Can a dog eat tomatoes?

Content

• Can a dog eat tomatoes?
• Is tomato bad for a dog?
• Dog Tomato: Benefits
• Can you give a tomato to a dog?
• Can a dog eat tomato sauce?

Tomato salad is a classic of traditional Brazilian cuisine, which can be accompanied by lettuce, onion, carrots and various other vegetables. In addition to providing a fresh touch to dishes, tomato is a fruit (although it can be confused with a vegetable) that offers many health benefits, especially for its high content of natural antioxidants.

However, when it comes to pet nutrition, tomato is a food that causes a lot of controversy. On the one hand, there are those who defend that it is safe and healthy to give tomatoes to dogs. However, on the other hand, it is possible to find those who say that tomatoes are a poison for dogs, which can seriously harm canine health. But who is right? In the end, dog can eat tomatoes or not?

This seemingly contradictory information makes many tutors wonder if a dog can eat raw tomatoes, tomato sauce and other recipes that contain this food. To clarify these doubts and offer more quality information that will help you to provide healthy nutrition for your puppy, in this new article by PeritoAnimal we'll explain if tomato is really bad for dogs or if you can incorporate this food into your dog's diet by taking some precautions.

Can a dog eat tomatoes?

Like everything else in life, it is essential not to reinforce myths about dog feeding. To do this, you must learn to recognize quality information, not general exaggeration. Tomatoes will not harm your dog as long as you know the correct way to incorporate them into your pet's diet.

Is tomato bad for a dog?

O tomatomature and seedless is not a dog poison. On the contrary, it is a highly nutritious food, which brings vitamins, minerals, fiber, natural antioxidants and a good amount of water to the food. As a result, it helps to strengthen the dog's immune system, preventing various health problems and keeping the dog's body well hydrated.

Although, green tomatoes have a chemical compound called glycoalkaloid that is toxic to dogs.. So, if you've ever wondered if a dog can eat green tomatoes or tomatoes that are not fully ripe, the answer is no, as they may have digestive problems such as diarrhea, gas and vomiting. In more serious cases, when the dog ingests a large amount of green tomatoes, symptoms of intoxication may appear.

The same compound is also present in most of the green parts of the plant that give the tomato as fruit (Lycopersicon spp), as in leaves and stems. That is why, your dog should never eat green tomatoes or the green parts of the tomato plant. So if you plant tomatoes in your garden or in a vegetable garden at home, remember to limit your dog's access to that space.

Dog Tomato: Benefits

Ripe tomatoes contain natural antioxidants such as vitamin C and lipocarotenes, which fight the action of free radicals in the dog's body and the cellular damage that results from it. This antioxidant effect is especially beneficial for older dogs, as it helps to prevent the symptoms of old age and helps to maintain a stable metabolism.

They also have vitamins A and the B complex, which help to strengthen the immune system and prevent most common dog illnesses. Vitamin A (and especially beta-carotenes) are great allies for good vision and the health of the skin of dogs, helping to prevent skin problems such as canine dermatitis.

In addition, ripe tomatoes bring fiber to the dog's food, having a positive impact on the digestive process by favoring intestinal transit and preventing constipation in dogs.

Finally, tomatoes also provide a good contribution of water, helping to prevent dehydration that can favor the development of urinary tract disorders, such as urinary infections. In addition, the consumption of foods rich in liquids has a diuretic and depurative effect in the body of dogs, helping to eliminate toxins and maintain excellent renal activity.

Can you give a tomato to a dog?

Yes! But remember to always offer the ripe seedless tomato for your dog, never the green tomato or tomato plant parts. Your dog can eat cherry tomatoes, round and even other varieties, as long as they are fully ripe. Also, wash fruits and vegetables well before offering them to your pet, to eliminate impurities and micro-organisms that can adhere to the skin or peel of these foods.

Also remember that although fruits and vegetables have many essential nutrients, cannot be the basis of your dog's diet. Dogs need to consume a healthy dose of protein and fatty acids (so-called “good fats”) to strengthen their muscles and maintain an active metabolism. And, even having become omnivores, meats continue to be the protein sources with better digestibility and greater nutritional benefit for dogs.

Therefore, it is not recommended to offer a vegetarian or vegan diet for your animal, which is based only on vegetables, fruits and vegetable proteins, as this could cause serious nutritional deficits and end up leading to anemia in dogs.

Can a dog eat tomato sauce?

It depends! Your dog will be able to eat a natural and homemade tomato sauce, which is prepared without the addition of salt, preservatives and spices that can harm your health. However, you shouldn't give your best friend industrialized or synthetic tomato sauce, as these products contain artificial preservatives and additives that can cause digestive problems.

A good idea to prepare a nutritious dish to please your best friend is to make one. homemade tomato sauce with meat or chicken and serve it with pasta or brown rice. In this way, the tomato vitamins and fiber are added with the meat proteins and the pasta carbohydrates.

In addition, you can use pieces of raw ripe tomato as a positive reinforcement in your puppy's upbringing. Each time your dog performs a positive behavior or reproduces a dog obedience command, you can offer a piece of ripe seedless tomato to reward him and encourage him to want to keep learning.

Check out our YouTube video about 8 fruits a dog can eat, the benefits and doses:

If you want to read more articles similar to Can a dog eat tomatoes?, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.