Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Creature feature
Can my dog eat pumpkin? I’ve heard that pumpkin is good for dogs, but don’t know if that means fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin.
Pumpkin can be a good supplement to a dog’s diet, adding not only fiber but also vitamins and antioxidants, according to petmd.com. Most dogs like pumpkin and will gobble it up, but there are downsides to over-indulgence so you need to serve it judiciously.
Dogs can eat canned and fresh pumpkin, although canned pumpkin is more convenient because there’s no cooking required. Pumpkin can be used to entice a dog with a poor appetite to eat by adding a teaspoon or two to its regular food, but it’s also helpful when a dog needs to lose weight, according to dogchannel.com. Veterinarians sometimes recommend feeding pureed pumpkin to an overweight pet because the fiber-rich food can make him feel satisfied and full without adding calories and fat to his diet. Because pumpkin (technically a fruit, not a vegetable) is 95 percent water, it offers extra moisture for a pet whose diet is mostly dry kibble.
Measured amounts (starting with one or two teaspoons) of pumpkin may also benefit dogs and cats with gastrointestinal problems. However, too much pumpkin might cause an upset stomach with messy consequences. (If your pet has any medical problems that require a prescription or specialized diet, consult a veterinarian before feeding him pumpkin or anything new.)
When buying canned pumpkin, read and reread the label to make sure you get “100 percent pure” pumpkin and don’t accidentally pick up a can of pumpkin pie mix, which contains sugar and spices.
If you want to give your dog a taste of fresh pumpkin, it needs to be cooked by boiling or baking, then pureed before serving. Don’t feed a dog raw pumpkin. Also, toss the shell and stem, and serve only the inside of the pumpkin. Dogchannel.com stresses that if you’re making pumpkin puree, be sure and use only fresh pumpkin. Don’t try to recycle a Halloween jack-o’-lantern because it could contain mold and bacteria.
Dogs also may enjoy pumpkin seeds, but they should be cleaned and roasted. You may want to grind them up after roasting and add them to the dog’s regular food. Before roasting, separate the seeds from the stringy pumpkin “guts.” Put the seeds in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Next, shake the colander to remove excess water. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet that’s been lightly coated with cooking oil. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-50 minutes or until the seeds are dried out.
My Chihuahua enjoys plain pumpkin as well as baked treats made with pumpkin. She goes nuts for treats made from a recipe I found at kevinandamanda. com. These simple treats have only three ingredients and are easy to make. You may want to tweak the recipe a bit by substituting a different type of flour (coconut, for example). Note that the recipe calls for “natural” peanut butter, which is used because it doesn’t contain sugar or salt, neither of which is recommended for a healthful doggy diet.
If you make these, take care to let them cool completely before removing them from the cookie sheet. Lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper will ensure that they don’t stick to the pan and break apart. Also, consider that the size of the individual treats should be scaled for your dog. For example, my dog needs tiny treats so I cut these into 1-inch squares. If I were making them for a friend’s 90-pound hound, I’d make the individual pieces larger.
Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats
½ cup natural peanut butter 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
puree 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter and pureed pumpkin. Mix in flour ¼ cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it is ¼-inch thick. You can cut the rolled dough into bite-size squares or use cookie cutters for cute shapes. Bake the treats for eight to 10 minutes. Cool completely. Treats can be stored in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to three months.
Adapted from kevinandamanda.com