. So, make a few extra after the first taste test and keep them in a bag in your freezer. Remember you can make dog pizza by leaving out the onions and garlic. Dogs really like parsley, basil, and oregano.
What do vets and nutritionists have to say about dogs and tomatoes?
Tomatoes can be a tasty and healthy addition to your pet’s diet. It is always best to be given in moderation and keep treats at around 10% of their regular diet. Because tomatoes are low in calories and high in fiber you could go up to 15% with this treat. Benefits of this tasty treat include lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease, and having a lower calorie snack than many of the commercial varieties. There is also plenty of fiber and some great vitamins in ripe red luscious tomatoes. Just remember that if your pet becomes a tomato lover you are going to have to keep him out of your garden to keep him from becoming ill while scarfing down the leaves and stems along with the fruit. Can dogs eat tomatoes … Yes they can, as long as they are ripe tomatoes.