How to Serve Sweet Potatoes to Dogs
Steamed, boiled, or dehydrated, sweet potatoes can make a nice addition to a dogs diet. Skin them first, as sweet potato skin can upset some dogs stomach. Because a raw sweet potato is big and hard, and some dogs have a tendency to wolf down their food, its recommended you always cook sweet potatoes and keep the pieces small.
Dont feed too much of this tasty potato if your dog has diabetes or is overweight. Experts say sweet potatoes have a high glycemic index, causing blood sugar to rise quickly. If you add sweet potatoes to your dogs menu as a treat, remember that additions like this should make up no more than 10 percent of your dogs diet.
Can dogs eat sweet potato fries, sweet potato pie, and buttered sweet potatoes off the dinner table? Yes, but only in small amounts. The only issues with sweet potatoes, according to Brutlag, are too many calories and too much fat from tasty recipes with sweet potatoes.
“If an animal gets a large amount, say, from getting into the garbage and eating a whole lot, pancreatitis—caused by eating too much fat—would be something to watch out for,” Brutlag says.
One word of warning when it comes to potatoes and your dogs diet: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported two years ago that some dogs diagnosed with the heart condition dilated cardiomyopathy (or DCM) ate commercially available diets that list legumes and potatoes (both white and sweet potatoes) as main ingredients. Check with your veterinarian before switching your dog to a new diet, especially if your hound was diagnosed with DCM.
Sweet Potatoes Are Safe for Dogs
First, dogs can safely eat sweet potatoes or yams. If you see yams in the grocery store, these might not be “true” yams, but a soft variety of sweet potato that was conveniently called a yam to differentiate it from firm sweet potatoes. Either way, yams and sweet potatoes are nontoxic to dogs and cats, says Ahna Brutlag, DVM, with Pet Poison Helpline, an organization that answers potential poisoning questions for veterinarians and pet owners.
Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals, and they show up on Pet Poison Helplines list of food thats safe to feed pets. Some dog owners and cat owners even feed cooked or canned sweet potato or pumpkin for extra dietary fiber to constipated pets. Keep in mind, though, that extra fiber can sometimes cause diarrhea. Brutlag says that a pet-friendly dietary fiber supplement might be a more effective choice: “Your cat or dog would need to eat a lot of pumpkin or sweet potato [to manage the problem].”
When making changes to a dogs diet, its always best to check with your veterinarian.
Credit: Liudmila Chernetska / GlobalP / Getty
Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes Or Yams
Both yams and sweet potatoes are healthy for dogs to eat. Cook them without any extra sugar or seasonings – that’s the safest and best way to share sweet potatoes with your dog.
They are really high in vitamin A and healthy fiber. So they are really good for your dog’s heart and gut health. They are low in natural sugars too, so they are really good for blood sugar regulation. Plus, they have vitamin b6, which is a good thing for your dog’s energy levels.
They are packed with other important vitamins too.
Yes, yams are safe for dogs to eat, as long as they are not made with unsafe ingredients. Don’t give your dog any yams that have nutmeg or xylitol on them since both of those things are toxic for dogs.
It’s also important not to give your dog anything that has too much sugar on it.
The safest way to let dogs eat yams is by cooking them plain with minimal seasonings.
There are a lot of health benefits of sweet potatoes. They can help prevent heart disease and can support healthy skin and eyes.
Do not let your dog eat raw yams or sweet potatoes. The raw vegetables will upset their stomach and could cause an intestinal blockage. You should always remove the yam skin before giving it to your dog. Your pet doesn’t need that extra dietary fiber.
Yams are only good for your dog if they are cooked.
There are so many ways to cook yams and some of them are safer than others. Let’s look closer at all the different ways to cook yams and whether you should share them with your dog.
Yes, dogs can eat baked yams as long as they are baked plain without any harmful ingredients. Bake the yams without the skins and chopped in small bites. Let them cool off completely before you give them to your dog. Do not sweeten the yams, especially if you have a diabetic dog.
Yes, dogs can eat boiled yams. This makes them easier on your dog’s stomach and safer for them to eat. Peel them and then boil them cut up into small pieces and give them to your dog as a fun snack.
Dogs should not eat fried foods. The oil and grease is not good for a dog’s stomach. It’s safer to bake or boil the yams instead.
Dogs can safely eat a few yam fries as a replacement for french fries, but how much they should eat depends on how the fries were made. If the yam fries were breaded and deep-fried, they shouldn’t eat very many of them. These are the most unhealthy version.
The best yam fries for dogs are just sliced and roasted without any seasonings or sauces.
Yes, dogs can eat steamed yams. Share them with your dog before you add any salt or seasonings to them. They will be soft and easy for your dog to eat.
Canned yams are usually sweet potatoes that are covered in syrup. Dogs should avoid eating anything that is super sweet or with added sugar. While a few bites of these sweet yams won’t hurt your dog, it’s not a good idea to give them a large serving of them.
Dogs should not eat candied yams. The main ingredients in them are sugar, This could affect their blood sugar control and cause weight gain. It’s best to boil or bake fresh yams.
Are Sweet Potatoes Good For Dogs?
Can dogs eat sweet potato? Yes, they can! So long as they’re served up plain — sorry, pups, no sweet potato fries for you! — your dog can enjoy this starchy, yet sweet vegetable cooked, boiled, steamed, baked or even dehydrated. And the best part is that sweet potatoes are available at most grocery stores year-round, inexpensive, and easy to prepare.
We spoke with Dr. Katrin Ventocilla, DVM, owner of PACK Animal Care in Lorton, Virginia, for tips and advice on how to include sweet potatoes in your pup’s diet.