Can Dogs Eat Pears? Are Pears Even Safe For Dogs To Eat?

As human beings, we love eating a lot of different things and often want to share these things with our furry friends. However, more often than not, this can get Fido into trouble. The majority of pet owners are aware that there are some foods that are safe for dogs and others that aren’t. But, can dogs eat pears?

Luckily, for your canine companion, the answer is yes. Pears are safe and healthy for dogs to eat. However, it should only be given in moderation and according to your vet’s instructions.

How Many Pears Can Dogs Eat?

So as mentioned, pears are safe for dogs to eat; however, this doesn’t mean that they should be in excessive amounts or frequently. Like all things in life, pears served in moderation is the best for your pet. These fruits are filled with vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber, which are all good for your dog’s overall well-being. However, like any other food, too many pears can lead to an upset stomach.

So, where do you draw the line, or how much is too much? Well, vets recommend that only give your 10% of his daily food intake as a treat. For smaller dogs, this means that they should get a slice of pear occasionally, and an entire pear is definitely and always too much. However, when in doubt, always consult your vet. 

Are Pears Good for Dogs

Pears are packed full of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, and lycopene. Like many other fruits, they contain lots of natural sugars called fructose.

Small amounts of this naturally occurring sugar in foods is harmless. So by limiting the quantities of human food that dogs can enjoy, you will help to avoid health complications such as gaining weight or cavities in your furry friend.

A slice of pear as a treat should make up less than 10% of your dog’s daily nutrition. However, like watermelon, pears contain large amounts of water. So here are some nutrition facts about pears(for every 100g) that you should know:

• Pears contain 1% of vitamin A which supports your dog’s vision, immune system, muscles, bone, coat, and skin.
• Pears contain 7% vitamin C, which promotes joint health and supports the immune system.
• This fruit also contains 4% of vitamin K, which allows Fido’s body to properly clot blood.
• Pears also contain 5% potassium, which helps to maintain muscle function, support nerves, and maintain fluid balance.
• Peers contain 9 mg of calcium which ensures your pet has strong and
• When it comes to dietary fiber, you will find 8% of the fiber in pears, and they aid digestion and make poop firmer.
• Pears contain 11% carbohydrates which convert to energy
• Pears also contain 9% of copper, which maintains a shiny coat, healthy bone development, and a great immune system.

Dogs and Vitamin C

When it comes to developing and keeping a healthy lifestyle, for humans, Vitamin C is probably the most important nutrient. However, with dogs, this is not the case. This is simply because humans cannot naturally produce Vitamin C, but dogs can. So, in other words, humans get their vitamin C externally, while dogs get it internally. 

So does this mean that vitamin C is of no use to dogs? In some cases, it may be. However, when you have an aging dog, they are usually not able to produce vitamin C as effectively as when they were younger. So, in this case, helping them with their vitamin C intake with pears will make complete sense.

Vitamins C is priceless when it comes to fighting many forms of cancer and degenerative diseases in dogs. It also helps to fight off everyday bacteria and germs as well as boost the immune system. Ultimately, getting enough Vitamin C seems essential for both you and your furry friend. 

Promotes Regular Heart Function

Pears contain a respectable amount of potassium, although they are not typically known for this nutrient. In fact, a medium-sized, single pear can have approximately 5% of humans recommended daily value of potassium. Therefore a few pieces of pears in a week are sufficient for your dog to benefit from this valuable nutrient.

However, how does potassium actually affect dogs? Well, it is an electrolyte mineral that is known to promote regular heart function. Therefore, it can promote a healthy heart in your dog. Something else that you need to be aware of is that if potassium levels become deficient in your dog, it could lead to Arrhythmia, which basically means irregular heartbeats in your dog.

Pears containing a lot of potassium would make a lot of sense for a senior dog. However, if your dog is diagnosed with Arrhythmia, consult your vet before making use of pears as a treatment option.

Bananas, on the other hand, contain a sufficient amount of potassium, but so do avocados. Other fruits that contain potassium include oranges, cucumbers, broccoli, and tomatoes. Peanuts have also been known to promote a healthy heart in dogs.

Maintains Strong Bones

Looking at the nutritional content of pears, the second most prevalent nutrient is Vitamin K. It contains a sufficient 9% recommended daily value of this vitamin so your dog will get more than their required daily intake.

So how does vitamin K help your dog? Well, it’s known to improve bone density in humans and dogs. Therefore higher bone density leads to stronger and healthier bones in dogs. This will mean that your dog will be more active even as they sustain a lot of pressure on their bones from jumping around. Therefore, pears are priceless to senior dogs due to the weakening of their bones.

If you’d like to include additional vitamin K, consider introducing carrots, celery, cucumbers, and blueberries to your dog’s diet. Something else that’s nice to know is that broccoli contains approximately 245% of humans’ daily intake of Vitamin K.

Promotes Healthy Dog Brains

While pears do not contain as much Vitamin B6 as avocados and bananas, they still have a good amount. This means your dog can get around 5% of the human recommended daily value of vitamin B6 from just one pear.

Vitamin B6 is an essential vitamin and is known to develop the brain and promote regular brain function effectively. It’s also in charge of the secretion of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are important hormones that directly affect your dog’s mood. So to keep your dog happy and healthy, serve him some pears so he can get his daily intake of vitamin B6.

Some other human foods that contain sufficient vitamin B6 include apples, mangoes, pineapples, bananas, and avocados.

Dogs and Pears: What are the Risks?

As with all things in life, moderation is key. This very much applies to feeding your dog, human foods. The reality is that there are certain side effects and risks involved when you overfeed your dog pears. In fact, the more pears your dog eats, the more likely they are to experience side effects. Let’s take a closer look at some of them: 

Tooth Decay

One of the biggest debates when it comes to feeding your dog pears is the sugar content. This fruit is succulent and sweet since it has an alarming 17 g of sugar in a single regular-size pear. Compared to other fruits, pears are equivalent to oranges, blueberries and pineapples in terms of sugar content. However, they still have less sugar than cherries, apples and mangoes.

However, the problem with dogs consuming sugary foods is that it leads to faster tooth decay. Trying to brush your dog’s teeth will definitely do some good, however not all pet owners are keen on doing this. 

Diarrhea

Pears contain over 20% of the humans recommended daily value of fiber in just a single serving, making it excellent for humans. However, when it comes to dogs, lots of pet owners wonder if fiber is beneficial or even necessary? A little fiber is beneficial for dogs, but too much can lead to stool changes such as diarrhea.

An adult dog’s diet consists mainly of protein and not fiber and there’s good reason for this. Dogs don’t really need a lot of fiber to have healthy bowel movements, and this means that they may be extra sensitive to consuming too much fiber.

In the event your dog is experiencing mild constipation, a few pieces of pear would be harmless. However, if your dog is suffering from chronic constipation, you need to consult with your vet immediately instead of trying to use pears as a supplementary treatment.

Can Dogs Eat Pear Cores?

Dogs cannot eat the core of the pear or the seeds. This is because the seeds contain cyanide which is toxic to dogs. But if your pet accidentally swallows the seeds, it won’t cause too much harm, unless of course, this happens quite frequently. In this case, it could be fatal.

If a dog swallows the core of the pear, it may lead to a blockage in dog’s digestive tract. And could probably be fatal. However, some dogs will reject or vomit it out. However, you can’t always depend on that happening. So if your dog does accidentally ingest the core or the seeds of a pear, contact your vet immediately.

How to Serve Pears to Dogs?

As we mentioned earlier, dogs love pears as much as we do. However, they cannot ingest certain parts of the pear, such as the core and seeds. If this happens, it can lead to health risks and side effects. So here are some instructions on how to serve pears to your dog as a treat:

• The pear should be as ripe as possible
• You should give it a good wash to remove any chemicals or residue
• Remove the stalk and leave
• Slice the fruit in half
• Cut one half into 2 pieces and remove remaining seeds and core
• Cut each piece into slices approximately 1 inch thick
• Serve one to two slices to your dog and small breeds should have only one slice
• You can stretch out the treat by cutting a slice into 1- inch thick chunks
• Use it to top off your dog’s next meal or enjoy fresh or frozen for the next occasion.

In case you’re wondering, it’s okay to feed your dog the skin of the pear. So you can feel free to leave it on as they contain lots of nutrients which are beneficial to your dog.

Since pears are a part of the apple family, they should be treated in the same way.They contain many minerals and vitamins that may not be present in your dog’s diet. So they make a valuable snack for Fido. 

However, it’s important to remember to remove the seeds, stem and the core before serving it to your dog. The seeds contain traces of cyanide, and as we mentioned, this is toxic to dogs and humans; however, it’s more difficult for your dog to pass it and can lead to a choking hazard.

Can Dogs Eat Canned Pears?

Like most canned fruit, canned pears are not good for dogs. This is simply because they contain too much sugar, which tends to irritate your dog’s digestive tract and ultimately leads to weight gain and obesity. The best way to serve pears to your furry friend is fresh and ripe.

However, we recommend that you consult your vet before starting your dog on any new treat. Vets have years of knowledge and experience that can help you keep your dog safe from harmful people-food. 

Why Do Pears Make a Great Snack for Dogs?

While your dog may get most of his nutritional content from his staple diet, pears may be offered as a snack to introduce even more nutrients to your dog’s diet. According to Animal Wised, pears are made up of 84% of moisture. It also contains 1 g of protein and 10 g of carbohydrates. Pears are also rich in vitamin C, vitamin B3, beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 as well as vitamin B9. Additionally, pears are rich in minerals like iron sodium, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

Some of the health benefits of pears for dogs include:

• Preventing tumors
• Giving your dog a healthy heart
• It’s hydrating since it carries a large amount of water
• It controls your pet’s blood glucose levels
• It strengthens your dog’s bones
• They also promote a healthy brain in your dog

Other Fruits that are Good for Your Dog

If you would like to add some variety to your dog’s treats, you don’t need to stick to pears only. There are plenty of other foods that are also safe and healthy for your dog to consume. So you are a few of them:

Apples

Apples are considered to be safe for dogs to eat but not safe to eat every day. They are rich in nutrients, and vitamins such as calcium and fiber, however, the seeds, stem and core of the apple are toxic to dogs.

Bananas

Bananas provide lots of fiber for dogs and contain beneficial enzymes which makes it ideal for dogs that have inflamed colons or are struggling with bowel problems. However, too many bananas are not recommended as it could cause constipation.

Strawberries

Strawberries are one of those fruits that are made for sharing. So strawberries are definitely okay to share with your pooch, in moderation of course. They are an ideal source of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber; however, don’t give them more than one or two a day. 

Pineapples

Pineapples contain a lot of medicinal benefits for dogs that are suffering from coprophagia, which is a condition where your dog enjoys eating his own poop. This happens because his digestive system is not absorbing the required amount of nutrients. The bromelain, which is found mainly in the core of the pineapple makes it easy for the digestive system to break down proteins that absorb the nutrients that your dog needs.

Oranges

Oranges will give your dog an extra boost of vitamin C. It will have a positive effect on his immune system, and a large dog could probably be fed the entire orange. Smaller dogs should not be given more than a third of the fruit. The only time you should not consider oranges as an option is if your dog has a specific diet plan or is a diabetic since they contain high levels of sugar.

The Bottom Line

Pears do have good health benefits for dogs, but their intake needs to be managed. Failure to do so can lead to health complications and poor dental health as well.

Ultimately, remember that your dogs were not built to eat too many fruits and vegetables, so don’t give them more than a few slices of pear at the time or too often. Pears served in moderation and under the correct precautions will ensure that your pooch is safe from harm and is an effective way to keep your dog happy, healthy and strong.