If you’re helping yourself to some fresh fruit and your dog seems interested in your snack, it can be tempting to let them have a taste. A ripe pear is a healthy and delicious way to indulge in a sweet craving, and your dog might take an interest in its aroma.
Go ahead and give your dog a small bite. Pears are safe for dogs to eat when served correctly. That said, there are a few exceptions and limitations you should abide by for the health and safety of your pup.
There are many fruits and vegetables your dog can eat when served plain. Pear is on the safe list. If your dog is curious about the pear you’re eating, feel free to give them a little bit. As long as you aren’t tossing your dog a whole pear and you aren’t allowing the fruit to replace your dog’s regular diet, it’s generally safe for dogs to eat pear.
Pears are rich in dietary fiber and key vitamins. They’re packed with immunity-boosting vitamin C, bone-building vitamin K, and blood vessel-fortifying copper. They’re certainly a better choice for your dogs than the pizza crusts they attempt to steal from the trash can when no one is looking.
Even though pears contain beneficial nutrients, it’s still possible to have too much of a good thing. Plan to share just a few pieces of fruit with your dog rather than giving them their own separate pear. Pears, like other treats, should be fed to your dog in moderation. Small dogs can have a small bite-sized chunk or two. Very large dogs (think over 100 lbs) can have about a quarter of a pear as a treat.
If you’re looking to share some fruit with your pup, a few better fruit options that are nutritionally beneficial and totally shareable include:
Although pear is healthy, it’s still naturally high in sugar as a fruit. Overfeeding your dog fruit can have the same consequences as excessive sugar consumption, including weight gain. Treats like pears shouldn’t occupy more than 10% of your dog’s daily caloric intake, with 90% coming from a well-balanced dog food prepared with quality ingredients.
Pears will count towards your dog’s treat intake. If you give your dog pear, you generally shouldn’t be giving your dog pear in addition to chews or other special treats. You’re giving your dog pear instead of those treats.
If your dog is on a special diet or a weight loss plan, talk to your veterinarian before introducing new foods like pear. While pear is relatively healthy in terms of nutrient density, any food you feed your dog outside of their special diet is still adding calories. Dogs with diabetes or other conditions affecting their blood sugar shouldn’t generally be fed fruit.
If your dog eats an entire pear, including the stem and core, monitor your dog and let your vet know what happened. It’s unlikely that your dog will experience a serious adverse reaction to consuming an entire pear.
If your dog seems to be experiencing digestive distress, contact your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian may recommend a “watch and wait” approach to monitor the situation.
It’s more important to be sure that the event doesn’t happen again. If you currently store your fruit in a bowl on the coffee table, it may be wise to move it to a countertop or another area of your home where your dog cannot easily help themselves.
Dogs can eat any variety of pear. If you’re already picking up a bag of bosc or anjou pears for yourself, you don’t need to get a separate variety for your dog.
The perfect pear for you is the perfect pear for your dog. Underripe pears are very hard to chew and may pose a choking hazard for your dog, especially if your dog is small or doesn’t have a full set of teeth. Any pear that’s still bright green isn’t suitable for any person or animal to eat.
Pears that are almost rotten are better used as garden compost. Dogs cannot eat fruit on the verge of rotting. It can make them ill. It may contain fruit fly larvae or harmful bacteria.
Make sure you wash your pears with warm water after bringing them home from the farmer’s market or produce section. This removes germs, debris, and dirt that may be stuck to the fruit’s skin or peel. It’s best to avoid commercial produce wash when sharing with your pup.
Pear seeds, much like apple seeds, contain very small amounts of cyanide. Although harm is highly unlikely to come to you or your dog as a result of ingesting a few pear seeds, it’s wise to remove the risk from the equation entirely.
Removing the core (including the seeds and the stem) from the pear before feeding it to your dog is a wise idea. Cut the remaining pear into small, bite-sized pieces. If you have a larger dog, you can cut the pear into slightly larger chunks. A good rule of thumb for feeding most fresh food is if the pear is similar in size to your dog’s bite-sized treats, it will be safe and easy for your dog to eat.
There’s no need to peel the pear. Dogs can have the skin of the pear, which contains beneficial dietary fiber.
If your local grocery store or farmer’s market sells plain pre-washed, pre-cored, pre-sliced pears, usually it’s fine to give them to your dog. You need to watch out for pears packed in liquid. Canned pears or pears in small fruit cups are packed with sugary syrup. This sugary syrup defeats the idea of pears as a healthy snack. Not to mention, if it’s a “sugar-free” recipe, the cane sugar may be replaced by xylitol, a natural sugar substitute that is actually toxic to dogs even in small amounts.
Dogs cannot have syrups, sauces, or seasonings. Whole, fresh fruits have more health benefits and fewer drawbacks. Whenever you feed your dog a fruit of a vegetable, choose the whole plain fruit.
You can make your own pear dog treats if you feel so inclined. If you’re busy or if you’re not handy in the kitchen, no worries. You can give your dog the pears exactly as they are and save a lot of time.
Simply mixing diced pears with toasted oats and unsweetened peanut butter will create tasty no-bake treats. Combine one finely diced pear with 2 cups of toasted plain oatmeal and 1 1/3 cups of unsweetened peanut butter, use a melon baller to make small balls, and pop them in the fridge for a few hours. It’s very easy.
You can even add a few drops of CBD into the mix to increase the holistic wellness benefits of your treat.
The soft texture of these treats can also allow you to disguise your dog’s medication. You can pop a tablet directly into the center of the treat ball and your dog will gobble it up without complaint.
If you’re not incorporating CBD or medication into your dog’s treats, it may be wise to forego making treats. Keep in mind that combining extra ingredients with the pears will also increase the sugar content and caloric content of the snack. You have to consider whether you’d rather significantly bulk up your dog’s calories with peanut butter and oats, or if you’d rather give them a wider variety of simple, whole, healthy foods as treats.
VETCBD Hemp’s philosophy is that holistic wellness is good for everyone — including your dog. Using whole fresh fruits and vegetables as dog treats is a great way to provide your dog with a few special bites without adding junk or empty calories to your pet’s diet.
Before making any changes to your pet’s diet, you should always consult with your veterinarian. While you’re there, it never hurts to ask your vet if the holistic wellness benefits of CBD may improve your pup’s quality of life.
Sources
How Many Treats to Give a Dog a Day | AKC
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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