Home / Can Dogs Eat / Mashed Potatoes
Yes, but only plain. Plain mashed potatoes made from fully cooked potatoes, with nothing added, are fine for dogs in small amounts. The mashed potatoes most people actually serve are a different dish: they are loaded with butter, cream, salt and seasonings, and that version is not for dogs.
Cooked potatoes are a fine treat for dogs when they are served plain and in moderation. The AKC says plain mashed or soft, cooked potatoes are fine in small amounts without butter and spices, and its Thanksgiving guide says you can share regular potatoes if you boil or bake them and serve them plain. Potatoes offer fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, iron and magnesium, but they are a treat, not a meal: they should make up only a small share of your dog's daily food, and a spoonful or two is plenty for most dogs. The potatoes must be fully cooked and soft enough to mash, so your dog cannot choke on a hard piece. Potato skins are fine too, as long as they are cooked and not green.
The mashed potatoes on a holiday table are almost never plain. Four things about the usual recipe are the problem:
Instant mashed potatoes follow the same rule, only more so: they are usually very high in salt and often list milk powder, butter flavouring, onion powder or garlic powder among their ingredients. And never pour gravy over a plain portion to make it taste better: gravy is fatty and salty and often contains onion, garlic or bouillon, so it turns a safe food into an unsafe one.
Set a plain portion aside before the butter, cream, salt and seasonings go in. Boil or bake the potatoes until they are fully soft, mash them with nothing added, let them cool, and offer a spoonful or two. That is the whole recipe. Do not add butter, milk, cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, chives or cheese. If the potatoes are already mixed with any of those, do not try to pick around them: serve your dog something else instead, such as plain turkey meat with no skin or bones, plain green beans, or pure pumpkin puree. Our Thanksgiving foods guide covers the whole table dish by dish, including stuffing and gravy, which follow the same plain-only rule.
Raw potatoes are hard for a dog to digest, and potatoes with green spots are unsafe: the green colour means more solanine, a naturally occurring toxin found in members of the nightshade family. If your dog eats a green potato, what happens next depends on how much was eaten and whether there are symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or muscle weakness. In that case, contact your veterinarian right away.
Do not wait for symptoms. Note how much was eaten and what was in it, especially onion or garlic, then call your veterinarian or a poison control line right away: the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. A consultation fee may apply on the helplines. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness, tiredness and belly pain. The effects of onion and garlic can be delayed by days, and pancreatitis can show up one to three days after a fatty meal, so a dog that seems fine on the night still needs a call. Do not try to make your dog vomit unless a veterinarian tells you to. Our emergency guide covers the general steps for anything a dog should not have eaten.
Safe Thanksgiving foods with their own guides: cranberries, carrots, peas and apples, each with its own serving rules. Back to all food safety guides.
Yes, but only if they are plain. Plain mashed potatoes made from fully cooked potatoes, with no butter, milk, cream, salt or seasonings, are fine for dogs in small amounts. Typical mashed potatoes served at a meal are not plain, so they are not for dogs.
No, not the usual kind. Thanksgiving mashed potatoes almost always contain butter, cream or milk, salt, and often onion or garlic, and all of those make them unsafe or unhealthy for a dog. Set a plain portion aside before the butter and seasonings go in if you want to share.
No. Instant mashed potatoes are usually very high in salt and often contain milk powder, butter flavouring, onion powder or garlic powder. They are a worse choice than homemade, so skip them.
No. Butter adds a lot of fat, and fatty food can upset a dog's stomach and can trigger pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas that often shows up one to three days after the meal. Serve the potatoes plain instead.
No. Gravy is fatty and salty and often contains onion, garlic or bouillon, so pouring it over plain potatoes turns a safe food into an unsafe one. Our guide explains why: can dogs eat gravy.
No. Raw potatoes are hard to digest, and potatoes with green spots contain solanine, a naturally occurring toxin. Only fully cooked, plain potatoes are safe, and green or raw potatoes should never be fed.
A spoonful or two is plenty for most dogs. Potatoes should be an occasional treat, not part of the meal, and they should make up only a small share of your dog's daily food. Too much can lead to an upset stomach or weight gain over time.
Note how much was eaten and what was in it, especially onion or garlic, then call your veterinarian or a poison control line right away. Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, belly pain, weakness and tiredness. The effects of onion and garlic can be delayed by days, so a dog that seems fine on the night still needs a call.
This page is general information drawn from the published guidance of the organisations listed under Sources below. It is not veterinary advice, and it does not replace your own veterinarian, who knows your dog. If your dog has eaten something toxic, contact your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661 straight away. A consultation fee may apply on the helplines.
Last updated: November 2026. Every verdict on this page was checked against at least two of the sources listed above. How we work: our methodology.
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