We already know that dogs can eat tomatoes. But what we’d like to confirm is can dogs eat tomato sauce, or is it toxic for them? Let’s find out…
It will amaze you the number of things that your dog can eat- from cooked meals to fruits, vegetables, meats, bones, and more.
Although most dog owners provide their pets with basic dog food, some like to go the extra mile by letting these animals eat various things.
Knowing whether a particular treatment will harm your dog is vital before feeding it with something you might live to regret.
Now, Tomatoes Are Great For Your Dog, Yeah?
Yes. And no. It depends on what you want for your pet. Let us break down the components of tomatoes.
If your dog chews or eats green tomatoes, it can be dangerous. Those green parts are concentrated with tomatine, and the compound is hazardous, especially for dogs. A dog can suffer anything from muscle weakness to coordination loss, seizures, tremors, and even GI (Gastro-Intestinal) effects.
The leaves and stems of tomato plants are also laden with another dog-harming compound called solanine. When consumed in enormous quantities, solanine can harm your dogs.
Red, ripe tomatoes, on the other hand, are delicious snacks or treats for your pet. They contain negligible amounts of any toxins which won’t affect your dog. However, experts expect you should give them to your dogs in moderation.
But Tomato Sauce? Can Dogs Eat Tomato Sauce Without Complications?
It is given that tomato is alright for your dog in moderation. How about tomato sauce? Can our four-legged friends eat these sauces without complications?
Let’s see what the ingredients include:
- Onions
- Garlic, and
- Chives
Although the amount of toxins that harm dogs in these additional ingredients in the tomato sauce is not known, they are known to be toxic.
This can harm dogs when taken, especially in large quantities.
Onions
Your dogs aren’t supposed to go anywhere near onions. Fruits like berries can be harmful to a dog even in small quantities because of the high toxin contents.
Onions, on the other hand, are harmful too, but in larger quantities.
Experts advise that raw onions are dangerous and affect the red blood cells of dogs negatively. While small amounts of onions eaten by a dog might not have an instant effect, it might have a cumulative effect.
It means that if your dog continues to take small amounts of onions, it will build up to a point where it will become problematic.
Garlic
Due to its effects on dogs, garlic is about five times more dangerous than chives and onions, although they all belong to the same family (Allium). Generally, dogs are sensitive to garlic.
However, several breeds are more susceptible to the root crop, especially Japanese dog breeds like Inu, Akita, and Shiba.
The effects of garlic on dogs cannot be taken with a pinch of salt. While there are bound to be gastrointestinal upsets, your dog stands the risk of anemia due to damaged red blood cells.
Besides these, there is also a chance whereby your dog suffers from kidney problems.
A school of thought agrees that small quantities of these crops can be beneficial to dogs. But when mixed in a tomato sauce, it is hard to know what quantity of it is.
Chives
Sometimes tomato sauce comprises chives. Chives belong to the same family as onions and garlic (Allium). And just like its brothers, chives are toxic to dogs.
Chives are normally absorbed into the body via the gastrointestinal tubules, and here they begin to break down into highly reactive oxidants.
The organosulfides dissolve into the bloodstream of dogs whether chives are cooked or uncooked.
The organosulfides are a poisonous compound that serves as protection for the chives plant against pests and insects.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Tomato Sauce?
Tomato sauce contains onions and garlic, and sometimes chives. These plants are highly toxic, especially to dogs and cats.
When chewed or eaten alone, it can pose a severe threat to the health of your pet. However, when used to make a tomato sauce, they might not be present in much quantity and might not be a severe threat.
If you let your dog eat a lot of tomato sauce, be sure it’s in moderation. Also, you should watch out for the symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, weakness, increased heart rate, and pale gums.
There isn’t a specified antidote for handling Allium poisoning in dogs. However, since anemia is a chief symptom of the toxicity of Allium, treating it could be the way out.
That notwithstanding, other things can be done to help your dog if it falls into tomato sauce poisoning. These include;
Decontamination
The Allium toxins contaminate your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. To perform remediation, you must carry out a vomiting induction. You must also inject activated charcoal into your dog’s system.
This will help in decontaminating the toxins from your dog’s bloodstream.
Administering Of IV Fluids
When your dog becomes poisoned because of overeating tomato sauce, it may suffer dehydration or hypotension. Intravenous Fluids come in handy in helping control these conditions.
If the dog has bouts of vomiting or suffers diarrhea, crystalloids are of great help.
Monitoring the Dog
Allium poisoning doesn’t fade away in a day like banana peels poisoning. You may have to spend days carefully observing your dog.
You will have to be continually checking its erythrina levels and administering antioxidants if necessary.
Final Thoughts
Dogs are cute creatures and deserve to be appropriately cared for, just like you would care for your child.
Just as you would watch your child picking stuff around the home and shoving it down their throats, you should also pay close attention to your dogs to avoid tragedies.
Dogs, unlike humans, have a much more sensitive stomach and more sensitivity to toxins that may not pose a threat to humans.
Therefore, it is essential to be careful the way you drop edibles around the home to avoid your pooh from munching itself into problems.
Since one cannot totally monitor these animals, it is important to have an experienced and licensed veterinarian attend to your dog immediately you notice any detrimental symptoms.
So, can dogs have tomato sauce? Yes, tomato sauce is a nice treat for your dog; however, it might be dangerous in large amounts.
