Posted by Jamie Sinclair
on September 12, 2026
Yes, dogs can eat potatoes — but only plain and fully cooked, never raw. There's also a separate, less-discussed issue worth knowing: potatoes as a major daily diet ingredient (not an occasional treat) have been part of an ongoing FDA investigation into heart disease in dogs.
Written by Jamie Sinclair, who writes about canine health, nutrition, and everyday care for Doggy Dailies — focused on translating veterinary research and real ingredient science into practical, honest guidance UK dog owners can use. Last updated 12 September 2026.
Table of Contents
- Why Raw Potatoes Are a Genuine Problem
- Cooked Potatoes — What's Actually Safe
- Potato Skins and Green Potatoes
- The Bigger Issue: Potato-Heavy Diets and Canine Heart Disease
- Occasional Treat vs Daily Diet — Why the Distinction Matters
- Hidden Potato in Treats, Chews, and Kibble
- A Note for Diabetic Dogs
- How to Serve Potatoes Safely
- What About Sweet Potatoes?
- Signs of Solanine Poisoning
- When to Talk to Your Vet
- FAQ
Why Raw Potatoes Are a Genuine Problem
Potatoes belong to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines, and contain a naturally occurring compound called solanine — a defence chemical the plant produces to deter pests. Raw potatoes contain considerably more solanine than cooked ones, and it's concentrated particularly in the skin, sprouts, and any green-tinged flesh. In meaningful amounts, solanine can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, and, in more serious cases, affect the nervous system. Raw potato is also simply harder to digest and chew than cooked, adding a choking and blockage risk on top of the solanine issue.
Cooked Potatoes — What's Actually Safe
Plain, fully cooked potato — boiled, baked, or steamed, with the skin removed and no butter, salt, oil, or seasoning — is safe for most dogs in small, occasional amounts. Cooking significantly reduces the solanine content, though it doesn't eliminate all risk from green or sprouted potatoes (see below). Potato offers some genuine nutritional value: it's a source of carbohydrate energy, vitamin C, and potassium, though none of this makes it a necessary addition to a diet already based on a complete, balanced dog food.
Potato Skins and Green Potatoes
Potato skins contain both concentrated solanine and oxalates, and are generally best removed before feeding, even from a cooked potato. Any potato showing a green tinge to the skin, or visible sprouting "eyes," has a meaningfully higher solanine content throughout — cooking these potatoes does not reliably bring the solanine down to a safe level, so green or sprouted potatoes are best discarded entirely rather than fed to your dog in any form.
The Bigger Issue: Potato-Heavy Diets and Canine Heart Disease
This is a genuinely important angle most "can dogs eat potatoes" guides skip past entirely, and it's a different question from whether an occasional cooked potato treat is safe. Since 2018, the US FDA has been investigating a potential link between certain grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a serious heart condition, in dogs — specifically diets where legumes (peas, lentils, chickpeas) or potatoes appear as primary ingredients (within the first ten on the label). In its analysis of reported cases, the FDA found more than 90% of the implicated foods were grain-free, 93% contained peas and/or lentils, and 42% contained potatoes or sweet potatoes. Notably, many of the affected dogs were breeds not previously known to be genetically predisposed to DCM.
The research picture has genuinely developed since the original 2018 alert. A June 2026 research synthesis from Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, reviewing more than 30 published studies, found that diet-associated DCM continues to appear in both grain-free and grain-inclusive diets, and that the consistent common thread across cases has been diets high in pulse ingredients (peas, lentils, chickpeas), often alongside potatoes — rather than the absence of grain itself being the operative factor. The research has also moved away from an earlier taurine-deficiency theory, since most affected dogs in recent case series have had normal taurine levels. As of 2026, the exact mechanism remains unconfirmed and the investigation is still considered open, without a definitive causal conclusion.
Occasional Treat vs Daily Diet — Why the Distinction Matters
It's genuinely important not to conflate these two very different things. An occasional small piece of plain, cooked potato as a treat is not the same exposure as a dog eating a commercial food where potato or potato starch is listed as one of the first few ingredients, day after day, for months or years — which is the pattern the FDA's investigation and the DCM research have actually focused on. If your dog's regular food lists peas, lentils, or potatoes prominently among the first ingredients, it's worth discussing with your vet whether that formulation is appropriate, particularly if your dog isn't on that diet for a specific, vet-confirmed grain allergy. This isn't a reason to panic over a dog who's had the odd bit of potato from your plate — it's a reason to think about potato's role in a dog's everyday, ongoing diet rather than as an occasional extra.
Hidden Potato in Treats, Chews, and Kibble
Given the FDA's ingredient-list criteria centre on where potato sits among the first ten ingredients, it's genuinely worth actually checking labels rather than assuming a food is fine because it isn't marketed as "potato-based." Potato starch and potato protein are common binding and texture ingredients in a wide range of dry treats, dental chews, and grain-free kibble — sometimes appearing under names like "potato starch," "potato flour," or "dehydrated potato" rather than the word "potato" itself, and sometimes appearing more than once in slightly different forms within the same ingredients list, which can push the cumulative potato content higher than it first appears from a single listing. This is worth a genuine check for any dog already eating a grain-free diet, rather than assuming treats are a separate, negligible addition.
A Note for Diabetic Dogs
Potatoes are relatively high on the glycaemic index and can cause a noticeable rise in blood sugar. Dogs with diabetes are generally better off avoiding potatoes altogether, or only having them with specific veterinary guidance on how they fit into an individual dog's blood sugar management.
How to Serve Potatoes Safely
- Always cook thoroughly — boiled, baked, or steamed
- Remove the skin before serving
- Never use green or sprouted potatoes in any form
- Serve plain — no butter, salt, oil, or seasoning
- Keep portions small and occasional, not a regular daily addition
- Avoid fried preparations (chips, crisps, roast potatoes in oil) entirely
What About Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are a different plant family (not a nightshade) and don't contain solanine, making them a generally gentler option — but they still need to be cooked and peeled, since raw sweet potato is hard to digest and the skin can be difficult to chew. Sweet potato is also relatively high in natural sugar, so the same moderation applies, particularly for diabetic dogs, and it's also sometimes used as a primary ingredient in grain-free foods, so the same DCM-research context above applies to sweet potato-heavy diets too.
Signs of Solanine Poisoning
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Drowsiness or lethargy
- Confusion or disorientation
- Weakness
- In severe cases, tremors or neurological symptoms
When to Talk to Your Vet
If your dog has eaten a raw, green, or sprouted potato, or a significant amount of potato skin, contact your vet, particularly if you notice any of the signs above. It's also genuinely worth a conversation with your vet if your dog's everyday food lists potatoes or legumes prominently among the first ingredients, especially for breeds not typically at higher genetic risk of heart disease, given the ongoing DCM research discussed above.
FAQ
Can dogs eat raw potatoes?
No. Raw potatoes contain significantly more solanine than cooked ones, and it's a genuine toxin that can cause vomiting, lethargy, and in severe cases neurological symptoms.
Is there really a link between potatoes and heart disease in dogs?
The FDA has investigated an association between diets with potatoes or legumes as primary ingredients and dilated cardiomyopathy since 2018. The exact mechanism isn't confirmed and the investigation remains open, but 42% of implicated foods contained potatoes.
Does an occasional potato treat carry the same risk as a potato-heavy diet?
No, these are genuinely different. The DCM research has focused on diets where potatoes or legumes are primary, everyday ingredients, not occasional treats from your plate.
Should I check treat labels for hidden potato?
It's worth it if your dog is already on a grain-free diet. Potato starch or flour appears in many dry treats and chews, sometimes more than once in an ingredients list, which can add up.
Are sweet potatoes safer than regular potatoes for dogs?
Sweet potatoes don't contain solanine since they're not a nightshade, making them gentler in that respect, but they still need to be cooked and peeled, and the same diet-pattern considerations apply if used as a primary food ingredient.
Can dogs eat green potatoes if cooked?
No. Cooking doesn't reliably reduce solanine to a safe level in green or sprouted potatoes. These should be discarded entirely rather than fed in any form.
Sources
- US FDA — Investigation into Potential Link Between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (2026 research synthesis)
This article is for general information and isn't a substitute for advice from your vet, particularly regarding your dog's specific diet formulation.
