Are tomatillos toxic to dogs?

The ripe fruit in small amounts is generally fine. Tomatillos are nightshades like tomatoes, so the husk, leaves, stems and very green unripe fruit contain solanine-type alkaloids that can cause drooling, stomach upset and weakness.

My dog ate a tomatillo, husk and all — what now?

One fruit with its papery husk is unlikely to do more than upset the stomach. Watch for drooling, vomiting, weakness or dilated pupils, and call your vet if any appear or if your dog raided a whole basket or the garden plants.

Can dogs eat salsa verde?

No — not because of the tomatillos, but because salsa verde is built on onion, garlic and chili, and often heavy on salt. The cooked tomatillo is the safest thing in the jar.

Are tomatillo plants in the garden a risk?

Treat them like tomato plants: the foliage is the most alkaloid-rich part, so fence off the bed if your dog is a grazer.

Can Dogs Eat Tomatillos? Vet-Sourced Answer

Can Dogs Eat Tomatillos?

Feed with caution

Only the ripe fruit in small bites. Tomatillos are nightshades — the husks, leaves and unripe green parts carry solanine-type toxins.

Quick facts

Quick facts
Verdict	Caution
Risky amount	No safe or toxic dose is established — treat any amount as a risk.
Key symptoms	Drooling, Vomiting or diarrhea, Weakness or lethargy, Dilated pupils
What to do	If your dog ate tomatillo husks, leaves or a pile of unripe fruit and seems weak, drooly or otherwise off, call your vet.

A nightshade with a paper wrapper

Tomatillos work exactly like their cousin the tomato: the ripe fruit is the mild part, and the green machinery around it is where the trouble lives. Husks, leaves, stems and hard unripe fruit carry solanine-type glycoalkaloids — the same family of compounds that makes raw potato and tomato foliage a problem. In dogs, enough of it causes drooling, gastrointestinal upset, weakness and dilated pupils.

What’s actually shareable

Part	Call
Ripe, husked, washed fruit	A bite or two is fine
Papery husk	Remove — alkaloids plus indigestible fiber
Leaves, stems, green unripe fruit	Keep away, especially garden grazing
Salsa verde	Skip — onion, garlic and salt, not the tomatillo, are the issue

Ripe tomatillos are tart rather than sweet, so most dogs aren’t impressed anyway — this is more a “my dog raided the counter” page than a treat recommendation.

If your dog got into the plants

A single stolen fruit, husk included, usually means a grumbly stomach at worst. A dog that grazed the garden bed or ate a basketful is a different case: watch for drooling, vomiting, weakness or big pupils, and call your vet if you see them. Bring the plant story with you — “nightshade foliage” is exactly the detail that speeds up triage.

If your dog ate it

If your dog ate tomatillo husks, leaves or a pile of unripe fruit and seems weak, drooly or otherwise off, call your vet.

In the US you can also call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply).

Frequently asked questions

Are tomatillos toxic to dogs?: The ripe fruit in small amounts is generally fine. Tomatillos are nightshades like tomatoes, so the husk, leaves, stems and very green unripe fruit contain solanine-type alkaloids that can cause drooling, stomach upset and weakness.
My dog ate a tomatillo, husk and all — what now?: One fruit with its papery husk is unlikely to do more than upset the stomach. Watch for drooling, vomiting, weakness or dilated pupils, and call your vet if any appear or if your dog raided a whole basket or the garden plants.
Can dogs eat salsa verde?: No — not because of the tomatillos, but because salsa verde is built on onion, garlic and chili, and often heavy on salt. The cooked tomatillo is the safest thing in the jar.
Are tomatillo plants in the garden a risk?: Treat them like tomato plants: the foliage is the most alkaloid-rich part, so fence off the bed if your dog is a grazer.