Can Yorkies eat tomato?

Use cautionReal risks to weigh — better options usually exist.

Use caution. A little ripe red tomato flesh is generally fine for most dogs, but green or unripe tomatoes and the plant's stems and leaves contain solanine and tomatine, and tomato-based sauces usually carry onion, garlic, and salt.

When this needs a vet, not a wait-and-see

Note whether your Yorkie ate ripe red flesh, an unripe green tomato, or the plant's stems and leaves, and whether any onion- or garlic-containing sauce was involved — the green plant parts carry solanine and tomatine, and sauces add separately toxic alliums, so those matter far more than a piece of plain ripe fruit. Call your veterinarian, an emergency animal hospital, or one of the 24/7 poison-control lines below right away. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not induce vomiting unless a professional tells you to. Because Yorkies are so small, even a modest amount can matter.

ASPCA Poison Control(888) 426-4435 Pet Poison Helpline(855) 764-7661

Both lines are staffed 24/7 and may charge a consultation fee. Your own veterinarian or a local emergency clinic is an equally good first call.

The ripe red fruit of the tomato is low in the alkaloids solanine and tomatine, so a small piece of plain ripe flesh rarely causes trouble. The concentrated risk is in green, unripe fruit and the green parts of the plant (stems, leaves, vines), plus prepared tomato products like pasta sauce, ketchup, and salsa that add toxic alliums and heavy salt.

What Yorkie owners need to know

Ripe red flesh in a small plain piece is usually well tolerated; the green parts of the plant are the concern.
Green or unripe tomatoes and the stems and leaves contain more solanine and tomatine and can cause GI upset.
Skip sauces, ketchup, and salsa — they almost always contain onion, garlic, and salt, which are the real hazards.

How preparation changes the answer

Preparation	Status	Why
Ripe red flesh, tiny plain piece	Only small amounts	Low in alkaloids and usually tolerated, but no real benefit.
Green/unripe fruit or plant leaves and stems	Best avoided	Higher solanine and tomatine content.
Tomato sauce, ketchup, salsa	Toxic — do not feed	Usually contains onion, garlic, and salt.

Safe preparation

Offer only fully ripe red flesh, in a tiny plain piece.
Wash well and remove any green stem or leaf material.

Risks & things to watch

Green, unripe fruit and plant parts contain solanine and tomatine and can upset the stomach.
Tomato sauces and salsas commonly contain toxic onion and garlic.
Processed tomato products are often high in salt and sugar.

If your Yorkie ate too much

A small amount of plain ripe flesh usually causes at most mild stomach upset. If your Yorkie ate green tomato, tomato plant leaves or stems, or a sauce containing onion or garlic, call your veterinarian.

Frequently asked questions

Can Yorkies eat tomatoes?

A small piece of plain, fully ripe red tomato flesh is generally fine, but avoid green or unripe tomatoes, the plant's leaves and stems, and any tomato sauce, which usually contains onion and garlic.

Is tomato sauce safe for dogs?

No. Most tomato sauces, ketchups, and salsas contain onion, garlic, and salt, which are toxic or harmful to a small dog, so skip them entirely.

Sources

We cite authoritative veterinary, regulatory, and nutrition sources so you can check the evidence yourself.

Poison controlASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants / People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
Supports: Classification of foods that are toxic or dangerous to dogs. · Accessed 2026-07-01
Nutrition dataUSDA FoodData Central
USDA FoodData Central nutrient database
Supports: Human-food nutrient composition (calories, macronutrients, fibre, sugars). · Accessed 2026-07-01

The Yorkiefood Editorial Team

We research Yorkshire Terrier feeding from regulatory bodies, veterinary manuals, poison-control centres, and peer-reviewed nutrition literature, then explain it plainly. We are careful researchers, not veterinarians — our pages cite their sources so you can check the evidence yourself, and we always defer to your own vet for your dog.

First published 2026-07-11 · Last reviewed 2026-07-11

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Related foods

Onions & Garlic

Toxic — do not feed

No. Onions, garlic, leeks, and chives (the allium family) damage a dog's red blood cells and can cause anaemia. Powders and cooked forms count too.

Salt & Salty Snacks

Best avoided

Not on purpose. A stray crisp will not poison a Yorkie, but salty snacks are a poor idea for a five-pound dog, and concentrated salt — rock salt, salt dough, seawater — can cause genuine sodium poisoning.

Mushrooms

Use caution

Use caution. Plain store-bought button mushrooms are low-risk but offer a Yorkie nothing worth the trouble, while wild mushrooms can be deadly and are very hard to identify — that is the danger that matters.

Asparagus

Safe if prepared right

Yes — asparagus cooked soft and cut into small pieces is safe for Yorkies; tough raw stalks are a choking risk, so skip those.

Beets

Only small amounts

In small amounts — plain cooked beets are safe for Yorkies now and then, but sugar and oxalates mean they're a limited treat, and pickled beets are too salty.

Bell Peppers

Generally safe

Yes — plain bell pepper with the seeds and stem removed and cut into small pieces is a crunchy, vitamin-rich treat for Yorkies.