As our close and loyal friends, we always want to share the best moments with our canines, including the foods we eat. And while most human foods work just fine for dogs, some can be toxic to them. But how about tomato soup; can dogs eat tomato soup?
Unfortunately, dogs can’t eat tomato soup. While it’s undoubtedly a delectable and healthy food for humans, tomato soup usually contains garlic and onions, all toxic to dogs. Giving dogs tomato soup puts them at risk of developing hemolytic anemia.
That means the next time you are enjoying this savory liquid and your four-legged furry friend tries to lure you into sharing some with them, don’t even think about it. Not even when your canine keeps persisting. Want to know more about why sharing tomato soup with dogs isn’t the best idea? Well, in this article, we will be digging deeper to find out why tomato soup shouldn’t make part of a dog’s diet. And just so you know, there’s so much to learn here, so stick around till the end!
Is Tomato Soup Harmful To Dogs?
Yes, tomato soup is harmful to dogs. Tomato soups typically come with garlic and onions as crucial ingredients. In fact, the two ingredients are the reason we keep admiring more and more of this soup. Unfortunately, they each contain sodium n-propyl thiosulfate, or simply thiosulfate, toxic to dogs.
You see, garlic and onions are members of the allium family. That’s the same family you find scallions, chives, shallots, and leeks, which are also fundamental for most dishes. However, one thing about all of these foods is that they are rich in thiosulfate, a very harmful compound to dogs.
So yes, eating tomato soup will introduce sodium n-propyl thiosulfate into a canine’s body system. The outcome? The red blood cells suffer oxidative damage! Let me break it down for you!
Sodium n-propyl thiosulfate is an organosulfur compound. It’s not dangerous to humans, but it is very poisonous to dogs. Once a dog ingests tomato soup containing either onion or/and garlic, this compound gets into the body. And when it does that, it will first target hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component in the red blood cells.
In the red blood cells, sodium n-propyl thiosulfate impairs oxygen transportation, causing the oxygen-carrying cells to rupture. What follows is that the body will respond by getting rid of the damaged blood cells, and that’s where hemolytic anemia comes in.
But again, this toxin isn’t the only threat; tomato soup also contains n propyl-disulfide, another harmful compound found in foods of the allium family. The second toxin affects canines much more than the first, making it even more likely for dogs to develop problems from eating tomato soup.
So, what happens when a dog drinks tomato soup? Is there anything one can do? When is it time to get to the vet? Well, every responsible dog parent will want to get the answers to all of these questions. The good news? They will all be coming shortly. But first, let’s see how much tomato soup is too much for pups.
How Much Tomato Soup Will Hurt A Dog?
About how much tomato soup will hurt a dog, we recommend not to give your dog even the smallest amount of it. You love your pup and don’t want to put their life on the line, so it’s best to avoid giving them tomato soup altogether.
You probably know that most of the foods considered toxic to dogs only attract issues with massive intakes. That’s because toxicity in the body increases with an increase in the amount ingested, so the more poison a dog eats, the more severe the repercussions are likely to be. The same applies to tomato soup. So yes, a small amount of this soup is unlikely to cause dogs any issues.
But again, it’s better safe than sorry. Anything that could harm your lovely Fido isn’t worth trying. Don’t take even the slightest risk. Each dog is unique, so your pup could develop life-threatening issues from taking the smallest amount of this soup.
Hematologic changes usually happen when dogs ingest onions or garlic equivalent to 0.5% of their body weight. To bring you into perspective, it will take a quarter cup of either of the two for hematologic changes to happen in a 20-pounder canine. Poisoning signs will obviously manifest in a much smaller amount.
Sure, dogs will never get that much from tomato soup. But again, we’ve said that no two dogs are the same. Tomato soup is toxic to dogs, so treat it with the same weight as you would xylitol or chocolate. Sure, technically, the two are more poisonous, but all are dog poisons.
What Happens If A Dog Eats Tomato Soup?
What will happen after a dog eats tomato soup can range from nothing at all to life-threatening conditions. In most severe cases, eating tomato soup causes hemolytic anemia, a condition that can result in internal organ damage, organ failure, or even at worst – death!
You see, there’s much to worry about when dogs eat tomato soup. It may not look like anything harmful; after all, it’s a typical human food. But again, things aren’t always as they look.
The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Centre (APCC) puts onions and garlic among the foods registering the highest cases of poisoning, so don’t take things lightly when your dog eats tomato soup.
Your dog developing hemolytic anemia or other possible outcomes could be one bowl of tomato soup away. Although it may take more for your dog to get the anemia, it still remains a possibility.
Most vets will tell you that hemolytic anemia from tomato soup will happen when your dog eats a lot of it at once. That’s true. But again, it can come about with small doses, especially where they are happening more frequently.
Besides hemolytic anemia, it’s also worth mentioning that pups can develop gastrointestinal (GI) irritation from eating tomato soup. GI issues happen when dogs eat anything “foreign” or a large quantity of something.
GI issues can also come from the salt, tomatine, and solanine in the soup. Tomatine and solanine are found in tomatoes, so you can expect the soup to contain small traces of them. But they don’t come in high enough doses in the soup, so they aren’t likely to cause GI issues or toxicosis in dogs.
What Are The Signs Of Tomato Soup Poisoning In Dogs?
The signs of tomato soup poisoning in dogs are simply the clinical signs of allium species toxicosis. They will take a few hours to appear, but some dogs may take up to a day before exhibiting any signs of poisoning.
The symptoms to look out for include but are not limited to;
- Lethargy
- Pale gums
- Increased heart rate
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Abdominal pain
- Red or brown color in the urine
- Lack of coordination
The list doesn’t end there. We have lots of possible outcomes of dogs eating tomato soup. When you notice any of the above signs after your dog eats tomato soup, it may indicate toxicity. But again, they can also result from an allergic reaction or an underlying medical condition, so don’t view things from one perspective.
Can Tomato Soup Give Dogs Diarrhea?
Yes, tomato soup can give dogs diarrhea when they eat plenty of it. You see, this tasty soup is like any other food. So, if a dog eats a lot of it, they are likely to experience gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea.
Diarrhea could come from the toxins in the soup. However, most of the GI issues after eating tomato soup happen from ingesting large quantities of it. The harmful compounds can still cause GI problems, but that’s very unlikely.
Diarrhea in dogs will only last for a few days and often doesn’t need any over-the-counter treatments. But beware; diarrhea can cause dehydration in dogs, so be sure to keep your pup hydrated. The best way to go about this is by providing them with small amounts of water but more frequently.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Eats Tomato Soup Accidentally?
After your dog eats tomato soup accidentally, you should monitor them closely for any signs of poisoning. Where the signs are mild, they will, most of the time, disappear on their own. However, where severe, you will need to take more stringent measures.
After a dog eats tomato soup accidentally, developing anything serious from it is very unlikely. But again, you can’t just take it in your strides and forget everything that happened. You have to keep a close eye on your pup, especially if the soup they ate had any harmful ingredients.
Monitoring your pup will help you to identify any signs of poisoning or allergy in the early stages. And as we all know, it’s easier and less expensive to deal with an issue of toxicity when discovered early enough.
Sometimes you won’t notice any signs hours after ingestion. That’s still normal. But that doesn’t mean that your dog won’t develop any side effects from tomato soup. As said earlier, signs can take even more than 24 hours before they begin to show.
When Should You Visit The Vet After Your Dog Eats Tomato Soup?
After your dog eats tomato soup, visit the vet if the signs of poisoning are severe or have lasted longer than you think is normal. The vet may ask you questions about the quantity of soup they ate, the ingredients, and other information they find necessary.
Where toxicity is from the onion and garlic in the tomato soups, we don’t have a specific antidote for that. The dog doctor will offer supportive care, including hospitalization and administration of intravenous fluids. In the case of hemolytic anemia, a blood transfusion may be necessary.
The vet may also decide to induce vomiting or administer activated charcoal to help get rid of the toxins. When they use this method, they are likely to prescribe a cathartic, a drug that catalyzes the excretion of the harmful substance.
Does Cooking Tomatoes Reduce Solanine?
While solanine in tomatoes won’t reduce with cooking, it gets lost in the water. That’s because this toxin is heat stable and will only decompose when cooking with temperatures of over 392 °F, almost impossible to achieve with boiling.
However, deep-frying over 392 °F will destroy solanine. Deep frying helps move this glycoalkaloid into the oil. However, solanine in tomatoes reduces as it ripens. Actually, the amount of solanine in ripe tomatoes is too insignificant to cause any poisoning in dogs.
Can Tomato Soup Be Healthy For Dogs?
Yes, tomato soup can be healthy for dogs. Sure, as seen, it often contains one or two harmful ingredients, but it still carries something essential for dogs. Tomato soup has vitamins A, C, and calcium, all essential for dog health.
But again, the amount of these nutrients and minerals in tomato soup isn’t large enough to make any significant difference in a canine’s health. In fact, there are lots of other dog-friendly foods that will offer all these nutrients and even more. So again, the benefit isn’t worth the level of risk involved.
Can Dogs Eat Campbell’s Tomato Soup?
No, dogs should not eat Campbell’s tomato soup. This canned type of soup is just as toxic as the homemade variety, if not worse. Campbell’s tomato soup contains ingredients, such as citric acid and garlic oil, both of which are toxic to dogs.
The citric acid in the canned soup is to keep it fresh for long periods of time. However, this acid is dangerous to canines as it can lead to depression in the central nervous system. So again, don’t think about giving your dog any of the canned tomato soups.
