Has your dog ever been curious about the jar of red tomato paste you keep on your kitchen counter? There’s a good chance they’ve been tempted to give it a sniff or even a quick taste. But can dogs eat tomato paste safely? Well, if your pup is not very finicky (although some dogs are), then you could give him a taste of tomato paste. It won’t kill him, but it probably won’t provide him with any health benefits, either.

Many dogs love the smell and taste of tomato paste. In fact, when it’s in a dish, sometimes they’ll even lick the dish clean! But the same tomato paste could turn out to be dangerous for your dog if they eat more than a teaspoon or two at a time.

In this article, we’ll talk about five things you need to avoid when feeding tomato paste to dogs. Let’s dive in!

1. Feeding Too Much

Since tomato pastes are awfully concentrated, it’s important that you never allow your dog to eat more than just a teaspoon or two of the paste at any given time. If you do, then it could cause the same symptoms as if they were eating onions – vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. It’s also possible that the levels of acidity in the paste could cause ulceration to occur on your dog’s stomach or intestines. So, while the occasional taste of tomato paste is probably fine for your dog, giving them more than a couple of spoons in one sitting could be harmful or even lethal in some cases.

2. Feeding Store-Bought Tomato Paste

Most of the commercial tomato pastes you get from the supermarket contain vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, and citric acid which are likely to cause digestive problems in your dog. In fact, according to a study on Canine Gastritis by David and Craig at Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, citric acid is one of the major causes of gastritis in small dogs. Gastritis is an inflammation of your dog’s stomach lining that can cause vomiting and diarrhea after eating something acidic like a store-bought tomato paste.

3. Adding Onion and Garlic to Your Homemade Tomato Paste

Now that you know commercial tomato pastes are not healthy for your dog, you might be tempted to make your own tomato paste at home. Be careful though! Adding onion or garlic to your homemade tomato paste could be risky for your dog. Why? Well, they are both highly toxic to dogs. A dog’s metabolism doesn’t digest onion and garlic well, so it could build up in their system causing them to become lethargic, have diarrhea, or even go into anemia. Therefore, instead of adding onion or garlic to your homemade tomato paste, try adding small amounts of fresh herbs like basil or oregano, instead.

4. Feeding Tomato Paste to Dogs with Stomach Problems

If your dog has stomach problems (like hypothyroidism), then it’s not a good idea to feed them tomato paste at all. Some dogs, especially those who have a history of stomach problems or food allergies, are more likely to suffer from digestive upset after eating tomatoes. If you’ve previously given your dog tomato paste and he experienced any discomfort afterward, it’s likely that he has a sensitivity to the acidity in the tomatoes.

5. Feeding Sun-Dried Tomato Paste

Although it’s perfectly fine for your dog to occasionally snack on dried tomatoes, it could be harmful if they eat dried tomato paste. It’s true that dried tomatoes are much more intense in flavor than fresh ones. Remember how citric acid is one of the primary causes of gastritis in small dogs? Well, sun-dried tomatoes are fairly acidic themselves. If you give your dog a large amount of sun-dried tomato paste, then it could cause them to experience gastritis and indigestion.

Conclusion

As you can see, it’s perfectly fine to give your dog a taste of tomato paste once in a while instead of feeding them commercial pet foods all the time. But it’s important to be careful when feeding them tomato paste to avoid the hazards that come with it. So, if you have a dog that just can’t get enough of that delicious red paste, just remember to avoid the five things we mentioned above and you’ll be able to prevent your dog from getting sick or worse yet, a fatal infection.

Thank you for reading the article.

To explore more, check out our other tomato-related dog articles.

Have you ever fed your dog tomato paste? How did it work out? What did you observe in your dog after feeding it? We’d love to hear your story. Please leave a comment below to let us know!