Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes?

Our paw buddies love eating everything their humans eat, whether sweet treats like candy, chocolate, or fruits and vegetables. Even though looking at us enjoy those doesn’t mean our dogs will experience the same thing. Especially when it comes to fruits, some of them are great for your dog’s health, and some will even lead to fatal issues. For instance, dogs can eat mango, but grapes and raisins are dangerous. So how about tomatoes? Can dogs eat tomatoes?

Well, the answer depends on the situation.

You will get a yes and no answer to this question. The reason is dogs can eat tomatoes but just with a small amount. And the most important thing is that only ripe tomatoes are safe to feed your dogs.

In fact, the health benefits of tomatoes make them such a healthy snack for your dogs to eat in the proper quantities. Ripe tomatoes are rich in nutrition, low in calories, and high in fiber which is very good for a dog's digestion.

The vitamin A and C found in ripe tomatoes support vision and skin health. Plus, tomatoes contain lycopene which is great in helping reduce the heart disease risk in dogs.

Green tomatoes or any green parts of a tomato, on the other hand, are toxic for dogs since those green parts contain a high amount of solanine and tomatine toxins. It means your dogs will suffer tomatine poisoning if they accidentally ingest the green, young tomato or its leaves and stems.

Also, eating too many tomatoes may cause stomach upset. If your dog has gastrointestinal problems such as gastroenteritis, it’s best to remove tomatoes from your dog's diet altogether, as they can worsen their sensitive stomach.

Just like other treats, you should occasionally feed tomatoes for your dogs in moderation and under supervision.

You should dice the tomato into small pieces to make it easier for your dog to swallow. You also need to watch your dog if this is your first time feeding them tomatoes to see how your dog reacts.

Try to keep the tomatoes out of your dog’s reach as much as possible. When you cook something with tomatoes, don’t put them on the table or counter where your dog can easily grab them. If you have a garden in the backyard planting tomatoes, you should build a frame to avoid your dog's access and eat the unripe ones.

• Can dogs eat sun-dried tomatoes?

=> Yes, you can feed your dog sun-dried tomatoes. However, you should give them just a small amount as a fun or training treat and only two to a maximum of three times a week.

• Can dogs eat tomato soup?

=> In general, Tomato soup, ketchup, or sauces aren’t good for your dogs due to their added artificial flavors or chemicals, sugar, and salt. Yet, the small amount of tomato-based products isn’t likely to harm your dogs. So you can consider occasionally adding some of it to your dog's diet to diversify his meal.

• Can dogs have tomato juice?

=> Yes, if it’s made from pure fresh ripe tomatoes without added salt. Just a couple of licks is good enough for your dogs.