Can Dogs Eat Plum Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Grape Tomatoes, Campari Tomatoes?
The mere possibility of your beloved doggie falling potentially sick due to the consumption of something as seemingly harmless as tomatoes can be an alarming predicament! Tomatoes belong to the poisonous nightshade family of fruits which is why there is a lot of confusion around its suitability for pets especially dogs.
So if you are concerned if eating tomatoes can pose any dangerous health risks for your pooch read on.
Yes Dogs Can Eat Tomatoes!
Yes you can feed your dog tomatoes as they are not dangerous as they are made out to be. But that said only small quantities of ripe tomatoes are suitable for dogs. This means that if your pet is always begging for the slices of tomatoes in your salad bowl you can treat them occasionally without worry.
Ripe tomatoes pose no real health hazard to dogs provided they don’t binge on them in large quantities and too often. But when it comes to the green parts of the tomato plant it’s a whole different story.
Green Is Off Limits
Ask a botanist and they will tell you that all the parts of the tomato plant are poisonous except the ripe fruit. Yes that is why they belong to the family known as the deadly nightshade!
The tomato plant contains solanine, which is a type of glycoalkaloid toxin produced by the leaves and stems as a defensive mechanism to ward off insects and grazers. Ingesting solanine is toxic and can be very dangerous for dogs.
Therefore all kinds of tomato plants and vines should be off limits to dogs specially if you have a vegetable patch in your garden.
Toxicity to Dogs
According to the ASPCA only ripe tomatoes are safe for dog consumption as the green unripe fruit as well as the leaves and stems of tomatoes are highly toxic.
If your dog has somehow consumed any of the green elements of the tomato plant look out for some common toxicity symptoms. Excessive drooling, vomiting, disorientation, lethargy, abnormal breathing severe diarrhea, weakness and any unusual behavior warrant an immediate visit to the vet.
And while allergy to ripe tomatoes is rare in dogs if your pet experiences diarrhea or throwing up after consuming even ripe tomatoes its best to seek your vets attention and avoid the fruit in the future.
Feeding Tomatoes Can Be Beneficial Too!
On the upside if consumed in sensible portions the ripe tomato fruit has many health benefits.
Red tomatoes contain lycopene which is a very important antioxidant and its consumption helps in fighting against various degenerative diseases. Tomatoes are also loaded with vitamin A and C which are great for heart and kidney health.
Vets therefore encourage dog owners to feeds their pets an occasional tomato or two due to the above mentioned benefits as well as their anti-cancer properties.
To Sum It All Up
Even though the leaf, stems and the unripe fruit of the tomato plant is toxic the ripe fruit does not pose any health hazards for dogs. Now that we know that it’s more than okay to feed ripe tomatoes to dogs do remember to keep the quantity within reasonable amounts which should be less than 10% of their entire diet. Moderation is the key when it comes to feeding dogs fruits and vegetables as their digestive systems are wired in a completely different way than us humans and that goes for ripe tomatoes too. So if your fluffy friend is especially fond of tomatoes make sure that they don’t sneak in too much and too often!
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