Yes, Dogs can eat tomatoes without any problem. Tomatoes are widely used in world cuisine and are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Dogs can also enjoy this vegetable but with some conditions.
Whether cooked or raw, this vegetable provides many benefits for the body. Indeed, for this reason, you have ever wondered if dogs can eat tomatoes too or it can make them feel bad. Today we explain if furry ones can eat tomatoes.
Can dogs eat tomatoes? Yes, but with conditions
There is a lot of controversy about whether dogs can eat a tomato or be toxic to them. This toxicity will depend on the ripening of the fruit. Therefore, the ripe and seedless tomato will not be toxic. In this way, it is a very nutritious and moisturizing food.
However, the opposite occurs with the green tomato. These green tomatoes contain a glycoalkaloids that can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and gas in our furry friends. Even if you eat many of these tomatoes, you could have more severe poisoning symptoms.
Health Benefits of the tomato for dogs
Ripe tomatoes are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C and help fight aging better. It may be beneficial to include them in a senior dog’s diet, always in moderation.
In addition, the tomato provides another series of benefits:
- Vitamin A: Strengthens the immune system. Eye health.
- Vitamin B: also helps strengthen the immune system.
- High in fiber: helps intestinal transit.
- Purifying and diuretic effect.
- Hydration.
How should I give tomatoes to my dog?
As we have said, dogs can eat red, ripe, and natural tomatoes without any problem. It is advisable to offer the tomato without seeds, and they can eat any variety of tomato.
You always have to wash fruits and vegetables well to eliminate toxins. The number of vegetables in the daily ration should not exceed 10-15%. Dogs are predatory animals, and their diet should be based on animal protein, although they can eat other foods to have a balanced diet.
We can also offer this tomato in the form of a sauce, always without any other condiments (avoid adding salt, garlic, onion, etc.). Commercial tomato sauces are very high in salt, sugar, and other artificial additives.
Can dogs eat cherry tomatoes? Are cherry tomatoes bad for dogs?
Yes. Dogs can eat cherry tomatoes too. Being so small, it is possible to give them 1 or 2 cherry tomatoes as a reward occasionally. The truth is that, as long as the tomato is fully ripe, the variety does not matter much. So dogs can have cherry tomatoes very limited .
The main symptoms of tomato poisoning in dogs are usually :
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Stomach pain
Respiratory problems and, in some cases, they can even present dilated pupils and cardiac arrhythmias. Of course, the severity of the symptoms will depend on the number of tomatoes you have eaten.
How many tomatoes could kill a dog?
Only the ingestion of large amounts of tomato, and therefore of tomatine, could cause the dog’s death. According to studies on the toxicity of glycoalkaloids in green tomatoes, a 60-pound (27-kg) dog would need to eat 2.7 grams of tomatine to have a chance of dying. That means he would have to eat approximately 472 tomatoes.
