 The Short Answer is: |
I want to tell you that you are welcome to feed your dog pea pods. You can add the pea pods to your dog’s main meal as long as you have rinsed, cut up, and added them to their meal. |
In this article you will know the answer to the query “Can My Dog Eat Pea Pods?“.
As soon as you start chopping vegetables your dogs might come and sit by you to keep you company.
Even if I am only chopping or peeling vegetables- when there is no meat in sight- my dogs will do this.
Although they sometimes annoy me because they make moving around the kitchen that much more difficult I know it is my own fault.
I frequently throw them scraps while walking so I have taught them to do this.
As part of todays article I will discuss whether dogs can eat pea pods as part of this behaviour.
Just like me I think there are many dog owners who feed their dogs scraps when they are preparing their vegetable dishes.
Are pea pods nutritionally valuable or are they just empty calories we feed our dogs?
Keep reading to find out the answer!
Have pea pods got any nutritional value?
As I cannot find any specific information about pea pods I cannot determine whether they have any nutritional value.
I suppose this isnot surprising.
Therefore I have used nutritional data for other types of peas with edible pods such as sugar snap peas as a substitute.
However I’m not sure whether this data is for the pea pods or the peas and the pods.
For this rough guide it does not really matter.
Its mind-boggling how much nutritional information is available for food.
I will try to concentrate on some of the most important highlights.
About 89% of the pod is water 7.6% is a carbohydrate 2.6% is fibre and 2.8% is protein.
The 100g serving also contains 67% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C and 22% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin A.
Why might feeding pea pods to dogs be dangerous?
When feeding pea pods to dogs they will only be in danger in very exceptional circumstances.
A dog eating a pea pod would have to be extremely unlucky to have to go to the vet.
There are a number of things that can go wrong including:
1. Your dog choking on them.
Upon further reflection this does make sense.
Peapods can reach a length of several inches and because they are so thin its easy to imagine how they might get stuck in your dogs throat or in the roof of their mouth.
Alternatively you can simply cut the pea pod into smaller pieces to avoid this.
A better idea would be to cut up the pods and add them to your dogs food!
2. Contaminated pea pod
For this one perhaps we are really entering the realm of the “very unlikely” but hear me out!
Your dog may become ill from eating contaminated pea pods if you have an allotment or grow peas in your garden.
You might find that your pea pod has some fertiliser on it or that it has some dog fox or cat faeces on it.
To avoid causing harm to your dog it would be best to thoroughly wash and rinse the pea pods before chopping them up and adding them to your dogs food.
Why might a dog be fed pea pods?
For some the idea of feeding pea pods to your dog might seem odd.
What is the point of feeding your dog waste products or scraps?
Put some peas in the dogs bowl and get over it!
I was raised to believe that vegetable skins are full of nutrition which we are missing out on since we peel our vegetable skins.
Vegetable skins can be great for a number of reasons and science has confirmed that.
Peeled vegetables contain up to 13 times more fibre than those without.
However there are other reasons why dog owner may feed their dog pea pods.
In the first instance you could be someone who hates waste and feed pea pods to your dog the same way you might feed various vegetable peelings to your dog.
The same thing happens to me and I feed my dog chopped cauliflower leaves and sweet potato peelings.
Second you might not feed your dog pea pods in an ideal world…
When you start chopping vegetables your dog comes over and sits next to you…
Throwing scraps to your dog is the only way to stop them from following you around.
Since I have a golden retriever who is supposedly deaf but still leaps up every time the chopping board comes out I understand your pain!
What are the nutritional values of peas?
It is interesting to know that peas have a slightly different nutritional value than pea pods.
Considering that these values were analyzed in the first place I guess that should not be surprising.
Here are a few of the most significant differences.
Only 79% of the pea is water 14% is a carbohydrate 5.7% is fibre and 5.4% is protein.
Below is a chart comparing pea pods to peas to make the comparison much clearer!
| Nutrient | Pea Pods | Peas |
| water | 89 % | 79 % |
| Carbohydrate | 7.6 % | 14 % |
| Fibre | 2.6 % | 5.7 % |
| Protein | 2.8 % | 5.4 % |
Are there any types of peas you should not give your dog?
(In moderate amounts) All three types of peas are completely safe for your dog to eat.
Here are the three varieties: garden peas mange tout (or snow peas) and sugar snap peas.
Rather than the type of pea it is the “form” in which they come that needs to be scrutinized.
Vegetables including peas are available in many forms such as fresh canned and frozen.
Peas either fresh or frozen are fine because they’re just vegetables without additives – unless you include ice as a component of frozen peas.
You need to be careful with canned peas because they may be seasoned (as a preservation method).
On the side of the can check the nutrition label to find out how much sodium it contains.
Rinse the peas thoroughly before feeding them to your dog if it contains more than 0% of the recommended daily sodium amount.
Conclusion
After all of that I want to tell you that you are welcome to feed your dog pea pods.
You can add the pea pods to your dogs main meal as long as you have rinsed cut up and added them to their meal.
Amanda (Author)
With over a decade of experience, Amanda is a distinguished dog trainer. Her expertise in canine behavior has transformed countless lives, fostering harmonious human-canine connections. Through compassionate and personalized approaches, she empowers owners to understand and connect with their furry companions, creating a legacy of joyful tails and transformed lives.
Osvaldo Maciel (Content Reviewer)
Osvaldo Maciel, a stalwart in the field with 14 years of experience, is a revered dog trainer. His journey is defined by a profound understanding of canine behavior, shaping unbreakable human-canine bonds. Osvaldo guides owners to connect with their beloved pets, leaving an indelible mark of happiness and transformation. His legacy shines through the countless lives he has touched.
