Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes? Benefits and Considerations

Yes, dogs can eat boiled, baked, or dried sweet potatoes that do not contain added seasonings, sweeteners, or preservatives. However, avoid feeding your dog raw sweet potatoes, which are toxic and can be a choking hazard, or fried sweet potatoes, such as sweet potato fries. Remove the sweet potato skin before feeding the vegetable to your pet for easier digestion.

Never feed your dog candied sweet potatoes or sweet potato casseroles topped with marshmallows, as these recipes contain harmful ingredients for your pet.

True yams come from Africa, whereas sweet potatoes are far more common in the Americas. Part of the confusion comes from so many people and grocery stores using these terms interchangeably. In North America, for instance, sweet potatoes are far more common, and companies occasionally market them as yams.

While yams and sweet potatoes hail from different homelands and possess some minor differences, both offer the same health benefits to your dog. Make sure to cook yams and sweet potatoes before feeding them to your pet since they can be toxic to dogs in their raw forms.

Unlike white potatoes—tubers that are toxic to dogs—sweet potatoes are safe for dogs to eat in moderation, and they offer a high nutritional value. Sweet potatoes are a rich source of:

1. 1. Antioxidants: The root vegetable is full of antioxidants that can help eliminate free radicals in your dog’s body that lead to cell damage.
2. 2. Dietary fiber: Sweet potatoes have plenty of fiber that can help keep your dog’s digestive system healthy and prevent gastrointestinal issues like constipation.
3. 3. Vitamins and nutrients: Sweet potatoes have many vitamins and minerals that can help boost your pet’s immune system, such as calcium, potassium, beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and vitamin C.

Dog owners should consider a few factors before offering sweet potatoes to their pet as a dog treat because sweet potatoes can pose risks even for healthy dogs.

• Canned sweet potatoes can have dangerous additives. Many canned sweet potatoes at the grocery store contain added sweeteners, seasonings, or preservatives that can harm your dog’s health.
• Raw sweet potatoes are toxic to dogs. While boiled and baked sweet potatoes are safe for dogs, raw potatoes are hard to chew and can become a choking hazard or lead to an intestinal blockage.
• They may cause heart disease. A Food and Drug Administration investigation of pet food brands found a potential link between grain-free commercial dog foods and cases of DCM (canine dilated cardiomyopathy), a dangerous heart condition. Many of these grain-free dog foods use lentils, chickpeas, and other members of the legume family as their main ingredients, and contain smaller amounts of sweet potatoes. Although the FDA found no concrete evidence specifically associating sweet potatoes to canine heart disease, owners of specific dog breeds at high risk for DCM may choose not to feed them sweet potatoes as a precaution. Consult with a veterinary nutritionist before adding sweet potatoes as a new food to your dog’s diet.
• Too much sweet potato can affect your dog’s health. Too much sweet potato can lead to stomach upset from the high amount of fiber. Baked sweet potatoes also have a high glycemic index, and the root vegetables are full of carbohydrates. If eaten in excess, this can lead to obesity or cause a spike in blood sugar for diabetic dogs.

You can mix boiled or baked sweet potatoes—prepared without added seasonings—into your dog’s kibble, or you can make dehydrated sweet potatoes with a food dehydrator. To boil a sweet potato for your dog, follow these steps:

1. 1. Prepare a pot of boiling water. Heat water to a rolling boil and avoid adding any salt to the water.
2. 2. Remove the sweet potato skins. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the sweet potatoes to make them easier for your dog to digest.
3. 3. Chop the sweet potato into chunks. Small pieces boil faster, making it easier to offer your pet as a dog treat or as an ingredient mixed into homemade dog food for added carbs and nutrients.
4. 4. Add the sweet potato chunks to the boiling water. Allow the sweet potato to boil until they are fork-tender.
5. 5. Drain and cool. Drain the water from the pot and make sure that the sweet potato chunks are cool before serving them to your dog.

Certain human foods can cause adverse reactions in canines, so always consult your veterinarian to determine whether it is safe to add these foods to your pet’s diet. This article is for educational and informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical or dietary advice.

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