Peas feed a surprising range of animals, from tiny insects that live inside the pod to cows, salmon and family dogs. Whether an animal eating peas is a problem depends on whether it is raiding your garden or eating from a bowl. The same seed that makes a healthy feed for pigs and chickens has drawn veterinary concern when it makes up much of a dog’s diet.1PubMed Central. Investigation of diets associated with dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs using foodomics analysis
Insects That Eat Peas in the Garden
Pea aphids are small sap-sucking insects that cluster on stems, leaves, flowers and young pods. A plant starting with 50 aphids lost close to two-thirds of its growth within about 11 days.2The Canadian Entomologist. EFFECTS OF PEA APHIDS, ACYRTHOSIPHON PISUM (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE), ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PEA PLANTS, PISUM SATIVUM A light start of about 5 aphids per plant cost under 5% of growth, because the plant grows to make up for small losses.3The Canadian Entomologist. EFFECTS OF PEA APHIDS, ACYRTHOSIPHON PISUM (HOMOPTERA: APHIDIDAE), ON GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PEA PLANTS, PISUM SATIVUM Timing matters too. Young pods are the most sensitive stage, and just four aphids feeding on a young pod for 4 days can noticeably reduce the peas inside.4Journal of Economic Entomology. Growth Stages of Field Peas Sensitive to Damage by the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Homoptera: Aphididae) A heavy attack means fewer pods, fewer peas per pod and more empty pods.5Journal of Economic Entomology. Growth Stages of Field Peas Sensitive to Damage by the Pea Aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Homoptera: Aphididae)
Pea aphids also excrete sticky honeydew, which leaves leaves glossy and tacky and sometimes grows a black sooty mold on top. Pale shed skins stuck to the leaves show a colony has been there a while, even if the insects have thinned out. Aphids come in different colours and not every one on your peas is the pea aphid, but the response is much the same, so exact identification isn’t essential.
Pea moth caterpillars do their eating out of sight. When you shell pods you may find creamy white caterpillars up to 14 mm long with dark dots.6Royal Horticultural Society. Pea Moth: How to Prevent Damage Near the chewed peas you will see piles of caterpillar droppings.7Royal Horticultural Society. Pea Moth: How to Prevent Damage Usually one or two peas per pod are partly eaten, and attacked pods may yellow and ripen early.8Bayer CropScience UK. Pea Moth
The adults lay eggs on plants around flowering, and the caterpillars enter young pods and feed as the peas swell, which is why the trouble appears at harvest. The outside of an attacked pod may look healthy, so opening a few pods from different plants is the only reliable check. Once the caterpillar is inside, little can be done, so gardeners often cover flowering plants with fine insect mesh to keep egg-laying adults out. Sowing earlier or later than your neighbours can sometimes shift flowering away from the main moth flight, though results vary by region and year.
The pea weevil is a small beetle whose larvae feed inside pea seeds, and it eats no other plant.9Annals of the Entomological Society of America. Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Pea Weevil (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) It is a major pest worldwide, especially in fairly dry climates.10Ratarstvo i povrtarstvo. Archaeoentomological assessment of weevil (Coleoptera, Bruchidae) infestation level of pea (Pisum sativum) at the Late Bronze Age settlement Hissar Losses range from none to 90% of the crop in different parts of the United States.11Annals of the Entomological Society of America. Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Pea Weevil (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Peas can look fine at harvest and show small round exit holes only after drying and storage. A pea with a hole has usually had its inside partly eaten, so it is lighter and less good for cooking. It is also a poor choice for sowing, since the eaten seed may germinate weakly or not at all. Because the weevil attacks only peas, moving the pea bed to a new spot and clearing leftover dried pods lowers the chance it carries over.
For a home gardener, a few aphids are usually tolerable since the plant compensates. Act when colonies build on flowers and young pods. A moth-damaged pod can be partly salvaged by discarding the eaten peas.
Rabbits, Deer and Birds That Raid Pea Patches
If young pea shoots disappear overnight, rabbits are a likely cause.12Gardening Solutions. Rabbits Small deer such as muntjac also browse young shoots and leaves and damage pea crops.13Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research. Mammalian Agricultural Pests and Their Management in the Arki Hills of Himachal Pradesh, India Electric or tall sturdy fencing is the most effective way to keep deer out.14Asian Journal of Basic Science & Research. Mammalian Agricultural Pests and Their Management in the Arki Hills of Himachal Pradesh, India
The two leave different marks. Rabbits bite shoots off cleanly at an angle, usually close to the ground, so the stump looks sharply cut. Deer have no upper front teeth, so they tend to leave torn or ragged edges on stems, and the damage is higher up, often with trampled plants. Rabbits leave small round droppings and deer leave larger pellets, so look around the bed. Hoofprints in soft soil next to the bed point to deer.
Birds are the other group of raiders. Many wild birds will take and eat pea seeds.15Springer Link / Ecotoxicology. Assessing potential exposure of birds to pesticide-treated seeds Ducks and geese seek out pea fields, especially early in the season and where peas are spilled after harvest.16HARVESTYOUROWN.ca. Pre-scout for Waterfowl
Birds dig up or pull out sown seed and young seedlings, leaving small scratched holes or pulled-up plants with the seed gone. Mice and other rodents can also take sown seed, so empty seed spots alone don’t prove birds are responsible. Pods split open with the peas missing, on a plant that is otherwise intact, suggest birds are feeding on the ripening crop.
Protection matters most while plants are young. Low wire fencing buried slightly at the base stops rabbits, while deer need much taller fencing. Netting over seedlings keeps birds off until the plants establish.
Peas as Food for Farm Animals and Fish
Field peas can fully replace soybean meal in growing pigs’ diets without hurting growth or pork quality.17PubMed. The influence of dietary field peas (Pisum sativum L.) on pig performance, carcass quality, and the palatability of pork Cooking peas by extrusion or pelleting helps pigs get more energy from them.18Journal of Animal Science. The effects of thermal treatment of field peas (Pisum sativum L.) on nutrient and energy digestibility by growing pigs19Animal Feed Science and Technology. Nutrient digestibility of heat-processed field pea in weaned pigs Chickens raised for meat grow well on diets with peas when used appropriately,20Journal of Applied Poultry Research. Effect of peas and pea products in diets for broiler chickens with consideration of the intestinal microbiota and broilers on some pea diets gained weight faster on less feed.21PubMed Central. The impact of soybean meal and field peas inclusion on growth performance, carcass traits and nutrient digestibilities in broiler chickens offered wheat-based diets
Dairy cows fed ground peas produced as much milk, with more milk protein.22PubMed. Production and nitrogen utilization in lactating dairy cows fed ground field peas with or without ruminally protected lysine and methionine In fish, pea protein can replace 20% of fish meal in Atlantic salmon feed without harming growth.23Aquaculture. Pea protein concentrate substituting fish meal or soybean meal in diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)–Effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass composition, gut health, and physical feed quality In sea bream and tench, replacing about a third works, while higher levels slowed growth.24Aquaculture Research. Evaluation of pea protein concentrate as partial replacement of fish meal in practical diets for juvenile tench (Tinca tinca L.)25Aquaculture Nutrition. Amino acid retention of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.) fed with pea protein concentrate
Farmers use peas because they supply both protein and starch-based energy, so they can replace a protein source and part of a grain source in the same ration. Peas can be grown in the same region as the farm, which reduces dependence on imported soybean. As a legume, they also leave nitrogen in the soil, which suits crop rotations for farmers who grow their own feed. Compared with soybean meal, peas have less protein, so diets using them usually need adjusting to match the animal’s needs.
Processing matters because raw pea starch is harder for some animals to digest, so heating, extruding or pelleting breaks it down and releases more energy. Raw peas also contain natural compounds that interfere with digestion, and heat reduces their effect.
Each species has a ceiling. Past a certain point, adding more peas stops helping and growth or production starts to fall. Feed makers mix peas with other protein sources so the animal still gets every amino acid it needs, because peas alone are short of some. The results come from trials with specific diets, so a level that worked in one study is not a recommendation for every farm.
Are Peas Safe for Dogs
Dogs generally eat foods containing peas and other pulses readily.26Novel protein and lipid sources in animal nutrition. Pulse proteins for pet dogs and cats Cooked peas in dog diets appeared safe in a short trial,27Italian Journal of Animal Science. Substitution of a commercial diet with raw meat complemented with vegetable foods containing chickpeas or peas affects faecal microbiome in healthy dogs and a yellow-pea diet lowered overweight dogs’ insulin response to sugar compared with a rice diet.28PubMed. Effect of an extruded pea or rice diet on postprandial insulin and cardiovascular responses in dogs
The concern is with diets where peas make up a large share. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a heart disease where the heart enlarges and pumps weakly. Peas stand out as a leading possible ingredient linked to diet-associated DCM, though cause is not proven.29PubMed Central. Investigation of diets associated with dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs using foodomics analysis In healthy dogs, a wrinkled-pea diet caused early, symptom-free heart changes resembling the heart condition DCM within 4 weeks.30PubMed Central. Effects of a 28-day feeding trial of grain-containing versus pulse-based diets on cardiac function, taurine levels and digestibility in domestic dogs Pea-heavy diets also lowered protein digestion in just 7 days and could risk low taurine, an amino acid the heart needs.31PubMed Central. The Effects of 7 Days of Feeding Pulse-Based Diets on Digestibility, Glycemic Response and Taurine Levels in Domestic Dogs Grain-free, legume-rich diets lowered red blood cells in Labradors within a month, a pattern seen in dogs with the heart condition DCM.32PubMed Central. Responses in randomised groups of healthy, adult Labrador retrievers fed grain-free diets with high legume inclusion for 30 days display commonalities with dogs with suspected dilated cardiomyopathy Not all pulses behaved the same, and lentils did not show the same heart changes in one trial.
In DCM the heart muscle stretches and thins, so each beat pushes out less blood than it should. Later signs can include tiring easily, coughing, fast breathing and fainting, though these have many other causes. Some breeds also carry an inherited tendency, so diet is only one possible contributor.
One idea is that pea-heavy diets reduce protein digestion, so the dog absorbs fewer of the amino acids it needs to make taurine. Taurine is important for heart muscle, so a shortfall over time could weaken it. Not every dog with diet-linked DCM has low taurine, though, so that is not the full explanation.
A few plain cooked peas as an occasional treat is a very different situation from a diet where peas make up a large share of every meal. Dogs can eat green peas, snap peas and snow peas, served without salt, butter or seasoning.
Ingredients are listed by weight before cooking, so peas, pea protein and pea fibre near the top suggest a large share. Peas can appear under several names in one list, such as whole peas, pea protein and pea starch, which together may add up to more than any single entry suggests. A food can be pea-heavy without calling itself grain-free, so the ingredient list matters more than the front of the bag.
Talk to a vet before choosing a grain-free, legume-rich food. If a dog on such food tires easily or coughs, ask about a heart check.
Peas for Rabbits and Other Small Pets
Rabbits can eat peas and pea pods if kept to reasonable amounts, because too much of any new food can upset a rabbit’s gut.33Petco Pet Education Center. What vegetables can my rabbit eat? Are peas, pea pods, or beans safe? Introduce peas slowly as a treat.
Hay should stay most of a rabbit’s diet, since the constant fibre keeps the gut moving and peas are only a small extra. Pods are lower in sugar than shelled peas, so they suit a regular treat better. Start with one or two peas or a small piece of pod, then wait a day before offering more.
Check droppings after any new food, and stop offering it if they turn soft or smaller than usual. Offer fresh or thawed frozen peas, and avoid salted, seasoned or canned ones, which often contain added salt. Guinea pigs and other small plant-eating pets can also have a few peas, with the same small-portion approach.