Can dogs eat peas?

Why

Peas are simply a plain green vegetable, and there is nothing in them that is toxic to dogs. They are mostly water, with fibre, a little plant protein, and some vitamins and minerals along for the ride. You will find them listed on the back of a great many bags of dog food already, which tells you how unremarkable they are in a dog's bowl.

Garden peas, petits pois, mangetout and sugar snaps are all fine, raw or lightly cooked. Because peas are bulky and full of fibre for very few calories, they fill a dog up without loading them with energy, which is why most vets are relaxed about them as a treat for a dog watching their weight. That fibre is also behind the only common problem: a dog who hoovers up a whole bowlful tends to produce wind and soft stools for a day.

The real risk with peas is almost never the pea itself. It is what the pea arrives in. Tinned peas are usually packed in salty water, and dogs have no need for added salt at all, which matters more still for any dog with a heart or kidney condition. Rinsing helps but does not undo it. Peas off a Sunday plate may have been cooked in butter, cream, stock or mint sauce, or alongside onion and garlic, and onion and garlic are genuinely toxic to dogs in a way that peas never are.

One sensible caveat: peas are relatively high in purines, so dogs with kidney disease or certain types of bladder stone are sometimes asked to steer clear. If your dog is on a prescription diet or being treated for anything long-term, run peas past your own vet first rather than assuming that safe for most dogs means safe for yours.

How much is sensible?

Peas belong in the treat part of the day, and the guideline vets use is that treats of all kinds should stay under roughly ten per cent of a dog's daily calories, with proper meals making up the rest. In practice that means a small scattered handful for a Labrador and just a few peas for a terrier or a smaller dog. Serve them plain: fresh or frozen, raw or lightly steamed, with no salt, butter, mint sauce, stock, onion or garlic. Frozen peas straight from the bag make a lovely hot-day treat, though for small dogs or enthusiastic gulpers let them soften for a minute or two first. If your dog has never had peas, start with a couple rather than a bowlful and see how they get on, and remember to count any peas already in their regular food.

Signs to watch for

• Wind, and rather more of it than usual
• A gurgling, bloated-looking or uncomfortable tummy
• Softer stools or mild diarrhoea, usually within a day
• Going off their normal food because they have filled up on peas
• Coughing, gagging or pawing at the mouth if a whole pod has been bolted

If your dog has had too much

If your dog has simply had too many peas, this is usually a wind-and-a-grumbly-tummy affair rather than an emergency: stop the peas, keep fresh water available, stay on their normal food, and things generally settle within a day. Ring your vet if the vomiting or diarrhoea keeps going, if you see blood, if your dog seems genuinely unwell, painful, flat or bloated, or if you are simply worried, because a puppy, a small dog or an older dog with other health problems has far less margin than a big healthy adult. Ring your vet straight away, rather than waiting, if the peas came with onion or garlic, since those are the toxic part of that plate, and treat a dog who is choking on a pod as an immediate emergency.

Serving tips

• Serve them plain. No salt, butter, mint sauce, stock, onion or garlic, and skip tinned peas entirely in favour of fresh or frozen.
• Frozen peas straight from the freezer are a good hot-weather treat. For small dogs, let them thaw for a minute or two so they are softer to crunch.
• For very small dogs or fast eaters, mash the peas or chop pods such as mangetout and sugar snaps into pieces rather than offering them whole.
• Peas make a useful filler if your dog is on a diet, but only if they replace part of the treats or food rather than being added on top.

Common questions