Tomatoes contain many valuable vitamins and taste delicious. They are the most popular fruit used as a basis for sauces and are eaten boiled, raw, stewed, or steamed. However, what is healthy and delicious for humans is not necessarily good for dogs at the same time.
If you are questioning, "Are dogs allowed to eat tomatoes?", an important and short answer should be given in progress:
Raw tomatoes are toxic to dogs!
Read Also :Can dogs eat bananas?
Dogs and nightshade plants
Tomatoes are solanaceous plants. Within this family, there are over a thousand species. Not only food plants, but also ornamental plants can be nightshade plants. Nightshade plants that can be consumed by humans include:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Peppers
- Goji beets
- Eggplants
Solanaceous plants contain solanine, which is toxic to dogs, so dogs should not eat the fruits of these plants.
However, the riper the tomato, the less solanine it contains.
For each poison applies: The dose is crucial. Tomatoes naturally contain nicotine, and few people know this. We know nicotine from the tobacco plant. It is a neurotoxin that is highly addictive and causes smokers to smoke more and more cigarettes. Yet tomatoes are not toxic to us humans.
Tiny amounts of nicotine even lower the risk of Parkinson's disease when ingested through peppers, tomatoes, or potatoes in the diet. Therefore, you do not have to worry if food for the dog has a low tomato content or the playful four-legged friend swipes a tomato from the table against your will.
The most digestible tomato for the dog is in the cooked state. Especially if the peel has been removed and there is a high degree of ripeness.
None of these vegetables belongs in the bowl
As mentioned above, in addition to tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants are also members of the nightshade family, which contain solanine, which is toxic to dogs. You should not feed these vegetables separately and not raw, but if it is present in tiny amounts in the food, it is not a disaster.
Among the vegetables that you should also not feed, in addition to tomatoes, are avocados, beans, and all fruit seeds, as well as onions and garlic.