Pumpkin for Your Dog

I had heard that giving your dog pumpkin can be very beneficial. I know they love the taste and have seen several recipes for homemade dog treats that contain pumpkin. So I did a little research. I found that canned pumpkin is low in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.  It is also a good source of Vitamin E, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium and is also a very good source of dietary fiber.  Some vets even recommend canned pumpkin for weight loss in dogs.  Simply substitute one-third of your dog’s regular food with an equivalent amount of canned pumpkin.  Because it is high in fiber, canned pumpkin will make your dog fuller than it would if you just reduced their caloric intake."  (Note: Always check with your vet first!)

One of my dogs recently began a new medicine which is working great but gives him a little bit of an upset tummy. I had heard that pumpkin might help but had no idea how much to give him. I found this bit of information here,,,

"A pet which weighs less than fifteen pounds should be given 1-2 teaspoons of pumpkin puree. A 15-35 pound pet should receive 1-2 tablespoons, and a pet 35 pounds and up can be given 2-5 tablespoons of pumpkin puree. If you find your pet's stool becomes too runny, cut back on the amount of pumpkin.

I checked a few other sites and this information seemed accurate. So my dog Barclay would get 2 Tablespoons a day. Hummm, 2 Tbsp a day. Once I open a can of pumpkin it was going to take awhile to use it all up. So this is what I did.

BTW, dogs seem to love pumpkin. Make sure you get plain pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie filling.

I found out pumpkin is a great thing to try if your dog has constipation because the fiber adds bulk and its also great for diarrhea because the fiber also absorbs excess fluid in the digestion system. Please remember that if your pet has these symptoms for over 24 hours you need to have a vet check them out. It could be something serious so don't wait! Also, I don't know about using fresh pumpkin, I would certainly NOT let them have the seeds unless you find out it is safe. I just haven't researched that.