dogs and nightshades
Tomatoes are nightshade plants. There are over a thousand species within this family. Not only food plants, but also ornamental plants can be nightshade plants. Nightshade plants that are edible for humans include:
- tomatoes
- potatoes
- paprika
- Goji Beet
- eggplants
Nightshade plants contain solanine, which is toxic to dogs, which is why dogs should not eat the fruits of these plants.
However, the riper the tomato, the less solanine it contains.
The following applies to every poison: the dose is decisive. Tomatoes naturally contain nicotine, and few people know that. We know nicotine from the tobacco plant. It is a neurotoxin that is highly addictive and causes smokers to smoke more and more cigarettes. Nevertheless, tomatoes are not poisonous to us humans.
Tiny amounts of nicotine even reduce the risk of Pakinson’s disease when ingested via peppers, tomatoes or potatoes in the diet. Therefore, you don’t have to worry if the dog’s food has a low tomato content or if the playful four-legged friend swipes a tomato off the table against your will.
Tomatoes are most digestible for dogs when cooked. Especially when the skin has been removed and the ripeness is high.
None of these vegetables belong in the bowl
As already mentioned, in addition to tomatoes, potatoes and aubergines are among the nightshade plants that contain solanine, which is toxic to dogs. You shouldn’t feed these vegetables separately or raw, but adding tiny amounts of them to the diet isn’t a disaster.
Vegetables that you must not feed in addition to tomatoes include avocados, beans and all fruit seeds, as well as onions and garlic.