Can Dogs Eat Mashed Potatoes? What Is in the Bowl
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People ask us can dogs eat mashed potatoes at every holiday table, and for the bowl that is actually on the table the answer is skip it. The only mashed potato that is plain is a boiled, peeled potato with nothing stirred in, and almost nobody serves that at Thanksgiving.
A potato is not the problem. What gets mashed into it is. We make single-ingredient freeze-dried treats in Malvern, Pennsylvania. At shows we hear the same story each fall: the dog got a spoonful from the corner of someone's plate. This page walks through what is in the bowl, which parts matter, and what a plain version looks like if you want to make one.
Can dogs eat mashed potatoes: what is in the bowl
Holiday mashed potatoes are boiled potatoes beaten with butter and cream or milk, then salted. Many recipes add garlic or roasted garlic, and some add chives or sour cream. A scoop is mostly dairy fat with some potato in it.
The American Kennel Club, in its Thanksgiving food guide, writes: "Save the mashed potatoes whipped with butter and cream (and sometimes onions or garlic) for your own plate." We agree, and it is the short answer to the whole question.
Garlic, onions and dairy
Garlic and chives show up in mashed potatoes more often than people admit, and they are the ones to watch. The ASPCA writes: "Onion, garlic and chives are members of the Allium species of vegetables." Its list of people foods to avoid includes all of them.
Dairy is the other half. The ASPCA also writes: "Because pets do not possess significant amounts of lactase, milk and other dairy-based products can cause diarrhea." Butter, cream and sour cream are all dairy, and a well-made bowl of mashed potatoes has plenty of each. Ask the cook what went in before you decide, and if the answer is more than potato, it stays on your plate.
Gravy on top
Gravy makes it worse. A ladle of gravy is pan drippings, flour and salt, and it often carries onion from the roasting pan. The AKC avoid list reads: "turkey bones, skin, and gravy; stuffing; casseroles; mashed potatoes; creamed peas." That is one sentence from a longer list, and it names both the potatoes and the gravy.
A dog that gets potatoes with gravy on top has had two things from the avoid list in one bite. Keep the spoon out of reach and the plate off the coffee table.
What a plain mashed potato looks like
If you want to share potato with the dog, make a separate small portion before you cook for everyone else. Peel one potato and boil it in plain water, with no salt in the pot. Drain it and let it cool all the way. Mash it with a fork and nothing else. No butter, no milk, no pepper, no garlic. It will look dull next to what the family is eating, and that is correct.
Take the portion out before anything goes into the main pot. Rinsing a buttered potato under the tap does not remove the butter, and a scoop of the family bowl cannot be turned back into a plain one.
How much plain potato by dog size
Plain mashed potato is a bite, not a side dish. A common rule of thumb keeps all extras to about 10 percent of a dog's day, and a dog already eating its own dinner has little room left. For a plain cooled mash, roughly:
- Small dogs under 20 pounds: a teaspoon or two.
- Medium dogs, 20 to 50 pounds: a tablespoon.
- Large dogs over 50 pounds: two tablespoons.
Offer it as an occasional bite, not as a daily habit, and keep it away from the dog's regular bowl so the two do not blur together.
The first time
Give a spoonful or less, plain. Wait a day before offering more. Do not try it for the first time on Thanksgiving itself, when the dog is already sampling other foods from other hands. If your dog is on a special diet, ask your veterinarian before you begin. If you are curious about the orange version, our guide to sweet potatoes for dogs covers it.
Something for the dog while people eat
The dog at the table wants to be part of dinner, and a bite of its own helps more than a spoonful of yours. Freeze-Dried Beef Heart Dog Treats have one ingredient, beef heart, freeze-dried in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania. A piece is firm and snaps small, so one piece can become a few rewards. It is milder than liver.
Bags come in 1.5, 3 and 6 ounces. We list it for adult dogs and puppies of every size, and our scorecard gives it 5 of 5 for training value. The label calls it a treat or meal topper, not a complete diet, and asks you to supervise while feeding and provide fresh water. The Thanksgiving dog treats collection has the rest of our holiday picks.
Storing leftovers
Plain boiled potato keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for a day or two. Keep the dog's portion in its own container so it does not pick up anything from the family bowl. Once a bag of freeze-dried treats is open, reseal it and store it cool and dry.
Mashed potato questions
Can a dog have a little bit of regular mashed potatoes?
We say skip it. Regular mashed potatoes carry butter, cream, salt and often garlic, and a small scoop still has all of that in it.
What if the dog already ate some?
A lick from a dropped spoon is a different matter from a plateful. Find out what was in the bowl and how much was eaten, because garlic or onion in it changes the picture.
Are instant mashed potatoes okay?
They are seasoned and usually made with milk or butter, so they are no more plain than the homemade kind. Read the box, and only a bare potato qualifies.
Can dogs eat boiled potato?
Plain, peeled and cooked in unsalted water, yes, in small bites. Skip anything seasoned, buttered or fried.
Can dogs eat mashed potato with gravy?
No. Gravy is drippings, flour and salt, and the AKC puts gravy on its list of Thanksgiving foods to avoid. Keep it on your plate.
How much mashed potato can a dog eat?
If it is plain, a teaspoon or two for a small dog, a tablespoon for a medium one and two tablespoons for a large one, now and then.
