Potato

1,023 foods contain this ingredient

Vegetable

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About Potato

Potato is a starchy tuber used in pet food to supply carbohydrate energy and structure, often in grain-free recipes.

Potato is commonly used in pet foods as a digestible carbohydrate source and functional binder, supplying starch, fiber, and modest amounts of vitamins (B6, C) and potassium—often included as cooked or dehydrated flakes, starch, or protein concentrates. While it provides energy and helps formulate grain‑free recipes, potatoes are not a primary protein for dogs or cats (and are not nutritionally required for obligate‑carnivore cats), can contribute to excess calories or affect blood glucose in diabetic animals, and must be cooked and free of green skins or sprouts to avoid solanine toxicity; allergies are uncommon but possible.

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Derived from: cooked, dehydrated, or processed potato tubers (flakes, starch, or protein concentrate)
Primary role: carbohydrate energy source and kibble binder

Why it's used

Cooked potato contributes digestible starch that helps bind kibble and provides an accessible energy source, along with modest potassium and vitamin content. It is a common carbohydrate base in grain-free formulas that swap out cereal grains.

Common concerns

Solanine in green or sprouted potato The green portions, sprouts (eyes), and skins of a potato concentrate the glycoalkaloid solanine, which the ASPCA lists potato plant parts as toxic to pets, and Merck Veterinary Manual sources note this compound is heat-stable, so cooking alone does not fully remove it from those parts.
Not a protein source for cats Cats are obligate carnivores that require animal-derived taurine and cannot rely on potato or other plant starches to meet their core amino acid needs, per ASPCA nutrition guidance.
Calorie and blood glucose considerations As a starch-dense ingredient, potato adds calories that may need to be accounted for in pets managing weight or blood glucose, a topic best discussed with a veterinarian for individual diets.

Also relevant

Properly cooked, peeled potato flesh is the form used in commercial pet food and is distinct from raw potato plants or green tubers.

3 sources cited