Pears are packed full of nutrients, and many huskies love their smell, but can huskies eat pears safely, or should they be avoided?
Huskies can eat pears if prepared correctly and fed in small amounts. They should be washed with the pit and seed removed, cut into small chunks, and fed as a treat.
When fed properly, feeding your husky pears has many benefits, and this guide will take a deep dive into all of these and much more.
A quick note: Always consult your veterinarian before adding anything new to your husky’s diet. Also, if your husky is diabetic, avoid feeding them pears due to the high sugar content.
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Do Huskies Even Like Pears?
In my experience, huskies usually either love or hate pears, likely due to their high sugar content and strong flavor.
If you’ve eaten a pear around your husky and they come over and show interest, there’s a good chance they like the smell and will want to try some.
It’s also probably a good indicator that some dogs like the taste of pears when you realize how many pear-flavored dog treats are on the market currently…
Why Huskies Can Eat Some Pear
Huskies can eat some pear because it is packed with nutrients and low in calories. It also doesn’t contain anything toxic to them outside of the very small amount of cyanide in the seeds, which are easily removed.
It lacks the fundamental nutrients that should make up the majority of your husky’s diet, like protein, so it should only be fed in small amounts as a treat.
I like to follow the 10% rule, where treats should only make up 10% or less of your husky’s daily calories. For huskies, this equates to a couple of slices of pear each day, although it isn’t recommended to feed them pears this regularly.
This helps to prevent any stomach problems that can arise from eating too much of a certain snack, and it helps to focus most of their calories on high-quality dog food packed with protein and fatty acids.
Nutritional Benefits Of Pears For Huskies
Here’s a quick rundown of the nutrients of one medium-sized pear, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- 101 Calories
- 1g Protein
- 6g Fiber
- 27g Carbs
- Significant amounts of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Copper
Fiber is very important for huskies, just as it is for humans; it helps regulate their bowel movements and prevent issues like diarrhea.
Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that scavenges potentially harmful free radicals, and vitamin K is important for synthesizing coagulation proteins.
Science aside, you need to know that pears are very nutritionally dense and offer some benefits to your husky. They clearly lack protein and fatty acids, which should make up a large part of your husky’s diet.
Types Of Pears To Avoid
Fresh pears are fine for your husky to eat in small amounts, but any canned or preserved pairs should be avoided.
These contain high amounts of sugar and other flavorings like high fructose corn syrup that can harm your pup.
Sugar, especially, is not very healthy for dogs. It can lead to obesity in the long term and can cause stomach issues and diabetes as well.
Naturally occurring sugars like those found in the pear itself are not as bad as regular sugar, but they should still be fed in moderation.
How To Prepare Pears Safely For Your Husky
If you want to feed your husky pears, they need to be prepared a little beforehand to make them safe. Don’t worry, though, this process is very easy:
- Wash the surface of the pear first to get rid of any dirt or bacteria that might be present.
- Remove the pit and seeds. The seeds contain small amounts of cyanide – not enough to harm your husky, but should still be removed to be on the safe side. The pit can be a choking hazard, so cut that out.
- Chop up the remaining flesh into small cubes that are easy for your husky to eat.
Once you’ve got little cubes or chunks of pear, you can feed them to your husky whenever you want.
I find that they make great treats during training, and this works better than adding them as a meal topper because the amount that they should be eating is quite small to start with.
Cooked Vs. Raw Pear For Huskies
Cooked pears are also fine for huskies to eat as long as they have been boiled in plain water without any additional flavorings or additives.
What Happens If Your Husky Eats Too Much Pear
Pears should be fed as a treat, but what happens if your husky eats too much pear in one sitting or over a longer period?
Let’s take a look at both scenarios below.
Short Term
If your husky eats a lot of pear in one go, it isn’t the end of the world.
This can easily happen if you accidentally drop a pear on the floor; it only takes a few seconds for a husky to eat it all up.
They will very likely get an upset stomach for a day or two due to the high fiber and sugar intake, but that will be about it. Expect them to have diarrhea and loose stool during this time, and monitor them closely for any other symptoms.
Long Term
If you consistently feed your husky too much pear, it can greatly impact their health due to the high sugar content.
Your husky may gain weight rapidly if they eat too much pear over a long period, as well as other issues like pancreatitis or diabetes due to the high sugar content.
To avoid this, only feed them 10% of their daily calories in treats like pears when you decide to give them a treat.
You can also use normal dog treats, which contain much less sugar (zero in most cases) and are high in protein and fat. You can see our recommendations for the best husky dog treats here if you want to learn more.
If your husky shows any signs of discomfort after eating a lot of pear at once, get to the veterinarian as soon as possible.
In Summary
Hopefully, this guide has cleared up any doubts you had about feeding your husky pears.
When fed in moderation, pears are a great healthy snack for your pup, but they should always be fed in small amounts. The high sugar and fiber content can cause stomach problems for your husky if they are fed too much, so be careful.
Check out some of our other recent articles on different foods huskies can and cannot eat below:
- Can Huskies Eat Olives? Read This Before You Feed
- Can Huskies Eat Popcorn? Click Here Before You Feed
- Can Huskies Eat Peanut Butter? (Health Risks & Feeding Tips)
- Can Huskies Eat Ice Cream? 4 Key Problems To Consider
- Can Huskies Eat Potatoes? Read This Before You Feed
- Can Huskies Eat Oatmeal? Read This First Before You Feed
