Potatoes serve us heavenly taste even when they grow underground. So the effort of pulling potatoes equally amounts to the measure of bringing a memorable dish in the kitchen.
A famous Irish proverb says that “It is easy to halve the potato where there is love.” And love begins when potatoes become French fries, mashed potatoes, potato salad, and even Tater Tots — a famous snack with a likelihood of potato nuggets, but only differ through shape and taste.
Of course, we definitely would love to suffice our buds with Tater Tots. But is it suitable for your dog’s appetite? Can dogs eat Tater tots?
Let’s park your guess first. With that, we design this article for you to know more about Tater Tots, their benefits, and ways to prepare them safely to feed to your dogs.
What are Tater Tots?
Tater Tots are famous potato-based snacks, usually served in French fries or used as a side dish. They are often made with potato flakes and deep-fried.
These days, there are also baked versions that make these much healthier when eating them.
This food may look like potato nuggets. However, their shapes are cylindrical, while the chunks tend to be round or ball-shaped.
Tater tots can also be found in canned versions, sold with other canned food items. These usually come with gravy and cheese sauce for added flavor.
Food family of Tater Tots
Tater tots are part of the food family of “processed potatoes” — potatoes that have been processed to remove the skin and most of its nutrients.
Among these are French fries, hash browns, steak fries, potato chips/crisps (British English), spiral potatoes, or potato crisps (the UK only).
Processed potatoes are a great source of nutrients and vitamins, such as Vitamin C, folate, or potassium.
They are also rich in carbohydrates and fiber, so they make a great addition to breakfast meals such as oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, etc.
Processed potatoes, like Tater Tots, usually engage in deep-fry cooking, high in cholesterol and fats. That’s why we bring this contention at hand: can dogs eat Tater tots?
Can dogs eat Tater tots?
Not only humans but also dogs can eat tater tots. Tater tots are easy to eat and chew — a suitable food for a dog treat.
As a dog owner, you have to emphasize the manner and preparation of feeding tater tots to your dogs.
This food has high-fat content, which is why it must be done in moderation. And also, processed tater tots contain high salt and sodium content, which are significant contributors to kidney issues or hypertension (high blood pressure).
In other words, moderation remains to be the mother of a dog’s diet. And with that, we list down some of the best ways to feed your dogs with tater tots:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Tater Tots
Feed as a treat only for every accomplished task
Do you aspire your dogs to be more efficient, responsible canine friends? The good thing about Tater tots is that you can use them as your dogs’ treats and rewards for every accomplished task.
This can apply to your dog’s training or simply as a reward — give them Tater tots whenever they do something good, like sitting down, staying still, etc.
This is also effective in curbing their food-motivated behavior, such as begging at the table when you’re eating.
Give as a side dish for dogs’ meals.
Tater tots are not only great feed for your dog but also delicious treats that can be served along with their main meals.
You can give them Tater tots when serving regular food such as rice, pasta, or even oatmeal! They will love it and may consider you as their best friend.
Create your own Tater tots recipe
There are a lot of ways to create your Tater tots recipe. The simplest way is by adding them to mixed vegetables and meat.
However, it may have too much grease. That’s why we recommend other alternatives below:
- Tater tot “poutine” — adding Tater tots in cheese sauce;
- Tater tot “tacos” or “soft tacos” — adding sour cream, lettuce, and other ingredients to make a taco;
- Tater tot “nachos” — adding cheese sauce or melted cheese on top of Tater tots.
Instead of using additives and preservatives, we recommend using organic ingredients, such as fresh potatoes, organic blue cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, etc.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Tater Tots
As we recently agreed that dogs could eat tater tots, we will spot the best reasons why you can feed this with your dog:
Potatoes are rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B-12, and other nutrients.
Potatoes have several vitamins and nutrients that dogs need, such as Vitamin C, which aids in the immune system; Vitamin B-12, which regulates metabolism in dogs’ bodies; potassium and dietary fiber for healthy digestive function.
Tater tots are easy to chew, even for dogs who have lost their teeth.
This food is inclusive for all dogs — even dogs who have lost their teeth. Since tater tots are easy to chew, this food is suitable for small-sized breeds or senior dogs who have difficulty chewing big pieces of food.
It is easy for dogs to digest Tater tots.
Tater tot’s starchy carbohydrate content makes it easier for dogs’ bodies to absorb and break down into simple sugars that are helpful in our dog’s digestive system.
Thus, tater tot can be used as a replacement for dogs who have digestive problems.
Maintaining a healthy weight with Tater tots.
Veterinarians highly recommend tater tot in preventing obesity among dogs because of its high fiber content, which can help boost our dog’s metabolism and digestion process.
As we know, the most common causes of obesity in pet animals are overeating and lack of exercise.
Possible Concerns When Eating Tater Tots
Beyond extensive benefits also comes with possible concerns when you feed your dogs with tater tots.
When you overlook your dog’s health while you continuously provide this food, the following health risk may arise:
Pancreatitis
This is one of manifesting concerns when your dog intakes too much fat and carbohydrates in one meal.
The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and lack of appetite; it may lead to pancreatitis — inflammation or swelling of the pancreas, fatal.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Feeding your dogs with too many processed foods can cause problems in their digestive system.
Even though tater tots are good for easier digestion, feeding this food continuously without any fiber supplements or exercise may lead to chronic diarrhea and stomach irritation.
Food Allergies
Dogs can also experience allergies which will affect their skin and digestive system. For example, feeding them with foods that they can’t efficiently digest and absorb may lead to food allergies — causing the immune system to attack cells in the body, thus resulting in skin irritation or diarrhea.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Tater Tots
So when the possible health concerns gradually occur, signs of sickness manifest first. The golden rule is to refrain from feeding Tater Tots when your dog suffers from the following:
Skin Irritation and Allergies
Allergic reactions to Tater tot are rare, but if your dog suddenly has skin irritation or allergies — then this is a sign that he may be suffering from food intolerance.
Even though the symptoms are not life-threatening, it still requires you to consult with vets and avoid feeding these foods for now.
Digestive Problems and Diarrhea
When your dog suffers from digestive problems or diarrhea — this may cause the nutrients in Tater tots not to be absorbed quickly.
Usually, you can stop feeding these foods for a few days and wait until their symptoms are gone before giving them another chance of eating the food again.
Decrease in Appetite
If your dog starts to lose his appetite— then this is a cause for concern. It may be the first sign of pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or other digestive problems leading to more severe conditions.
Again, consult with vets and feed them with the food they are not allergic to so you can determine what exactly is wrong with them.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Tater Tots?
No amount of pain and suffering could be contained when you see your dog suffering from sickness.
There may be first aid that can be done at home, but you should also consult with vets as soon as possible.
Vets will not only check if your dog has food allergies or intolerance — it may lead to more serious diseases that might require medication and changes of diet again.
When you consult your dog to the vet, take the chance to ask questions about how to feed them with the right foods that will help their health.
That way, you can learn more about dog nutrition and what kinds of food they need to keep healthy.
More importantly, make sure he gets plenty of sleep and be patient enough when administering medications, even though it can be difficult for both sides.
Avoid similar foods from this family.
Potato Fries
Deep-fried potatoes can cause the same digestive problems and allergies when your dog overeats them.
In addition, it may lead to chronic diarrhea or vomiting, so avoid feeding them with potato fries in the future if you see these signs on your dogs.
Potato Chips
Even though most people think chips are not as bad for their health, unlike potatoes — deep-fried foods are still not suitable for dogs.
The same goes for potato chips. Avoid feeding them too much of this food in the future to prevent health problems from occurring again.
Potato Skins
When you peel off the skin and feed it to your dog, he will only get dietary fibers that are great when eaten occasionally but may cause diarrhea when consumed for too long.
So when your dog develops signs of skin irritation or diarrhea, avoid feeding potato skins in the future.
Potato Wedges and French Fries
French fries are deep-fried potatoes that may contain high levels of sodium which can be potentially harmful when consumed excessively by dogs.
Potato wedges have similar ingredients to Tater Tots, but French fries have a higher sodium content, making them even more damaging.
How to Make Tater Tots Safe To Eat
They say action speaks louder than words. So, to emphasize our short discussion, we provide you ways how to prepare Tater tots safely for your dogs:
Offer lots of water after feeding.
To flush out remaining toxins inside your dog’s stomach, then it’s best to provide them with lots of water after you feed them Tater tots.
For sure, they will then feel better when they drink plenty of fluids even though their stomach is still upset.
In addition, we recommend offering warm water or chicken broth to help them rehydrate.
Feed smaller pieces for now
If your dog is still not feeling well, then it’s best to feed him with small pieces of Tater tots instead.
It will take longer before they can eat all the way through, especially if their stomachs are upset and cause vomiting or diarrhea afterward.
But this will help reduce the chances of your dog getting sick again after eating Tater tots.
Remember the golden rule.
Last but not least, remember these simple steps when feeding your dog with Tater Tots: “All dogs are different; what works for one may be wrong for another.”
What that means is that what is healthy for one dog might not be suitable for another. Thus, always consult with your veterinarian about your dog’s diet.
Key Takeaways
Tater Tots are famous potato-based snacks, usually served in French fries or used as a side dish. They are often made with potato flakes and deep-fried.
To answer our question, YES, dogs can eat Tater tots, emphasizing the manner and preparation.
This food has high-fat content, which is why it must be done in moderation.
The safe way to prepare this food is through feeding our dogs only with small pieces and constantly quenching their thirst with water.
Always remember the golden rule: “All dogs are different; what works for one may be wrong for another” — what is healthy for one dog might not be suitable for another.
Like any other food, when consumed too much, your dog may experience skin irritations and allergies, digestive problems, or a decrease in appetite.
So when in doubt, consult your vet first before giving them anything new to eat, or they will make you regret it later on with all the health problems that may occur after feeding Tater Tots and similar food.
To end, it is easy to halve the potato where there is love. And love starts when you take care of your dog with a heart.