Sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of vitamins and minerals. These healthy treats can aid with digestion, lower inflammation, and even help with cancer prevention and diabetes management. You might wonder whether it’s a good idea for dogs to eat sweet potato skin.
The majority of sweet potatoes can be given to your dog, in fact. But can dogs eat sweet potato skins as well? The benefits and risks of feeding sweet potato skins to your dog are discussed in this article.
After being boiled, sweet potato skin is safe to feed to dogs in small amounts. Your dog’s diet will be made healthier overall thanks to the fiber, minerals, and vitamins A, C, and E, among other nutrients.
Before you scroll down to a more in-depth answer to this question, “Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potato Skin,” check out: Can Dogs Eat Cool Whip? (2023) and Can Dogs Eat Hot Chips? (2023).
Are Sweet Potatoes Good for Dogs?
Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fiber, which improves the efficiency of the digestive system. Regular consumption of fiber reduces the risk of heart disease and several illnesses.
Sweet potatoes are also low in fat and high in calcium, potassium, iron, and vitamins A, B6, and C. All of these perform an important role in general well-being. In addition, vitamin C is essential for a healthy immune system. Similar to people, dogs who receive vitamin C supplements exhibit stronger resistance to disease and have a higher chance of recovering from wounds or illnesses.
However, dog parents must proceed cautiously and only feed their dogs a small number of sweet potatoes if they have a diabetic dog, an overweight dog, or a dog who is not very active. Due to their high glycemic index, they should be included in the dogs’ diets with caution.
Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potato Skins?
The skin of a sweet potato is not inherently harmful. The skin is where you’ll typically find fiber and other necessary dietary elements. Thus, eliminating them can result in your dog receiving fewer nutrients.
Technically, dogs can consume sweet potatoes and their skins without negative effects. Any mold on the skin should be avoided because it might be poisonous to your dog. Before giving the skin to your dog, be sure to scrub it completely.
It’s also critical to keep in mind that while some dogs can eat sweet potato peels without any issues, others can get digestive problems.
If you’re still wondering whether sweet potato skin is good for dogs, let’s look at its nutritional value below.
Sweet potato skins contain:
- Vitamin A: maintains eyes, skin, and muscles in good health.
- Vitamin C: increases immunity and speeds up illness recovery.
- Vitamin E: prolongs the life of cells and slows the aging process.
- Protein: builds tissue and keeps the bones, muscles, and skin healthy.
- Fiber: reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease and promotes good digestion.
- Potassium: controls muscular contraction and blood sugar levels.
- Antioxidants: protects cells from free radicals.
- Magnesium: required for the absorption of calcium to keep bones healthy.
- Calcium: for strong bones, muscles, and nerves.
- Iron: increases immunity, lessens fatigue, and cures anemia.
- Phosphorus: strengthens bones, heals tissue, and benefits the kidneys.
Risks of Sweet Potatoes and Skins
Peas, lentils, beans, and potatoes should not be included in a dog’s diet, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as these foods can result in canine dilated cardiomyopathy. DCM is frequently hereditary; however, it is very infrequently caused by other circumstances.
The high glycemic index of sweet potatoes is another concern. Diabetes might make sweet potatoes unhealthy for your dog. The increased carbohydrate content could raise his blood sugar levels. Diabetes-prone dogs should avoid sweet potato-heavy diets and snacks.
Similarly, if fed to dogs in big quantities, sweet potatoes may lead to painful urination. Oxalic acid, which is abundant in sweet potatoes, has the potential to generate uncomfortable bladder or urethral stones. They would need urgent surgery to be removed. Yorkies, Shih Tzus, and Miniature Schnauzers are a few of the popular breeds commonly afflicted by these stones.
Some dogs experience nausea, drooling, or itching after eating sweet potatoes. Although allergic reactions in dogs are uncommon, they can arise. The peel of sweet potatoes may be simple for some dogs to digest while being difficult for others.
Sweet potatoes contain a lot of carbohydrates, thus consuming too many of them can induce diabetes, pancreatitis, or obesity. Sweet potatoes are only a treat for your dog because his dog food already contains all the carbohydrates that he needs each day.
Hence, sweet potatoes ought to only be consumed in moderation. Consult your veterinarian before introducing sweet potatoes to your dog’s diet.
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes for Dogs?
Be sure to carefully cleanse the skin and check for any mold. Make sure to cut the sweet potato vine off if you picked it from your own garden. If consumed, they may be poisonous to dogs.
Boil the sweet potatoes next without adding any seasonings. The nutritional content is actually better retained while boiling or steaming. Additionally, trypsin inhibitors found in uncooked sweet potatoes can hinder your dog’s ability to absorb proteins. This issue can be resolved by cooking them.
In a similar manner, sweet potatoes might also be harder to chew raw than cooked. Additionally, a lot of food can be a choking threat if your dog dislikes chewing his meal.
Put boiled sweet potatoes in and freeze them for snacks. Sweet potatoes can also be used to prepare chews that are dehydrated. They are a fantastic substitute for commercial rawhide chews, which are known to cause choking. Sweet potato chews are much safer and more nutrient-dense.
Sweet Potato Vine Poisoning
It’s vital to note that there is just one portion of the sweet potato plant that needs your attention. If you have a garden at home and have just dug up a sweet potato, make sure to remove the vine immediately so your dog can’t eat it. The sweet potato vine is extremely deadly to dogs.
Poisoning from the sweet potato vine can also result in hallucinations, seizures, dilated pupils, lethargy, difficulty swallowing, and more. Take your dog to the emergency vet right away if he exhibits any strange symptoms after eating sweet potatoes or being near a garden that contains them. Take a small piece of the plant with you as well, if at all possible.
However, don’t let this deter you from giving your dog sweet potatoes. This is quite unlikely to happen if your dog eats a sweet potato from the shop, and as long as you make sure to remove the stem from the sweet potatoes you buy at the farmers market or grow yourself, you shouldn’t be concerned.
Sweet Potatoes vs. Carrots and Pumpkins
Despite the similarities in appearance between sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and carrots, there are a few differences that may make one of these foods a better choice for your dog’s diet than the others. You may usually feed your dog all three without any problems, but if your dog has certain medical requirements, you may want to be aware of these differences.
Both pumpkin and sweet potatoes are excellent sources of fiber and have similar nutritional advantages. The main differentiation is that pumpkin has considerably fewer calories than other ingredients, so if you’re trying for your dog to lose weight, go with pumpkin. Alternatively, choose the sweet potato if your dog needs to put on a few healthy pounds or will engage in strenuous activity.
It’s also important to remember that while pumpkins are seasonal vegetables, fresh sweet potatoes are typically accessible throughout the year. Since canned pumpkin is always available and comes in a mashed form that your dog can readily eat, it may be more practical, but you’d be giving up the freshness of a sweet potato or pumpkin from the produce department or farmer’s market.
Carrots offer significantly more fiber and vitamins per serving than sweet potatoes do. However, it depends on the health objectives you have for your dog because carrots have significantly fewer calories than sweet potatoes.
Despite the fact that all three contain a lot of nutrients, an upset stomach can result from the exceptionally high fiber content without any fat to ease it. In order for vitamins to be better absorbed and for fiber to pass, you might want to think about pairing them with healthy fats like fish oil or coconut oil.
Can Dogs Have Raw Sweet Potatoes?
White potatoes are nightshade family plants that contain the solanine chemical. Dogs shouldn’t eat raw potatoes since they can turn out to be hazardous to them. To make potatoes safe for dogs, cook them to reduce the solanine content.
Dogs’ digestive systems may also become irritated by raw sweet potatoes. Additionally, eating raw sweet potatoes or raw white potatoes can result in intestinal obstructions.
They are more challenging to chew and, if ingested whole, could obstruct the digestive tract. They also contain trypsin inhibitors, which make it difficult for your dog to process protein. Dietary fiber and starch are broken down for simple digestion during the cooking process.
Therefore, always make sure the sweet potatoes are properly cooked and additive-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
While not inherently toxic to a dog, it is possible for them to struggle with swallowing and digesting sweet potato skin.
A teaspoon of cooked sweet potato each day is plenty for a small dog, while a tablespoon is okay for a larger dog.
As a source of fiber, sweet potatoes can help your dog with constipation.
Conclusion for “Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potato Skin”
The peels of sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of fiber and are packed with the vitamins and minerals that your dog needs in his diet. If prepared correctly, they can also serve as a tasty and healthy treat for your dog to eat in moderation.
The stems must be carefully removed, though, as they are extremely toxic to dogs. Additionally, sweet potatoes must be boiled and rinsed before being given to your dog.
So, bake a sweet potato with the skin and let your dogs eat it for a boost in nutrition.
For more food-related guides, check out :
Before you decide to feed your dog, learn more about homemade foods by watching “Vet Approved Homemade Dog Food: Good for Digestive Issues” down below:
Garrett loves animals and is a huge advocate for all Doodle dog breeds. He owns his own Goldendoodle named Kona. In addition, he volunteers at the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, where he fosters dogs and helps animals. Garrett enjoys writing about Doodles and believes that dogs can teach humans more about how to live than humans can teach a dog.
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