When most people think about foods they can cook and share with their pets, mashed potatoes are among the last things to come to mind.
Mashed potatoes are associated with the holidays for most people, so they think of feeding vegetables, grilled meat, or bone broth before getting mashed potatoes for their dogs.
But can dogs have mashed potatoes? Yes, dogs can eat mashed potatoes.
Most people imagine that dogs eat very differently compared to humans, but when it comes to mashed potatoes, they enjoy it.
Are Mashed Potatoes Good For Dogs
White potatoes are quite nutritious for humans, and even dogs can enjoy those nutritional benefits. Potatoes are a source of carbs, meaning that they can be a source of energy boost for your furry friend.
Mashed potatoes are rich in Vitamin B, magnesium, Vitamin C, and iron, among other nutrients required by the body.
They contain high levels of potassium and folate, which, together with other vitamins and minerals, aid in promoting the dog’s nervous and immune system and the absorption of other nutrients.
Essentially, mashed potatoes are not bad for your dog’s health, but they are not an excellent treat choice either as they don’t have a lot of health and nutritional benefits for your dog.
How Much Mashed Potatoes Can You Feed Dogs?
Mashed potatoes are safe for dogs to eat, but some serving ideas should be adhered to. Mashed potatoes should be served unseasoned with no such additives as garlic, onion powder, or salt.
These additives contain toxins that are harmful to your dog, and that can lead to anemia, and too much salt makes the dog get dehydrated promptly.
As such, plain mashed potatoes are the most recommended for your furry friend.
Mashed potatoes should be served as a part of a domestic meal and complemented with a great protein source, and if used as a topping on dogs’ foods, it should occasionally be.
These potatoes don’t have much nutritional value for dogs, so they should be served as a treat and not as a meal.
It is also vital to remember that potatoes are a part of the nightshade family of veggies, so they shouldn’t be served raw to your doggo.
What Happens When Dogs Eat Mashed Potatoes
Dogs are not such big fans of carbs, but as more and more commercial recipes for dog foods are inclusive of carbs, these pets can handle small amounts of extra carbs in the form of mashed potatoes without any dire consequences.
As such, there won’t be any significantly noticeable changes after feeding mashed potatoes to your dog, as long as the potatoes are not seasoned, and the dog isn’t allergic to them.
Mashed potatoes are not necessarily toxic or bad for your dogs, but they are not healthy still.
The safety of eating mashed potatoes for dogs depends on the specific dog, so better consult your vet to confirm if your dog is lactose intolerant or not.
A lactose intolerant dog shouldn’t have any dairy products in mashed potatoes but rather have them plain.
This could result in allergic reactions, difficulties in breathing, skin rashes, farts, and other digestion issues for the dog, which is very uncomfortable.
If your dog is diabetic, it is best to avoid any potatoes altogether as they could spike his blood sugar, causing death.
Are Mashed Potatoes Safe for Dogs?
While they are not necessarily bad for dogs, mashed potatoes are not the best-advised treat to feed your pet, and just because they are good for dogs doesn’t mean they should have it.
It is important to watch mashed potatoes’ dish components to ensure there is no milk, sour cream, or dairy, which pretty much rules out most of the enjoyable mashed potatoes recipes.
Dogs have a hard time digesting dairy products, so a large amount of milk or butter could bring some issues.
Like most canines, dogs have lactose intolerance, which can cause them to suffer from constipation, diarrhea, bloating, digestive distresses, allergic reactions, rushes, and insomnia.
These conditions get severe depending on the severity of the dog’s lactose intolerance, so better to keep off dairy products from the potatoes.
Butter and cream used in the preparation of mashed potatoes are high in fat content.
When dogs consume foods with a lot of fat at a go, the fat triggers their health issues and can subsequently lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart diseases.
Too much fat in the mashed potatoes also leads to pancreatitis, which is dangerous for your dog. Gravy is also used in the preparation of mashed potatoes, and as it has high sodium levels, a lot of it will leave your furry friend very dehydrated.
The dog’s kidney will need to work extra to get rid of the excess sodium in the body, and this can be harmful to the dog.
In addition, potatoes are from the nightshade family, which means that they are potentially dangerous, even for some people. Potatoes contain solanine mostly in their peel, a chemical that is poisonous to animals.
Even though peeling and boiling white potatoes reduce the solanine levels to manageable ones, it is not entirely safe.
Are Instant Mashed Potatoes Safe for Dogs?
The instant mashed potatoes sold in supermarkets have high sodium levels, which is not good for dogs, especially if they are young.
They also have additional spices, extra seasonings, and herbs such as onions and garlic, which are toxic to your canine and could lead to poisoning.
They may also have a high cheese content, based on their specific flavor, and as these potatoes require milk to eat with, they can cause a range of digestive issues for lactose intolerant dogs.
As such, instant mashed potatoes are not safe to feed your dog at all.
Final Word
Should you decide to give your dog potato treats, it is advisable to be very cautious because potato snacks are not entirely healthy for dogs.
Alternatively, you can feed your dog sweet potatoes instead of mashed potatoes as the former are safer and more nutritious.
Remember to feed them according to their size, not yours!
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