Eggplant isn't toxic, but I do try to avoid feeding too much of the edible nightshades to my dogs. (edible nightsades include: tomato, white potato, eggplant, and peppers). I will feed some, but not a lot, as high concentrations in the diet can increase inflammatory responses in humans. I don't know the effect in dogs, but I try not to feed too much just in case.
Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, so I do feed those, as well as carrots, and leafy greens and squashes.
-Nicole
Eggplant isn't toxic, but I do try to avoid feeding too much of the edible nightshades to my dogs. (edible nightsades include: tomato, white potato, eggplant, and peppers). I will feed some, but not a lot, as high concentrations in the diet can increase inflammatory responses in humans. I don't know the effect in dogs, but I try not to feed too much just in case.
Sweet potatoes are not a nightshade, so I do feed those, as well as carrots, and leafy greens and squashes.
-Nicole
Interesting because white potatoes are the basic staple in many diets for Liver and Kidney disease. I don't use carrots that much because of the sugar content, but I do lots of squashes
Nightshade is the basis for Atropine, which slows the gut and dries mucous membranes. Bella Donna is the most powerful, but all potatoes (except yams and sweets), tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc are in the nightshade family and contain minimal amounts of Atropine.
Another use of atropine is to speed up a bradycardic heart. However, in field emergencies, if atropine is given too quickly, it will paradoxically slow the heart. The minimal amounts of atropine in potatoes and eggplant should be safe for a dog. Many dog foods use potato as the main starch. The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light.
"The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light."
Thanks, Belinda, I never knew why you are not supposed to eat the green skin of a potato!
Actually, it isn't the atropine that I worry about. It is the alpha-solanine and its related alkaloids, whose activities aren't as well understood that are my main concern.
Again, I will feed small amounts, but I avoid feeding it a lot.
Found a fun link: http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je19.htm
-Nicole
Yep…that was a gas. The long and short of it is don't eat green potatoes.
Fun for me. I'm working on my PhD in pharmacognosy "the study of drugs from natural products"
I find it so fascinating.
-Nicole
@AJs:
Nightshade is the basis for Atropine, which slows the gut and dries mucous membranes. Bella Donna is the most powerful, but all potatoes (except yams and sweets), tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc are in the nightshade family and contain minimal amounts of Atropine.
Another use of atropine is to speed up a bradycardic heart. However, in field emergencies, if atropine is given too quickly, it will paradoxically slow the heart. The minimal amounts of atropine in potatoes and eggplant should be safe for a dog. Many dog foods use potato as the main starch. The bulk of atropine contained in potatoes is in the green part of the skin, if left in the light.
OK well in all the receipes, for example Dr. Dodds, Liver diet, that white potatoes are the base of the diet.. it does say "remove skins" or at least it is implied. I have always removed potato skins before feeding them to the Basenjis… that say, I have feed peppers, tomatoes, eggplant for years to my kids with no problems. As they say, all in moderation
Then I would be preaching to the choir regarding foxglove, nightshade and ephedra. 
My experience isn't that in-depth. I was a certified (certifiable?:D) EMT-Intermediate until recently. Once upon a time I had to take pharmacokinetics and pharmacology, but it was a while ago. You are correct: it is a fascinating field.
What I mostly saw in that article was elimination and half-life information. I didn't see as much information as I would like to have regarding actions and toxicity levels. Most of the testing was in rodents. Rodents have a much faster metabolism than dogs and humans.
Tanza: Until the late 1700's, people who ate tomatoes without dying were considered to be witches. European wisdom at the time was tomatoes, while a pretty plant, were poisonous. They had to be because they look so much like Bella Donna. That's why the immigrants of the time thought Indians were magical: because Indians ate tomatoes and peppers all the time. There isn't enough of the active ingredient in any of the foods you feed your kids to hurt them. Since you peel your spuds, you have nothing to worry about.
