Potential Risks of Sweet Potatoes for Dogs
Anytime you feed your dog a new food, theres a risk that it wont go down well — even if its a dog-friendly whole food. While sweet potatoes are considered safe for dogs in the short-term (theyre non-toxic, and dog owners report very few adverse reactions), the long-term effects of feeding dogs sweet potatoes is poorly understood.
How Carbohydrates Affect The Immune System
Researchers always look for new ways to keep you and your dog healthy.
Over the years, they’ve uncovered many important factors in a healthy immune system. A big one is a beneficial number of good bacteria and yeast in the body.
But where there’s good, there must also be bad.
Bad bacteria and yeast try to crowd your dog’s gut while friendly bacteria work to keep it healthy. When something creates an imbalance, the bad yeast and bacteria go wild.
And that can cause a lot of long-term problems …
The starchy sugars in sweet potatoes feed the harmful bacteria and yeast. And that can lead to a yeast problem … and then an itching problem.
If you start to see the telltale signs of yeast …
… it may be time to find a new food.
If you read this and thought, “But my dog loves sweet potato and he’s not itchy!” … then you may be OK.
But be sure to feed him sweet potatoes in moderation because there are more reasons not to overdo it …
Raw Sweet Potatoes: No
Raw sweet potatoes are too fibrous for your dog to safely digest. If they eat large quantities of raw sweet potato, it can build up in their digestive system and cause an intestinal blockage. Also known as a gastrointestinal obstruction, a blockage is a serious and sometimes life-threatening condition.
Dont feed your dog raw sweet potato. If they eat it when youre not looking, watch them carefully for the next few days. Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, low energy levels, hunching, and whining are all signs of an intestinal blockage. Take your dog to the vet immediately if you notice any of these signs.