You Want To Keep Dogs Away From Your Garden Tomatoes - Here's Why

If you like sharing your food with your pup, you'll find many fruits and vegetables that are safe for dogs to eat. Tomatoes make the list, but only if certain conditions are met first. Dogs can benefit from the vitamins and minerals that this fruit (or veggie, if you're a nutritionist or chef) provides. If you have tomatoes growing in your garden, however, keep your dog away from them. Unripe tomatoes and portions of the plant can poison your canine companion if ingested.

The green portions of the tomato plant (the stem, leaves, etc.) contain toxins called solanine and tomatine that can cause a number of symptoms for your dog. These include muscle weakness, loss of coordination, diarrhea, vomiting, arrhythmia, and pupil dilation. Unripe (green) tomatoes contain these same toxins and are, therefore, equally as dangerous as the stems and leaves.

The good news is that a dog would have to consume a large amount of these toxins to experience these effects, which is unlikely. If you have a small breed, however, they could be more at risk for poisoning due to their size, so it's best to be on the safe side. Keep your pup away from your garden tomatoes, regardless of their breed.

If your tomatoes are ripe and ready to pick, you can safely share them with your dog after removing them from the branches and preparing them. Ripe tomatoes are glossy and slightly soft when you squeeze them. Most tomato varieties turn red-orange when they ripen, so be sure yours have reached this color before pulling them.

To prepare your tomatoes for yourself and your dog, remove all the stems and leaves. Rinse them under cool running water and gently rub them to remove any dirt. Cut them into small bite-size pieces, with consideration to your dog's size. You should also base the quantity on your dog's size. Small dogs that weigh under 10 pounds or up to 20 should eat no more than about two ½-inch cubes. Extra-large breeds over 91 pounds can handle five or six.

Ripe tomatoes in small portions are generally considered safe for dogs. However, if your canine exhibits any symptoms of illness after consuming tomato bits, such as vomiting, you may want to find a different fruit for your pup to snack on. For example, you can feed your dog apples if you cut them into small bites and remove the core and seeds first.