Is Tomato Sauce Harmful to Dogs?

Feeding "people food" to pets might seem like a special treat, but dog owners can easily poison their best friends with seemingly harmless table scraps. Pet parents can prevent unintentional poisonings by researching foods before feeding them as treats. Tomato sauce is among the foods that you should not feed to dogs, just like chocolate, grapes and raisins.

  1. Tomatoes: The Main Culprit

    • Tomatoes are toxic to dogs as they contain a compound called atropine, which is also found in the leaves and stem of the tomato plant. Atropine can cause serious health problems for dogs such as dilated pupils, heart arrhythmia and tremors. Some dogs can tolerate small amounts of atropine from red, ripe tomatoes, but it's safer to avoid it -- and that means keeping tomato sauce on people food and away from dogs.

    Other Dangerous Ingredients

    • Besides the tomatoes, tomato sauce may contain other ingredients which are hazardous to dogs. Tomato sauce is often seasoned with onions and garlic, both part of the allium species. If ingested by dogs, these foods may cause gastrointestinal effects, damage to red blood cells and trouble breathing. Some sauces may also contain mushrooms, another toxic food for dogs.

    Food Poisoning Symptoms Caused by Tomato Sauce

    • Dogs who have ingested tomato sauce may display gastrointestinal symptoms such as drooling, vomiting and diarrhea. They may also have dilated pupils, a decreased or irregular heart rate or difficulty breathing.

    Treatment of Food Poisoning in Dogs

    • If your dog has ingested tomato sauce or another toxic food and is exhibiting symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. If a vet is not available, consult the Animal Poison Control Center 24/7 at 888-426-4435. There is a fee of $45 per case. When calling, be prepared to give the amount of tomato sauce or other toxin ingested, the time elapsed since ingestion, the symptoms displayed, and the breed, age, sex and weight of your dog.