Can dogs eat ube?

The Short Answer is:

You will be pleased to know that your dog can safely eat ube. Ensure the ube is cooked- steaming or boiling it is best- and that your dog only consumes a small amount.

In this article you will know the answer to the query “Can dogs eat ube?“.

The vegetable I am going to examine today is one of the most incredible I have ever seen.

I want to start by saying that I have never seen an ube or purple yam as they are also known.

When they are cooked however their color turns into a deep purple.

It cannot be described in any other way.

Any plate of food can be transformed by a sweet potatos beautiful dark orange color but an ube adds a whole new level of appeal.

Despite getting distracted and thinking about how an ube looks I will be thinking about how safe they are for dogs to eat.

We all know that most dogs do not care about how their food looks!

Can dogs eat ube?

You will be pleased to know that your dog can safely eat ube after looking at so many different pieces of information. 

Ensure the ube is cooked- steaming or boiling it is best- and that your dog only consumes a small amount.

To be honest I would say the same thing about sweet potatoes or yams.

In the US and UK it can be difficult to get hold of fresh ubes so some people use an ube extract which is a powder in a jar.

There is a possibility that this extract contains a substance that can be toxic to dogs when present in very high amounts.

Later I’ll go into more detail about that.

Lets start by going back to the basics.

1. What is ube?

In the Philippines ubes (pronounced oo-bey) has been a staple in desserts such as purple yam.

It really is that sweet. 

A lot of its popularity comes from the fact that it has an awesome color. In recent years it has become more popular in the US.

The umes skin and flesh are white but the flesh turns a deep purple color when cooked. It makes any dish look absolutely stunning. 

You are most likely to find an ube used in ice cream in the United States whereas it is more commonly used in a sweet jam in the Philippines. 

2. What is the difference between ube yams sweet potato and taro?

You probably know that many people consider sweet potatoes to be a type of yam but they are wrong.

There are important differences between these two species of plants.

Yams are much much larger than sweet potatoes and their skin is much tougher and more difficult to peel. 

Sweet potatoes have a much sweeter taste while yams have a starchier dryer texture. 

In addition yams are much harder to find in the US or the UK since most of them are grown in Africa. 

It is possible to mistake ubes for red yams.

Ubes are types of yams.

To a sweet potatos more tubular shape they are both narrower and cylindrical. Although the skin of an ube is off-white the skin of a red yam is burgundy.

Compared to the orange flesh of a red yam the flesh of an ube is purple. 

What does taro have to do with all of this confusion?

Theres no yam or sweet potato in taro.

The root vegetable is still a root.

Purple is another possibility- although not the dark purple of ubes but more of a lavender. 

There is less sweetness to taro than to an ube. 

3. Are ubes toxic to dogs?

Dogs cannot be poisoned by ubes.

There are no minerals or chemicals in them that will cause harm to your dog.

There are a few things to keep in mind however. 

AKC recommends against feeding your dog sweet potatoes or yams raw as it could upset their stomach or cause them to choke if they do not chew it properly before eating.

In the same way I would suggest that you prepare an ube before feeding it to your dog. 

However I think that there is one other important consideration when it comes to feeding an ube to your dog.

The problem is that neither the US nor the UK offers them widely.

Its not something you’d find at Walmart or Kroger.

They can be found in Asian supermarkets.

Considering all of that effort and cost (I would imagine) are these really vegetables you want to give your dog?

In case you are determined to feed them to your dog every now and then lets see how nutritious they are. 

4. What is the nutrition of an ube?

As a help to you and me I will include a comparison chart showing the nutritional content of an ube and a sweet potato.

We’re all used to sweet potatoes after all.

Sources of nutrition data for a purple yam can be found here.

Sweet potatoes can be found here. 

Nutrition of an ube vs a sweet potato

My jaw dropped when I heard that.

According to the nutrition data purple yams are commonly used in desserts because they are so sweet. However an ube actually contains no sugar whereas a sweet potato contains over 5 grams.

Ubes are much higher in calories as well as carbohydrates than sweet potatoes but they are also much higher in dietary fiber.

You might find this good news if you’re looking for a natural and high-fiber cure for dog diarrhea.

Lets look at the main vitamins and minerals that these two vegetables contain

Ube vs sweet potato (minerals and vitamins)

Sweet potatoes provide your dog with a more powerful vitamin and mineral boost than Ubes.

As a result your dog will obtain more calcium iron and vitamin C.

A big but and its a big one.

The main difference between an ube and a sweet potato is the lower sodium content of the ube!

What amount of ube should you feed your dog?

5. How much ube should you feed your dog?

It would be tempting to be a little sarcastic here and mention how hard purple yams are to find for many people.

In response to the question of how much? Whatever you can afford to give them.

Depending on your dogs size you will have to give him a certain dose.

Adding purple yam to your dogs diet is something you have never done before so I’m assuming you havenot done it yet.

If you are introducing any new food to your dog start small and slowly increase the portion size as your dog gets used to it.

The soft soft approach will give your dog a chance to become familiar with the food.

You can go crazy and feed your dog as much ube as he/she wants after it has proved that their stomachs like the taste!

No- I’m only kidding.

Every once in a while even the biggest dogs should have a few tablespoons of ube added to their food.

You should be looking at a maximum of a tablespoon for much smaller dogs.

Remember not to feed it to your dog every day.

If you add moderate amounts of vegetables to your dogs food and you vary the types of vegetables you add into their diet there is nothing wrong with that…

As far as variety goes I will cover all the varieties of foods that you may encounter with your dog that contain ube in the next section. 

6. What can you make with an ube? 

If you live in the US I think ice cream and bread rolls (pandesals) are the two foods most likely to contain ube. 

In light of the fact that your dog would not be harmed by an ube I want to point out that the other ingredients in ice cream or bread would be more dangerous.

I do not think ice cream or bread contains any toxic substances- its just that none of the ingredients can be considered healthy.

The typical ingredients for ice cream are cream milk sugar and vanilla to enhance the flavor.

Flour sugar and salt go into making bread.

These ingredients do not kill as I said before.

7. Ube extract is toxic to your dog

These ingredients do not kill unless your ice cream or bread rolls are made with ube extract not the real thing.

As I mentioned earlier ubes are difficult to find in most grocery stores.

For this reason people can buy ube extract so that this gap in the market can be filled.

Providing the same vibrant color of an ube without the hassle of trying to find a fresh one and peeling it. 

Thats not bad is it?

As well as containing ube some ube extracts (two that I examined on Amazon) contain a toxic chemical – propylene glycol.

Ethylene glycol on the other hand is extremely dangerous to dogs.

Ethylene glycol is most commonly found as an ingredient in antifreeze and a dog can die after only a few licks.

Unlike propylene glycol which is poisonous to dogs in large amounts ube is much safer and dogs are unlikely to get sick from consuming a little ube ice cream or ube bread.

Nevertheless it is something to be aware of.

Amanda (Author)

With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.

Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)

Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.