There are so many safe and healthy fruits your dog may eat, but some of my dog’s favorites are pears. Pears are crisp and refreshing treats for a hot day. But as dog owners, we may want to ask, can dogs eat pears? More importantly, are pears good or bad for dogs? All of these are excellent questions.
As a responsible dog owner, it’s important you ask these essential questions when it comes to feeding your dog human foods. Good thing you’re here, because I have some great news for you and other pear-lovers.
Yes, Dogs Can Eat Pears.
Dogs can eat pears when given to them in moderation. Although pears contain a lot of great nutrients, this fruit may not be ideal for dogs. Most of a pear’s best nutrients, such as fiber and Vitamin C, won’t benefit a dog as much as we think.
However, this is not to say that pears will do nothing for your dog. In same cases, the nutrients may benefit your dog. But despite the health benefits of pears, there are also side effects and risks associated with feeding your dog a few pieces of pears.
Health Benefits: Pears and Dogs
Pears are delicious fruits with a variety of vitamins and minerals for both humans and dogs. It’s no surprise that pears can provide dogs with health benefits, even if the nutrients aren’t as effective for them as they are for humans. To examine the potential health benefits of pears for dogs, let’s look into the nutrients of pears.
In 1 Medium-sized pear (178 grams), there is:
- Fiber – 22% DV
- Copper – 17% DV
- Vitamin C -10% DV
- B6 Vitamin – 5% DV
- Vitamin K – 9% DV
- Magnesium – 3% DV
- Potassium – 5% DV
- Sugar – 17 grams
Note: The “DV” is the recommended daily value for humans.
Vitamin C and Dogs
The Vitamin C is one of the most important nutrients that we can take for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, this is not the case for dogs. This is because humans can’t naturally produce Vitamin C, whereas dogs can. In other words, humans get their Vitamin C externally, and dogs get it internally.
But does this mean that Vitamin C is useless for dogs? In some cases, it may be. However, if you have an aging dog, then they may not be able to internally produce Vitamin C as efficiently or effectively. For older dogs, helping them with their Vitamin C intake with pears might make sense.
Vitamin C helps with fighting many forms of degenerative diseases and cancer in dogs. It also helps boost the immune system and fights off everyday germs and bacterias that infects the body. This is why getting enough Vitamin C is so essential for a healthy living.
Other fruits and vegetables that contain even more Vitamin C include oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, cantaloupes and broccoli.
Pears For Strong Dog Bones
Looking at the nutritional sheet for pears, you can see that the second most prevalent vitamin is Vitamin K. With a respectable 9% recommended daily value of Vitamin K, your dog will be able to get more than enough K from pears.
But what does Vitamin K do for your dog? This special vitamin has been known to increase bone density in both dogs and humans. Consequently, higher bone density leads to healthier and stronger bones in dogs.
This means that pears will be good for active dog breeds that sustain a lot of stress on the bones from running and jumping around. An aging dog can also benefit from pears due to the inevitable weakening of bones.
For more Vitamin K: celery, cucumbers, blueberries, carrots all contain a good amount of it. However, broccoli contain the most with 245% of a human’s recommended daily value of Vitamin K.
Pears For a Healthy Dog Heart
Although pears aren’t typically known for Potassium, they do contain a respectable amount. A single medium-sized pear can have roughly 5% of a human’s recommended daily value of Potassium. A few pieces of pears a week is more than enough for your dog to benefit from this special nutrient.
But what does this nutrient actually do for your dog? Potassium is an electrolyte mineral known to promote regular heart function. Thus, this nutrient can promote a healthy heart in your dog. In fact, if Potassium levels in a dog become relatively low, it could cause Arrhythmia (irregular heart beats).
Pears, along with its Potassium, would make a lot of sense for an old dog. But if your dog has been diagnosed with Arrhythmia, make sure to consult with your local vet before using Pears as a treatment supplement for the condition.
Of course, bananas are known to contain a good amount of Potassium. However, avocados can provide your dog with even more Potassium. Other fruits with this nutrient include: tomatoes, oranges, broccoli and cucumbers. On the other hand, peanuts can promote a healthy dog heart in other ways.
Pears Promote Healthy Dog Brains
Pears may not have as much Vitamin B6 as bananas or avocados, but they still have a good amount. Your dog can get roughly 5% of a human’s recommended daily value of Vitamin B6 from a single pear.
Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin known to properly develop the brain and promote regular brain function. B6 is also responsible for the secretion of important hormones, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, which directly affects your dog’s mood. Keep a dog happy with some pears and Vitamin B6.
Other human foods that contain a lot of Vitamin B6 include bananas, apples, pineapples, mangoes and avocados.
Risks of Dogs Eating Pears
Like with all great things, moderation is key. This saying can apply to feeding your dog any safe human foods. The problem with overfeeding your dog pears is that it can lead to certain risks and side effects. In fact, the more pears you feed your dog, the more likely that they may experience these side effects.
Pears Increase Dog’s Teeth Decay
One of the biggest knocks on the argument of feeding your dog pears is the sugar content. This sweet, succulent fruit has an alarming 17 grams of sugar in a single regular-sized pear. Compared to other fruits, pears are on par with pineapples, oranges and blueberries in terms of sugar. However, pears still have less than mangoes, cherries and apples.
A big problem with your dog consuming sugary fruits is that they usually speed up the decaying of their teeth. Although it’s recommended that dog owners try to brush their dog’s teeth every day, not many owners do it. Not many of them even brush their dog’s teeth every other day.
Next time you feed your dog fruits like pears, think of the sugar! Or, pick up that tooth brush you haven’t used and starting brushing those canine teeth.
Pears Can Lead to Diarrhea in Dogs
Pears are excellent fruits for human because they contain over 20% of our recommended daily value for fiber in a single serving. But is fiber as beneficial or even necessary for dogs to have? A little fiber can actually be beneficial for dogs, but too much can lead to stool changes, such as diarrhea.
There’s a reason why a dog’s recommended diet consists primarily of protein, and not fiber. It’s because dogs don’t really need that much fiber to have healthy bowel movements. This means that they may be extra sensitive to consuming too much fiber.
However, if you have a dog experiencing minor constipation, a few pieces of pears may be what they need. If your dog is suffering from severe or chronic constipation, consult with your veterinarian before using pears as a supplement treatment for the condition.
Can Dogs Eat Pear Cores?
When feeding pears to your dog, it’s not the best idea to give them a full pear. So in short, dogs cannot and shout not eat the core of the pear. There are preparation steps necessary before doing so, including removing the seeds and core of the pear. Like with many other fruits, the pear seeds contains cyanide, which could lead to cyanide poisoning.
If your dog accidentally consumes a fruit pit with cyanide, it likely won’t do much. However, if they consistently ingest cyanide, it could lead to much more serious dog health problems.
In addition, if your dog does swallow the core of the pear, you may want to consult with your local vet right away. Such a large core could cause blockage in the dog’s intestinal tract, which could become very serious. It’s worth noting that sometimes a dog’s body will reject the core and they’ll just vomit it out. However, you can’t rely on that.
How Can Dogs Eat Pears?
Yes, we’ve already established that dogs can eat pears. But that doesn’t mean you should give your dog a pear straight from the grocery bag. There are preparations that need to be done for your dog to safely eat pears. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in complicated health problems for your dog.
Pear Preparation For Dogs
The first step is wash the pear as thoroughly as you can. The skin of the pear contains a lot of bacteria and pesticide straight from the farm. And although dogs handle bacteria well, the pesticide can be a real health issue if ingested.
Next, you’ll want to remove the stem, core and any seeds. From our discussion, the seeds contain cyanide, which can become complicated if consumed over a long period of time. Not to mention, the seeds pose a choking hazard and could potentially obstruct the dog’s intestinal tract.
A lot of people have asked me if they should remove the pear skin with a peeler. The truth is that, like apples, a lot of the nutrients are contained in the skin of pears. Leave the skin on for your dogs to eat if you can.
Never feed a full fruit to them at once, especially if it’s the dog’s first time eating pear. You want to start off with a couple slices. For the 24 hours or so following the dog’s consumption of pear, observe them closely.
Make sure they’re not exhibiting unusual behaviors, such as a lack of energy or mood swings. Check on the stool to make sure the dog does not have diarrhea or extra loose stool. If all looks good, they are likely in the clear. Feel free to feed more pears as time progress!
Pear Dog Treat Recipe
Now that you’ve learned about all the great nutrients and health benefits that pears can provide dogs, you can start feeding them raw pears. However, if you want to get a little creative, make them some Pear & Molasses Dog Treat! These dog treats are delicious and packs all the nutrition that pears have. This recipe was brought to you by the Dog Tipper (www.thedogtipper.com).
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of Chopped/Cored Pears
- 2 ½ Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
- ¼ Cup of Water
- 1 Tbsp of Baking Powder
- 3 Tbsp of Molasses
Directions:
- Grease and line a baking sheet or silicone mat.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Wash the pears thoroughly and remove the core, seeds and stem.
- Chop the pears either with a knife or in a blender.
- Throw all ingredients into a large bowl and mix thoroughly (dough will be a bit sticky).
- Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface (about ¼ inch thick).
- Use a cookie cutter to cut the dough into the dog treat shape of your choice.
- Put the cut dough on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let them cool off for a few minutes in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy the treats with your dog!
The Smart Canine is an online resource that focuses on providing accurate and useful information to dog owners all over the world. We have done our research thoroughly on the consumption of pears by dogs. However, we cannot guarantee that dogs will reap these health benefits or exhibit these symptoms from consuming pears. If you want to feed your dog some pears, you may still want to consult with your local vet. Because your vet personally deals with your dog, they will know best.