A conscientious and caring owner will not allow his dog to eat foods that could harm his health. Proper nutrition for the pet is the key to its activity and well-being for many years. At the same time, the owner himself will significantly save costs on the services of veterinarians and the payment of medicines for the animal. In this regard, the question arises whether it is possible to give potatoes to dogs.
What is the use of the product?
Potato is a root crop that is rich primarily in carbohydrates. They make up almost a third of the total composition of tubers. Next comes plant fiber and in third place in the list of nutritional values of this product should be mentioned plant proteins. Tubers contain vitamins and minerals that are considered beneficial for digestion. There is almost no fat in potatoes, cholesterol is completely absent, unless, of course, it is preliminarily fried in oil. The composition of potatoes is really useful, but for humans.
Dogs by their biological origin are not herbivores. Their digestion by nature is “sharpened” according to the type of nutrition of predators. Potatoes could never be present in their diet in natural conditions. But that was before the dog was domesticated. With the beginning of life together with humans, dogs began to use much of what was completely inaccessible to them in nature.
Plant foods, including potatoes, are rich in fiber, which in animals that are designed to feed animal proteins and fats, increased intestinal motility. Potatoes are difficult to digest, increases the likelihood of intestinal upset, diarrhea.
A small amount of potatoes will not hurt the dog, and in this veterinarians agree. However, this product can only be given to those pets who do not have an individual predisposition to intestinal problems.
If you give potatoes in small quantities, the product can partially compensate for the deficiency of minerals and vitamins. For example, 1 root crop almost satisfies the daily requirement of a medium-sized dog for ascorbic acid. The presence of quercetin in the composition makes potatoes a real antioxidant, which helps prevent the development of tumors. Manufacturers with the knowledge of veterinarians introduce potatoes in the dry form into the composition of dog food, but in factory conditions they are previously completely exempted from the presence of a starchy component. At home, this is impossible.
Can a vegetable do harm
Dog potatoes become harmful when his dog eats too often. The abundance of starch for both an adult and a puppy - the path to persistent obesity. What unpleasant consequences the dog faces obesity, everyone knows. If a dog loves potatoes, but moves little, lives in an apartment, walks for a short time and infrequently, then physical inactivity brings these negative effects of obesity closer.
Starch leads to an increase in the glycemic index, and therefore eating with plenty of potatoes can cause the dog to develop diabetes. Many breeds suffer from deficiency of certain enzymes due to artificial origin. And in such dogs with a high degree of probability, root crops can cause a severe allergic reaction, constant intestinal disorders.
The optimal, from the point of view of specialists, is considered only a moderate amount of vegetable in the diet.
It is not difficult to calculate it - 100-150 grams of potatoes per week. These are 2 medium sized tubers for large dogs or 1 small potato, the mass of which does not exceed 50 grams, for dogs of small breeds.
Raw
Raw potatoes are not so tasty, but more healthy than boiled or stewed. Therefore, it is best for dogs to give potatoes to raw ones. Root crops before feeding are washed, cleaned, rubbed and mixed with food. Large dogs can not be grated, but finely chopped with a knife.
It is better, if the tubers are from a young cropbecause old potatoes that have been stored for a long time accumulate toxic substances. The most dangerous is a green potato. This color gives the root crop the presence in it of the strongest poison of solanine, which is dangerous for humans too. But for a dog, it can be fatal.
Solanin destroys nerve connections, causes disturbances in the functioning of the blood-forming organs, causes symptoms of poisoning, vomiting, diarrhea. Solanine is excreted by the kidneys, and a large amount of it can lead to the development of renal failure and the death of the animal. Poison is always higher in old and sprouted tubers. They can not be used to feed dogs.
In another form
Boiled or baked potatoes contain less beneficial vitamins and minerals. Boiled potatoes lie on the digestion of the dog with a heavy load, and often the dogs that are fed boiled potatoes quickly become overweight.
Boiled or otherwise heat-treated vegetable is permissible for animal nutrition only in rare, rather exceptional cases and always in small quantities.
If you decide to give boiled potato a doggie, better to cook it in its uniform. So the tubers will be able to save more nutrients during processing.
Fried potatoes are strictly contraindicated for dogs., since it contains a considerable proportion of cholesterol and carcinogens, which contribute to the gradual development of cancer. Remember that when boiling potatoes, it must first be cooled. If the dog accidentally ate boiled tuber or mashed potatoes, there is no need to panic - rare episodes of such eating behavior should not lead to negative consequences.
To whom the vegetable is contraindicated
Do not give the vegetable to dogs that have an individual predisposition to digestive and intestinal problems. Usually these are breeds that are artificially bred. It is undesirable, according to veterinarians, to give vegetables to puppies. Toddlers have even less enzymes that can help digest food than adult pets. Therefore, up to a year you should not give root crops to representatives of any breed.
Also, veterinarians do not welcome the feeding of pregnant bitches and lactating individuals with potatoes. If such a dog eats potatoes, then a considerable part of its energy reserves is spent on its own digestion. The food of lactating and pregnant dogs should be easily digestible. When you first introduce complementary foods in the form of potatoes, you need to give a small dose and carefully monitor the condition of the pet during the day. If signs of indigestion or lethargy appear, further use of the product should be discarded.
If the dog is poisoned - what to do
Unfortunately, this scenario is not ruled out. Especially if the dog is interested in potatoes and can secretly steal a few raw tubers from the owner. In case of poisoning, the dog will weakness in the limbs, involuntary tremors of the muzzle and paws, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Paying attention to such symptoms, you need to give the dog first aid.
It is important to provoke a gag reflex.
You can give your dog a very light, weak solution of potassium permanganate through a syringe, blowing a stream of liquid along the cheek so that the dog does not spit it out. After vomiting, you need to give any human adsorbent at your disposal, for example, "Polysorb", "Enterosgel" or ordinary activated carbon. After that you need as soon as possible deliver the animal to an emergency appointment with a veterinarian who can provide further qualified assistance.
You can learn about the dangers of potatoes for a dog and what other products can be deadly, from the video below.
