The growing usage of sweet potato in pet food formulation

Sweet potato is a rich source of vitamins A, C and B6 as well as potassium, calcium and iron, and supports a healthy digestive system thanks to its high dietary fiber content. This vegetable has a naturally sweet flavor which dogs enjoy, adds variety, and offers functional benefits by helping to create that crunchy texture that canines love.

Increasingly popular ingredient

A growing number of pet food manufacturers are incorporating sweet potatoes into their products as a carbohydrate source, including in treats and some grain-free or limited-ingredient kibble formulas for dogs with allergies.

The Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA) has noticed that this vegetable is an increasingly popular ingredient used in both fresh foods and dehydrated treats. “The swing towards sweet potato as an ingredient is firstly fueled by trends in the human food space, where it is seen as more nutritious than your standard potato, particularly as a source of dietary fiber,” says PFIAA President Michelle Lang.

Hypo-allergenic diet

Natalie Asaro, Companion Animal Nutritionist at Petcurean, a Canadian company that produces premium pet food for dogs and cats, highlights that sweet potatoes offer the flexibility to create a variety of recipes with different nutrient levels. They are often used in hypo-allergenic pet foods. “Potatoes are not considered to be a common allergen in dogs and cats,” she says.

However, some other experts point out that in rare cases dogs can be allergic to sweet potatoes. Possible symptoms of a sweet potato allergy include itchiness, paw biting, loose stool, vomiting and ear inflammation.

Overfeeding

Despite the benefits, pet nutritionists warn that sweet potato must be used in moderation. “Sweet potato is not a necessary food for a canine diet because it’s a carbohydrate and starchy food. Dogs don’t need carbs to survive; protein and fats are their main macronutrients and energy sources,” states Ruth Hatten, an Australian pet nutritionist and consultant who advises pet food manufacturers.

She points out that sweet potatoes turn into sugar in a dog’s body. “The starch feeds the harmful bacteria and yeast in the dog’s gut, which can bring about a yeast problem and then lots of itching,” she adds. Another thing to consider when it comes to the suitability of sweet potato for dogs is the high vitamin A content, she warns, since excessive vitamin A in the diet can lead to bone problems and muscle weakness.

Heart conditions

A 2020 study published in the peer-reviewed open access journal Veterinary Medicine and Science revealed that thiamine deficiency was found in a dog associated with exclusive consumption of boiled sweet potato. “Fortunately, it’s unlikely anyone is going to feed their dog exclusively sweet potatoes, so we need to take these studies with a grain of salt,” Ruth Hatten comments.

In recent years, there have also been concerns around the possible link between sweet potato and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a genetic condition in dogs that results in an enlarged heart. A study conducted by a Boston University in 2021 analyzed 800 compounds in grain-free dog foods that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) linked to canine DCM and found that sweet potatoes, peas and potatoes were frequently tied to this condition. However, most of the dogs (93%) were eating food that contained peas or lentils as a primary ingredient.