Every dog owner wants the best for their pet, and that includes supplying their canines with the best food and water. However, much of the information available about the best doggie diets is confusing and contradictory. You might find one source that recommends some human foods, like sweet potatoes, while another one says dogs should avoid human food altogether.
However, we’re here to tell you that dogs can not only eat sweet potatoes, but this snack is very good for them.
Read more to find out why sweet potatoes and white potatoes are healthy for your dog, as well as other key information about canine diets.
Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Sweet Potatoes?
While some human delights can make a fancy feast for your canine companion, others are less than ideal. Some can even be poisonous! Therefore, it is important to know exactly how your pet will respond to a new food before offering it to them, and this goes for potatoes as well.
However, sweet potatoes are not poisonous to dogs. Unlike the dreaded chocolate bar or the obvious household chemicals, your dog can digest and process sweet potatoes just like you can.
Note: According to research by the UC Davis School of Medicine, this food can, in rare circumstances, cause some significant health issues. Health issues like DCM or canine dilated cardiomyopathy tend to be genetic but can appear in new breeds due to potato and legume intake.
What Are the Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Dogs?
Sweet potatoes provide some valuable health benefits for your dog. These benefits are remarkably similar to the benefits that this food provides for humans. Here are just a few of the many benefits that sweet potatoes offer:
- Dietary Fiber: Assists the digestive system and lowers heart disease and certain cancer risk.
- Whole food carbohydrate: Provides energy without immune response or digestive tract damage.
- Vitamin A: Improves eye, muscle, skin, and nerve health.
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin C: Helps your immune system function by improving disease resistance and speeding up injury recovery.
- Beta Carotene
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Iron
- Carotenoids
- Antioxidants
- Phytochemicals
- Pyridoxine
- Magnesium
