Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. But, unfortunately, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. And love begins when you feed the right amount of tomatoes to your dogs.
Science proved that tomatoes are suitable for the heart. Therefore, our modern and traditional cuisines used tomatoes for spices and soups, such as tomato soup.
But one question remains tough — can dogs eat tomatoes?
While you’re reading this, make sure you have your pen and paper, as we give you notes about tomato soup and its suitability to serve them with your dogs.
What is Tomato Soup?
As the name itself implies, tomato soup is a dish that is made out of pure tomatoes. It is usually cooked with various ingredients such as garlic, onion, stock cubes or broth, and seasonings like salt and pepper to give the soup its distinct flavor.
The red color of tomato soup can be attributed to the skin removed from crushed tomatoes before cooking it down into a thicker consistency and the other ingredients.
This food contains a significant amount of lycopene — an antioxidant known to prevent cancer and heart disease.
It is more important to note that tomato soup is best served when it is warm and not cold, paired with dishes like grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, or other hearty dishes that can be eaten for lunch or dinner.
Food family of Tomato Soup
It is evident that tomato soup belongs to the food family of vegetables, specifically the “Nightshade family.”
Tomatoes are botanically known as Solanum Lycopersicum, and they belong to the plant genus called Solanaceae, one of three or four genera in this particular food family.
Other foods that fall under the same category include potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), eggplants (Solanum melongena), pimento peppers (Capsicum annuum), and chili peppers.
The Nightshade Family is the best source of nutrients. The Tomato Soup is rich in vitamins such as vitamin A, C, and K.
It also contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus, essential for maintaining a healthy body.
Can dogs eat Tomato Soup?
Yes, dogs can eat Tomato Soup provided that the ingredients mixed and used are organic, natural, and fresh.
Other ingredients must be free from preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors so they will not negatively affect your dog’s health condition.
To ensure that your canine gets enough nutrients from tomato soup, you can prepare one with organic beef broth, which is an excellent source of protein for dogs.
This ingredient should only make up a small amount of the Tomato Soup, and it should be fed to your dog in moderation.
Thus, if you don’t have any ideas on how to prepare, we created the best ways for you to serve tomato soup to your dogs:
Best Ways to Feed your Dogs with Tomato Soup
Cook using organic ingredients and spices
It’s best to cook tomato soup for your dogs using organic ingredients and spices. Organic ingredients are free from harmful pesticides that can be passed on to your dog upon consumption (and they could potentially cause severe health problems).
Preparation of the soup must also involve all-natural or organic spices like basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and parsley, which will help make up for the lack of flavor and taste when cooked with only organic tomatoes.
Add vegetables for extra nutrients
Dogs can benefit from adding other ingredients to their tomato soup, such as carrots, zucchini, or broccoli florets.
These vegetables contain high amounts of vitamin A which is essential in preventing cancer cells from growing inside your dog’s body.
Add protein to the Tomato Soup.
Aside from vegetables, it is also advisable to add protein to your dog’s tomato soup. Meat broth or low-fat beef are excellent protein sources for dogs, although they may not be suitable for vegetarians or vegans who have their own dietary restrictions when cooking food items that can be shared with pets.
Reasons Why Dogs Can Eat Tomato Soup
According to HealthLine, a reliable online health website, tomato soup is an excellent source of antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, E, lycopene, flavonoids, and many others.
So, the list just started. Here are reasons why dogs can eat tomato soup:
Good for the heart
Tomato contains healthy amounts of potassium, magnesium, and fiber, which can help protect your dog’s heart health.
Not only that, but tomatoes also contain Vitamin B (niacin) and folic acid — nutrients essential for keeping the heart healthy and maintaining low blood pressure.
Suitable for the digestive system
Tomato soup is also good for your dog’s health because it contains Vitamin C and fiber.
Fiber can help keep a healthy balance of bacteria in your dog’s gut while maintaining its immune function and preventing constipation or diarrhea.
Tomato Soup also helps improve bowel movement, making dogs feel “fuller” so they won’t eat up everything in sight.
Can prevent cancer cells from growing inside your dog’s body
Vitamin A is essential for preventing cancer cells from forming or multiplying, specifically during the early stages of development.
This nutrient can also help improve dogs’ immune systems, which means you will have fewer worries about diseases invading their bodies.
Possible Concerns When Eating a Tomato Soup
You know the good news brought by tomato soup for your dogs. However, at this point, we will identify possible health concerns which would occur after your dog has eaten tomato soup:
Abnormal heart rate
Tomato soup can cause abnormal heart rates in dogs, leading to an increase in the amount of blood pumped by their hearts.
It’s similar to consuming caffeine, but it’s a temporary issue and not life-threatening as long as your dog is still able to receive adequate amounts of oxygen from its lungs.
Gastrointestinal problems
Tomato soup can cause gastrointestinal problems because of the presence of damaging bacteria.
This will lead to vomiting, fever, and diarrhea, so you must find ways to prevent such from happening after your dog eats tomato soup.
In other words, you have to keep your dog’s immune system strong so that it can fight infection.
Can increase the number of stools in dogs
The presence of fiber contained in tomatoes might lead to additional stools excretion by dogs. This means that you should reduce the amount of tomato soup they give, especially if they are still puppies or old.
Generally, you should give your dog an amount of tomato soup that they can quickly process without causing indigestion issues.
Signs your dog is sick from eating Tomato Soup
Now, you’ve learned possible concerns arising after eating tomato soup. So, what do you think are signs that your dog is sick from eating tomato soup? Here are the following:
Seizures
If your dog suddenly experiences seizures, it is an indication that they are sick from eating tomato soup.
More often than not, dogs who have overeaten this food item can experience seizures due to vitamin A in tomatoes which may cause toxicity if consumed excessively.
Convulsions
Seizures and convulsions are common symptoms that can be seen in dogs after eating tomato soup.
However, it must be noted that these conditions may also occur when your dog’s anxiety level is too high or they are having a difficult time dealing with the heat of the day.
Vomiting and diarrhea
These two conditions often happen together, although each one could appear alone as well. If your dog is vomiting and having diarrhea, resulting in dehydration, then it’s time for you to get urgent medical care from a veterinarian.
Increased heart rate
An elevated heart rate may appear after eating tomato soup — like what we have discussed earlier in this blog post.
It should not be confused with other conditions such as anxiety, heart disease, or heatstroke.
What to do if your dog is sick from eating Tomato Soup?
To panic and get shocked won’t help your dog. Now that you are aware of what to do if your dog is sick from eating tomato soup, here are the following things which you should immediately take note of so they can recover soon:
- Get them emergency medical care as fast as possible
- Do not feed dogs for a day or two after vomiting and diarrhea episodes so their digestive system can rest.
- Give them electrolytes through the use of Pedialyte.
- Keep yourself from being overwhelmed by these symptoms. You know that dogs can recover from these health issues if you have addressed them immediately and seek medical help as soon as possible!
Avoid these similar foods from this family.
Tortang talong
Eggplant omelet is a ubiquitous Filipino dish. But, unfortunately, dogs cannot eat it as well because it contains solanine, which can be poisonous.
As already mentioned, dogs can eat tomato soup but only in a certain amount.
Baked potatoes
Like eggplant, dogs should not eat baked potatoes because this contains solanine which can cause health issues.
In addition, it also has a high level of phosphorus that may be difficult for them to process and digest.
Cauliflower
Now, cauliflower is another vegetable from the same family as tomatoes and eggplants. It contains solanine and should not be given to dogs as it may cause seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive drooling.
How to Make Tomato Soup Safe To Eat?
At last, we’re in the last portion. And it truly marks your concern and dedication to take care of your dog.
As a reward, we give you three life hacks to make tomato soup safe to eat:
Consult it with your vet first
If you are unsure what is safe to give your dog, then it’s time for you to consult with an expert.
They can provide their professional advice on the right amount they need and how often they should eat tomatoes in general.
Add some meat or fish into their tomato soup.
If you plan on giving your dog a bowl of plain tomato soup, then make sure they also get something else along with this food item, such as boiled eggs, ground beef, or salmon.
This will balance their nutritional requirement and make them feel full!
Serve at a cool temperature.
It’s best to serve tomato soup at room temperature not to feel too hot and consume it as fast as possible.
Plus, give your dog only small servings to help them maintain their weight and good health condition.
Key Takeaways
Tomatoes are suitable for a human’s heart. And it goes the same to dogs — a man’s best friend. So, yes, we agreed that dogs could eat tomato soup provided that the ingredients mixed and used are organic, natural, and fresh.
Tomatoes contain Vitamin C, E, lycopene, flavonoids, and many others. It’s good for the heart, digestive system and prevents the creation of cancer cells.
However, not all dogs can manage the goodness that tomato soup brings. At some point, dogs may experience seizures, convulsions, vomiting and diarrhea, and increased heart rate.
With that being said, you may safely prepare tomato soup when you add some meat or fish, serve at a cool temperature, or consult it with your vet first.
Because in the end, love begins when you feed the right amount of tomatoes to your dogs.