Have any leftover canned pumpkin or maybe even fresh pumpkin that didn't get used up in pies? Try giving some to your dog.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I was making pumpkin cheesecake and I had a lot of leftover pumpkin. I was planning on making muffins or something with it after the holiday. Well, our dog Honey started making a nuisance of herself in the kitchen, wanting some. A quick check on the internet verified that pumpkin was safe for dogs, even recommended as an ingredient in many homemade dog foods. So we gave her a scoop and she polished the bowl clean! I have been giving her a little bit as a treat now and again as I had 4 pie pumpkins so quite a bit of pumpkin to eat our way through
Be sure to only feed them a small amount at a time, and use pure pumpkin, not any type of filling with spices and sugar. It is packed with fiber and vitamins and she acts like I opened a can of wet dog food so everyone is happy.
. . . and cats like it too! As a matter of fact just about any "farm" animal will eat, benifit and enjoy pumpkin! I had leftover pumpkin so googled and found some home made facials using pumpkin! (just let it warm up to room temp before putting it on your face - darn that was cold!) We strive to use and/or re-use just about everything around here!
Pumpkin, for dogs, is generally used for constipation or diarrhea only (1 tsp. per day, for a large dog - no more). I wouldn't recommend feeding it to them any other way or in any other quantities. I have 3 large dogs and always keep pumpkin handy. I buy a can, when it's on sale, divide it up into small bags (about 1/2 cup per bag) & put them in the freezer. I can then quickly thaw a tsp. to give them if they get sick.
I have been giving my T-cup chihuahua, Mitzi canned pumpkin in her meals twice a day for two years. She loves it. Since she's so little, she gets three small meals a day. Morning is kibble and a little canned meat, lunch is an Alpo cookie crunched up with a scoop of warmed pumpkin mixed in and then topped with a small scoop of baby food (the meats), dinner is kibble with warmed pumpkin topped with baby food.
She's lost weight on this meal plan. I love to eat canned pumpkin out of the can, too. In fact, if I'm craving something at night, instead of having ice cream, I'll have a 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin with some cinnamon on it topped with some cool whip. Works for me! ;-)
Cooked pumpkin is safe for dogs in moderation! It can provide increased fiber and vit A in their diet.
Large doses of vit A are very toxic to dogs and raw pumpkin is not good for them. It's hard to digest and can lead to intestinal blockages which are often life threatening in dogs.
A littel cooked or canned pumpkin mixed in with their food is fine but only in moderation.
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