Potatoes are a common ingredient in lots of dog food, but can huskies eat potatoes on their own?
Huskies can eat potatoes in moderation as long as they are peeled and fried. Boiled or raw potatoes contain solanine, which can be harmful in large amounts, and it’s important to feed your husky a small amount of potatoes as a treat as they contain mainly carbohydrates.
Potatoes shouldn’t be an everyday treat for your husky as there are much better options that are more nutritionally balanced. Keep reading to learn about feeding huskies potatoes, including preparation, and what recent studies have to say.
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Recent Studies
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert about reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients.
I came across this on the American Kennel Club’s website, and it’s worth mentioning because it highlights how potatoes shouldn’t be a regular part of your husky’s diet where possible, especially as a treat.
UC Davis investigated this link, and I highly recommend reading their findings if you are interested.
There are many alternative treats you can buy that are nutritionally designed to be completely safe for huskies, and you can see our recommendations here.
Why Huskies Can Eat (Some Potatoes)
Huskies can eat potatoes because they are mainly carbohydrates, but they must be prepared properly to make them safe.
This is because potatoes are part of the nightshade family (like tomatoes), which means they contain something called solanine.
Solanine is found mainly in the skin, but it’s also present in the main part of the potato as well and is removed via cooking. Green parts contain the highest concentration of solanine, and it’s important to fry the potatoes rather than boil them, as this doesn’t remove solanine.
If your husky eats too much solanine, it can cause poisoning, leading to heart problems, breathing issues, and more.
It would take a lot of potatoes for this to happen, but it’s better to remove the solanine through peeling and cooking rather than run the risk of poisoning.
If Your Husky Is Diabetic
If your husky is diabetic, they should not be fed potatoes due to the blood sugar spike they will cause.
How To Prepare Potatoes For Huskies
Preparation is vital if you want to feed your husky potatoes safely; follow the simple steps below:
Remove The Skin
Always peel your potatoes and remove any green parts before feeding them to your husky.
The skin and any green parts contain the highest amount of solanine, and the skin itself can also be a choking hazard, so they must be removed.
Cook Properly
The best way to cook the potatoes is to fry them in the oven without anything added.
Boiling is not effective at removing the remaining solanine, and other methods are likely to introduce flavorings or oil.
Don’t add salt, herbs, spices, or cooking oil; cook them on their own in the oven until they are cooked all the way through, and wait for them to cool down before feeding them to your husky.
Anything that you are likely to season your potatoes with can be problematic for your husky. Garlic, for example, is toxic to dogs, and so are pretty much all herbs.
Nutritional Benefits Of Potatoes For Huskies
One small potato has the following nutrient profile:
- 107.5 Calories
- 25.01g Carbohydrates
- 2.14g Protein
- 0.39mg Iron
- 25mg Magnesium
- 50mg Phosphorus
- Other Vitamins And Minerals
Potatoes are great for carbohydrates but lack the essential macronutrients that huskies need, such as high-quality protein and fatty acids.
Potatoes contain a fair amount of micronutrients, but they should only be fed in small amounts to your husky (if at all).
How Much Potato Should You Feed Your Husky?
When prepared properly, potatoes should only be given to your husky as a treat. I’d also advise not feeding them potatoes often due to the previous warnings of a link to DCM.
This means they shouldn’t make up more than 10% of their daily calories, so one small potato should be more than enough daily.
Your husky should be getting most of their nutrients from a well-formulated, high-quality dog food containing all the nutrients they need, like protein and fatty acids.
Can You Feed A Husky Too Much Potato?
You can definitely feed a husky too much potato, and in the short term, it will lead to issues like constipation.
Over a longer period, it can lead to nutritional imbalances and other health issues, as highlighted previously.
Can Huskies Eat Mashed Potatoes?
Huskies can eat mashed potatoes, but all of the same rules apply, including not adding any other ingredients.
So, if your mashed potatoes have been prepared normally with milk, butter, and other flavorings added, they shouldn’t be fed to your husky.
Can Huskies Eat Fries?
Any fries cooked in oil or with salt or other flavorings added shouldn’t be fed to your husky.
These contain too much fat, and any flavorings that have been added could be toxic to your husky.
A Better Alternative
For three main reasons, sweet potatoes are a much better alternative to regular potatoes for your husky.
They Don’t Contain Solanine
Sweet potatoes are from the Morning Glory family, unlike white potatoes, which are nightshades.
This means they don’t contain any solanine, although it is still best practice to peel and cook them in an oven before feeding any to your husky.
Better Nutrient Density
Sweet potatoes are very similar in terms of calories, carbohydrates, and protein content to normal potatoes, but they contain much more Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, and Calcium, to name a few.
So not only do sweet potatoes not contain any solanine, but they are also healthier on a micronutrient level. However, they should still be fed in moderation as they are high in carbs and low in protein, which isn’t ideal for huskies.
Sweeter Flavor
Sweet potatoes have a much sweeter flavor than regular potatoes, which your husky might prefer.
Regular potatoes, especially with no flavorings added, can be pretty bland. Some picky huskies are not even interested in eating these types of potatoes, which is why sweet potatoes can be a great alternative to try.
In Summary
Potatoes can be fed to huskies when peeled and cooked in an oven without flavorings, but there are much better options.
Sweet potatoes are a great alternative that a similar in macronutrients but have more micronutrients, and regular dog treats are also a good option as well.
Check out some of our other recent articles on different foods huskies can and cannot eat below:
