Discover why you can feed pumpkin to your dogs for constipation, diarrhea and to help with weight loss.
By
Melissa Kauffman |
Posted: February 6, 2013, 10 a.m. EST
It’s a fruit! No, it’s a vegetable! It’s a … pumpkin and, believe it
or not, it is good to feed to your dog. Although most people think of
pumpkins as vegetables, they are really a fruit born from vine plants of
the genus Cucurbita, part of the gourd family.
Pumpkins are rich in carotenoids, beta-carotene, alpha-carotene,
fiber, zinc, iron, vitamin A and potassium. In fact, you can tell the
pumpkin is rich in the antioxidant beta-carotene, just by looking at its
bright orange color.
Pumpkin is really simple to feed to your dog too. All you need is
canned pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is just as packed with nutrients as fresh
pumpkin, according to the
Mayo Clinic website.
Canned pumpkin is a puree so it is easy to mix in your dog’s food, give
it to your dog as a treat or use it as an ingredient when you make
dog treats, such as these
Pumpkin Paw Prints. Look at the back of the label to make sure you are getting 100-percent pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix.
Can you feed your dog pumpkin seeds? Yes, but most recommend that you first roast them and then grind them up. Do not add salt.
You do not want to feed your dog the stem or leaves, which are covered in little, sharp hairs that will irritate your dog.
See
your veterinarian if you have questions concerning dogs eating pumpkin.
We never know how dogs will react to new foods, so only feed a small
quantity at first to see if it causes your dog stomach upset, such as
gas.
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