Can dogs eat pears? The answer is yes they can. As you will see below, pears are a rich source of many vitamins and nutrients. As long as you do not feed your dog too much pear in any one sitting, he will benefit greatly from the goodness held within this little snack.
Any benefits?
Pears contain high amounts of fiber and vitamins C and K. They also contain nutrients such as copper. In fact it is stated that one pear contains over 10% of the daily-recommended intake of these substances; which act as antioxidants and help protect the cells within your dog leading to a healthier pooch.
The antioxidant effect of foods such as pears are said to help reduce the risk of cancer and can even combat the health issues of aging.
A random fact for you – A ripe pear has more nutrients per calorie than calorie per nutrient.
We all know that fiber is good. Well pears contain a lot of it. Your dog can eat pears because the fiber will help their heart. This is because fiber is able to lower levels of bad cholesterol by binding to bile salts. In essence a healthy diet of fiber, helps flush out the system through the binding process.
Another random fact – studies have suggested that eating pears can reduce risk of stroke by up to 50 percent.
Precautions to Take
As in every human food we discuss on the site, dogs can eat pears as long as it is in moderation. You should not head out and feed a whole pear to your dog, one or two cubes as a snack is all we are talking about here.
The reason you should limit the amount of pear your dogs eats is that too much can lead to upset stomach and diarrhea. This is due to the high fiber and natural sugar content.
Another important precaution, and again is the best measure to take when feeding any fruit to your dog, is to remove all seeds. The pear pit contains small doses of cyanide. You wouldn’t want to feed that to your dog out of choice.
Cyanide can be fatal to smaller dogs if given in too high amounts.
Furthermore, if the pear pit is swallowed whole, it may become lodged in the intestinal tract. In many instances, the only way to remove is through surgery.
Preparation
You can check whether a pear is ripe for your dog to eat, by applying a gentle pressure at the neck. If it is soft there, (pears ripen from the inside out) you are on to a winner.
People do not realize but the really healthy part of a pear is the skin. So if you want your dog to benefit from all the goodness mentioned above, you should try to get them to eat the pear skin along with the juicy bits inside.
Ensure that the pear has been washed thoroughly as you do not know what chemicals and preservatives the farm may have used.
As we have stated above, using a good paring knife cut out the core of the pear. Your dog cannot eat the pit because of the cyanide contained within.
Follow these guidelines, and do not feed your dog too much pear and he will enjoy the many benefits of this delicious healthy fruit snack.
Resources
- To the World’s Healthiest Food Article about pears, head here.
- For the nutritional facts of the average pear, head here.
- For an About article on the the cyanide poison of fruit pips, head here.
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- Can dogs eat cantaloupe?
Can dogs eat pears – Comments
Can dogs eat pears? If you have any comments on your own experiences with feeding your dog pears please leave them below.