Sweet Potatoes in dog and cat food

Is it OK for dogs and cats?

Dogs

Cooked sweet potato in a complete dog food is a digestible carbohydrate source. Sweet potato on its own is not a complete diet: one dog fed almost nothing but boiled sweet potato for four weeks developed thiamine deficiency. FDA grouped sweet potatoes with potatoes in its open DCM review and has not identified a cause. It said in December 2022 it would post further updates only when there is meaningful new science.

Cats

Cats cannot turn beta-carotene into vitamin A, so the carotene in sweet potato does not cover a cat's vitamin A need; cats need preformed vitamin A in their food. In a 28-day study in young cats (six per diet), those fed a food with dried sweet potato as its only starch source grew normally, had normal stools and digested the starch well.

How settled this is: Under investigation — not settled

What sweet potatoes is

Sweet potatoes are the storage roots of Ipomoea batatas; these roots are often loosely called tubers. The plant belongs to the morning-glory family (Convolvulaceae), while ordinary potatoes are a different plant, Solanum tuberosum. The EU Catalogue of feed materials lists sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) as a feed material in any presentation, separately from potatoes. Flesh colour varies between varieties, including white, yellow, orange and purple.

Why it is in pet food

Sweet potatoes are used as a carbohydrate source; in one cat study, dried sweet potato was the only starch source in a test diet. Among foods named in DCM reports to FDA up to April 2019, 91% were grain-free and 42% contained potatoes or sweet potatoes.

What it does in the food

Sweet potatoes consist mainly of carbohydrate (sugars and starch), with smaller amounts of protein, fibre, fat and minerals. Orange-fleshed varieties are the richest in beta-carotene, and carotenoid content varies widely with variety and processing. Dogs can use beta-carotene from plants as a source of vitamin A. Cats cannot, because they lack the intestinal enzyme that splits beta-carotene. They need preformed vitamin A from sources such as liver, fish oil or added vitamin A. In a cat study, a diet with dried sweet potato as its only starch source had the highest degree of starch gelatinisation of five diets (90%). Its starch digestibility was about 98%, similar to the other diets.

Safety and limits

Sweet potato alone is not a complete food. A published case described a 5-year-old Maltese that developed seizures and thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency after being fed almost nothing but boiled sweet potato for four weeks. It recovered with thiamine treatment and a change to a balanced commercial dog food. Thiamine deficiency generally does not develop in dogs and cats fed properly prepared complete and balanced commercial diets. Dogs and DCM: in its label review of foods named in DCM reports (2014 to April 2019), FDA counted sweet potatoes together with potatoes. 42% of products contained either, against 93% with peas and/or lentils. FDA has not identified a cause and said in December 2022 that it does not intend to release further public updates until there is meaningful new scientific information. Cats: 9 of 524 DCM reports to FDA up to April 2019 involved cats, and FDA notes cats are generally more likely to develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In a 28-day study of 30 young cats (six per diet) on five diets, the sweet potato diet did not affect growth or stool scores.

What depends on the amount and the recipe

Several things matter. Whether sweet potato is part of a complete and balanced diet or fed on its own (a diet of almost only sweet potato led to thiamine deficiency in one dog). Cooking, since properly cooked starch is well digested. The species, since cats need preformed vitamin A whatever the beta-carotene content. The variety, since orange flesh carries the most beta-carotene. And how prominent potatoes, sweet potatoes and pulses are in the recipe, the pattern FDA's DCM review looked at. The cat feeding study cited here was small and short (six cats per diet, 28 days) and was run with a pet food manufacturer.

Not the same as

• Potatoes — A different plant, Solanum tuberosum, with its own feed-catalogue entries; sweet potatoes belong to the morning-glory family.
• Tapioca starch — Comes from cassava (manioc) roots, Manihot esculenta, not from sweet potatoes.

Sources

1. Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1104 amending Regulation (EU) No 68/2013 on the Catalogue of feed materials (Official Journal L 177, 4.7.2022) — European Commission / Publications Office of the EU, 2022. Entry 4.9.1 'Sweet potato: tubers of Ipomoea batatas L. regardless of their presentation', separate from potatoes (4.8.x, Solanum tuberosum) and manioc/tapioca/cassava (4.6.1, Manihot esculenta).
2. Escobar-Puentes AA, Palomo I, Rodriguez L, et al. Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Phenotypes: From Agroindustry to Health Effects. Foods 2022;11(7):1058 — Foods (MDPI), 2022. Morning-glory (Convolvulaceae) family; edible storage roots mistakenly known as tubers; white, yellow, orange and purple flesh; mainly carbohydrates (sugars and starch) plus protein, crude fibre, fat, ash; orange-fleshed varieties the best source of beta-carotene; carotenoids vary with plant part, variety and processing. (Publisher page blocks automated access; full text read via PubMed Central.)
3. Sanderson SL. Nutritional Requirements of Small Animals. Merck Veterinary Manual (full review November 2023) — Merck & Co. (Merck Veterinary Manual), 2023. Dogs can use plant beta-carotene; cats cannot convert beta-carotene (lack the intestinal dioxygenase) and need preformed vitamin A from liver, fish oil or synthetic vitamin A; properly cooked starches >90% digestible in dogs and cats; thiamine deficiency generally does not occur on properly prepared complete and balanced commercial diets.
4. FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (June 2019 update; status note December 23, 2022) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine, 2022. Label review counted 'potatoes (including sweet potatoes)'; grain-free 91%, potatoes/sweet potatoes 42%, peas and/or lentils 93% of reported products to April 2019; 515 dog and 9 cat reports; cats more likely to develop hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; December 2022 statement on no further updates until meaningful new science.
5. Zhang S, Ren Y, Huang Y, et al. Effects of five carbohydrate sources on cat diet digestibility, postprandial glucose, insulin response, and gut microbiomes. J Anim Sci 2023;101:skad049 — Journal of Animal Science (Oxford University Press), 2023. 30 young cats (mean age about 7 months), six per diet, 28 days; dried sweet potato as only starch source in one of five diets; no effect on growth or stool scores; sweet potato diet had the highest starch gelatinisation (90.2%); starch digestibility about 98-99% across diets with no significant difference; diets formulated and made by a pet food company whose staff co-authored. (Publisher page blocks automated access; full text read via PubMed Central.)
6. Song JH, Jung DI. Thiamine deficiency in a dog associated with exclusive consumption of boiled sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Vet Med Sci 2021;7(1):69-76 — Veterinary Medicine and Science (Wiley), 2021. Case report: 5-year-old Maltese fed an almost exclusive diet of boiled sweet potato as its primary food for 4 weeks developed seizures and thiamine deficiency; recovered with thiamine and a change to a well-balanced commercial dog food, maintained at 1-year follow-up. (Publisher page blocks automated access; full text read via PubMed Central.)

Checked against these sources on 2026-10-15. Definitions are in our own words. This is a reading aid, not veterinary advice: a vet who knows your animal comes first.