Are Tomato Plants Toxic To Dogs?
You just added tomato plants to your house garden, and you have curious pets and children. Yet, you are unsure whether these plants are safe for your pets and children. Understanding how safe these tomato plants are for your dog will help avert any potential crisis. This article explores the content of tomato plants and their toxicity levels.
Can Dogs Eat Tomato Plants?
Tomato plants are toxic to dogs, unhealthy, and unsuitable for pets. This plant has solanine, a component that acts as the plant’s natural defense mechanism. Ingesting this glycoalkaloid causes intoxication and poisoning to the dog, exhibiting symptoms like gastrointestinal upsets, heart conditions, and breathing difficulties.
The amount of solanine varies from plant to plant. For instance, leaves and stems have a higher concentration of this component than the fruit. Yet, you’ll expect solanine across various plants in the nightshade family, including eggplant, chilies, and potatoes.
Solanine makes tomato plants poisonous, meaning your dog could suffer various health complications and fatalities. Indulge professional assistance when your pet ingests any part of tomato plants.
Can Dogs Eat Tomatoes?
Ripe tomatoes are an excellent addition to your dog’s diet. While solanine is present in tomato plants, its concentration significantly declines in ripe tomatoes. The decline in this concentration makes the fruit less poisonous, meaning you can feed it to your furry friend.
At the same time, cooked tomatoes are safe and healthy for dogs, mainly when offered in moderation. You’ll need to give them out as treats or snacks. Supervising them during this feeding session will help avoid complications, including ingesting unripe tomatoes containing excessive solanine.
Symptoms of Tomato Poisoning In Dogs
Various signs of tomato and solanine poisoning suffice, varying with the dog’s age, size, and breed. Depending on the number of consumed tomatoes, these signs will also range from mild to severe. They include the following.
- Jaundice
- Fever and headache
- Cardiac dysrhythmia and heart complications
- Bleeding and excessive drooling
- Loss of sensation, numbness, and progressive paralysis
- Slowed pulse and breathing
- Vomiting
- General body weakness
Professional diagnosis is the best way to confirm tomato poisoning. An experienced vet will conduct a physical examination, including height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, temperature, breathing rate, and reflexes. Various tests, including blood count, urinalysis, and glucose level, will also suffice. A comprehensive examination allows the vet to establish the best medication or treatment.
What to Do If You Suspect Tomato Poisoning
Tomato poisoning, also called green poisoning, exposes your dog to multiple health issues and fatality risks. Taking immediate action will help avoid further problems, including death. Ensure you contact a qualified vet once you notice the symptoms above or suspect tomato poisoning.
A vet could sometimes induce vomiting and diarrhea, allowing the dog to flush out toxins from its body naturally. You could also consider using activated charcoal to bind any remaining poison in the gastrointestinal tract, avoiding further damage. Leaving the dog at the clinic could help the vet monitor its vitals until everything is fine.
Preventing Tomato Poisoning
Recovery from tomato poisoning is possible. However, you must be quick and take the dog to a vet as soon as possible to achieve this. Once the toxins are removed from the body, the dog will regain its health.
However, you can avoid all the hassle by embracing various preventive measures. The most rewarding approach is pet-proofing your garden, which requires putting a fence around your tomato plants and other nightshade family plants. You could also grow tomato plants inside pots and place them on elevated points.
Suppose you offer your dog ripe tomatoes. In that case, ensure all the green parts are removed to minimize exposure to solanine. At the same time, you must provide these fruits in moderation, preferably once in several weeks.
Final Thoughts
Nothing can be as depressing as having an unhealthy dog after eating toxic plants. While tomatoes and tomato plants are a perfect choice for the human diet, they have proven harmful for dogs because of their high solanine concentration. Embracing the insights above will be the first step toward cushioning your dog against such issues.
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