Is Eggplant Toxic to dogs?

[Tayda_Lenny]

This morning I cut a whole eggplant into slices, dredged in egg, rolled in bread crumbs and pan sauteed them. Ate a couple and left the rest on the counter to cool off before putting them in the fridge. I went upstairs to shower and came down, put the dogs in the crate, gave them baby carrots as treats - Lenny won't eat it. I put a little dog kibble down and he ate a few but left the rest. very unusual for he is the dog that eats anything.

I went to the store thinking that I HOPE he didn't get into something that has blocked his intestines again…. came home, and noticed my EGGPLANT IS GONE !

ARGH!!!

I have their crate in the kitchen so they can look out the door wall while Im gone... earlier I put a bed on top of the crate so Lenny could lay on top of it. HE must have used that as a jumping off point to get to the eggplant on the counter because it is ALL GONE!

1. Is eggplant toxic to dogs?
2. Should I try to make him throw it up? He must be full!

[tanza]

It is NOT toxic to dogs, I feed it all the time. It is a typical "root" veggie…. and sounds to me like he had his "dinner" for the day...gggg

The worst you might have is "the runs" from something different or gas, maybe...

[Tayda_Lenny]

ok thanks…. well, if your dogs are like mine, they might also enjoy it dredged in egg, breaded and sauteed. lol. UGH.

his little tummy is so full that he doens't want to eat! now THATs a first!

[tanza]

@Tayda_Lenny:

ok thanks…. well, if your dogs are like mine, they might also enjoy it dredged in egg, breaded and sauteed. lol. UGH.

his little tummy is so full that he doens't want to eat! now THATs a first!

For sure… and by the way... root veggies are great for dogs with kidney problems as they are usually very low in phosphorus which is a problem that when there are kidney issues, they don't filter phosphorus. And since now I am cooking for Kristii that is in renal failure due to old age, she is on a phosphorus binder. But in cooking for her, I use lots of root veggies, very high fat ground meat (as in 20% fat in ground beef) and I saute the food in butter, another that is low in phosphorus. Might be something you want to tuck away for later with your Fanconi girl....

[nkjvcjs]

Eggplant isn't toxic, but I do try to avoid feeding too much of the edible nightshades to my dogs. (edible nightsades include: tomato, white potato, eggplant, and peppers). I will feed some, but not a lot, as high concentrations in the diet can increase inflammatory responses in humans. I don't know the effect in dogs, but I try not to feed too much just in case.

Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, so I do feed those, as well as carrots, and leafy greens and squashes.

-Nicole

[tanza]

@nkjvcjs:

Eggplant isn't toxic, but I do try to avoid feeding too much of the edible nightshades to my dogs. (edible nightsades include: tomato, white potato, eggplant, and peppers). I will feed some, but not a lot, as high concentrations in the diet can increase inflammatory responses in humans. I don't know the effect in dogs, but I try not to feed too much just in case.

Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, so I do feed those, as well as carrots, and leafy greens and squashes.

-Nicole

Interesting because white potatoes are the basic staple in many diets for Liver and Kidney disease. I don't use carrots that much because of the sugar content, but I do lots of squashes

[AJs Human]

Nightshade is the basis for Atropine, which slows the gut and dries mucous membranes. Bella Donna is the most powerful, but all potatoes (except yams and sweets), tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc are in the nightshade family and contain minimal amounts of Atropine.

Another use of atropine is to speed up a bradycardic heart. However, in field emergencies, if atropine is given too quickly, it will paradoxically slow the heart. The minimal amounts of atropine in potatoes and eggplant should be safe for a dog. Many dog foods use potato as the main starch. The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light.

[MacPack]

"The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light."

Thanks, Belinda, I never knew why you are not supposed to eat the green skin of a potato!

[nkjvcjs]

Actually, it isn't the atropine that I worry about. It is the alpha-solanine and its related alkaloids, whose activities aren't as well understood that are my main concern.
Again, I will feed small amounts, but I avoid feeding it a lot.

Found a fun link: http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je19.htm

-Nicole

[AJs Human]

Yep…that was a gas. The long and short of it is don't eat green potatoes.

[nkjvcjs]

Fun for me. I'm working on my PhD in pharmacognosy "the study of drugs from natural products"
I find it so fascinating.

-Nicole

[tanza]

@AJs:

Nightshade is the basis for Atropine, which slows the gut and dries mucous membranes. Bella Donna is the most powerful, but all potatoes (except yams and sweets), tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc are in the nightshade family and contain minimal amounts of Atropine.

Another use of atropine is to speed up a bradycardic heart. However, in field emergencies, if atropine is given too quickly, it will paradoxically slow the heart. The minimal amounts of atropine in potatoes and eggplant should be safe for a dog. Many dog foods use potato as the main starch. The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light.

OK well in all the receipes, for example Dr. Dodds, Liver diet, that white potatoes are the base of the diet.. it does say "remove skins" or at least it is implied. I have always removed potato skins before feeding them to the Basenjis… that say, I have feed peppers, tomatoes, eggplant for years to my kids with no problems. As they say, all in moderation

[AJs Human]

Then I would be preaching to the choir regarding foxglove, nightshade and ephedra.

My experience isn't that in-depth. I was a certified (certifiable?:D) EMT-Intermediate until recently. Once upon a time I had to take pharmacokinetics and pharmacology, but it was a while ago. You are correct: it is a fascinating field.

What I mostly saw in that article was elimination and half-life information. I didn't see as much information as I would like to have regarding actions and toxicity levels. Most of the testing was in rodents. Rodents have a much faster metabolism than dogs and humans.

[AJs Human]

Tanza: Until the late 1700's, people who ate tomatoes without dying were considered to be witches. European wisdom at the time was tomatoes, while a pretty plant, were poisonous. They had to be because they look so much like Bella Donna. That's why the immigrants of the time thought Indians were magical: because Indians ate tomatoes and peppers all the time. There isn't enough of the active ingredient in any of the foods you feed your kids to hurt them. Since you peel your spuds, you have nothing to worry about.