Food
Can dogs eat tomatoes? Ripe yes, green no
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner · Updated October 14, 2026 · 3 min read
Can dogs eat tomatoes? Ripe, red flesh, occasionally, yes. Green tomatoes, stems and leaves, no, because they contain solanine and tomatine. For a small dog that's a slice or two, not a whole tomato.
- Yes: ripe, red tomato, a few pieces.
- No: green tomatoes, stems, leaves, tomato plants in the garden.
- No: ketchup, sauce, tomato soup, pizza.
- How much: 1–2 slices for a 3–5 kg dog, up to 3 slices for 8 kg.
Vomiting, diarrhoea, drooling, weakness, trembling or poor coordination after eating green parts of a tomato plant is a reason to see a vet.
Ripe vs green tomatoes
As a tomato ripens, the solanine and tomatine in the fruit go down. Ripe red flesh contains so little that a small amount won't harm a dog. The most is in the leaves, stems and unripe green fruit.
So tomato from a salad is fine, but tomato plants in the garden are not. A dog that eats the leaves or green fruit straight from the plant may get stomach and nervous-system symptoms.
How much tomato can a dog eat
Tomatoes have only about 18 kcal per 100 g, so calories aren't the limit here. Acidity is: in a small dog a bigger portion easily upsets the stomach.
| Dog's weight | Tomato per day |
|---|---|
| 3 kg | 1 slice |
| 5 kg | 1–2 slices |
| 8 kg | 2–3 slices |
My maltipoo weighs about 4 kg. We don't give her tomatoes.
Tomatoes in human food
The same tomato, once processed, is a different product:
- Ketchup and tomato paste: lots of salt and sugar.
- Pasta sauce, pizza: onion and garlic, which destroy a dog's red blood cells.
- Tomato soup: salt, cream, seasoning.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: fat, salt, garlic.
If your dog ate leftover pizza or pasta with sauce, the most dangerous part isn't the tomato but the onion and garlic.
A tomato garden and your dog
If you grow tomatoes, fence off the bed or supervise your dog in the garden. Puppies especially chew anything green. The same goes for potatoes: green parts and sprouts contain solanine too. More in can dogs eat potatoes.
The full list of forbidden foods is in what dogs can't eat.
Frequently asked questions
No. Unripe tomatoes, stems and leaves contain solanine and tomatine. In dogs they can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and weakness.
AKC — Can dogs eat tomatoes?; ASPCA Animal Poison Control — Tomato plant; NRC 2006 (RER). This article is for education only and does not replace advice from a veterinarian.
About the author
Igor, founder of ZoozyJars and maltipoo owner
I run ZoozyJars and live with a maltipoo myself. I write from my own experience and lean on the sources listed under each article.
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