The short answer: Yes, but with caution.
The long answer: Used as a common ingredient for high-quality dog food, peas are excellent sources of dietary fiber, vitamins A, B, and K, and nutrients such as folate and potassium. Your dog can enjoy eating different types of peas such as green peas, garden peas (shelled), English peas (shelled), snow peas, sugar snap peas, split peas, and frozen peas as long as he does not have any kidney problems. The compound purine can further aggravate the kidneys.
Limit your dog’s intake because too much may cause gas and/or digestive complications. Also, remove the peas from pea pods before serving them to your pet. Although they are edible, their tough exterior can be a choking hazard for small pooches and may be difficult for most dogs to digest. Keep in mind that you should avoid feeding canned peas to your dog because these contain high amounts of additives and preservatives that are not good for him.
How to feed peas to your dog: Whether served in fresh, frozen, or boiled form, your dog can enjoy peas in a variety of ways. Be sure to select unblemished pods, take out the peas from the pods, and wash the peas properly before serving.
Because of their size, peas can be a choking hazard to dogs, so keep an eye on him while he eats it, or better yet, serve them in mashed form. When you are preparing peas for a meal, be sure to not to leave any pods lying around so your dog doesn’t accidentally eat them when there’s no one around.
Here are three ideas for pea-based treats your dog will love:
1) Defrost some frozen peas to make healthy pea and rosemary dog treats.
2) Make your own dog food using turkey, peas, rice, and more!
3) Try this gluten-free dog treat recipe consisting of sweet potato baby food, peas, flour, parsley, and vegetable broth.
In summary: Your dog will benefit from having peas in his diet. The legume will help improve his eyesight, skin, heart, digestion, nerves, and immune system because it contains essential vitamins and minerals including iron, magnesium, and zinc. Stick to the recommended daily intake by your veterinarian so your dog doesn’t end up with an upset stomach.
References:
Food dogs should not eat and some they should
