The Health Benefits of Pumpkin for Your Dog
Tis the season – For Pumpkins! So what better time to talk about a pumpkin’s health benefits for dogs? Some nutritionists believe pumpkin is one of the superfoods that we should routinely add to our diets. So why not also add it to our dog’s diet? We do. We’ve been giving pumpkin to our dogs for years. 
Here are a few of the more important health benefits of pumpkin:
- It’s nutrient-rich – loaded with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, B2, E, and minerals such as potassium, copper, manganese, and iron. These vitamins help build the immune system, promote healthy skin and protect eyesight.
- Pumpkin is low in calories but has a good amount of healthy fiber, giving your dog a feeling of being full. This can help with weight loss or maintaining an ideal weight.
- It contains antioxidants such as beta-carotene that may help reduce the risk of heart disease, chronic disease, and some cancers.
- Because of its antioxidant properties, it helps protect the liver.
- Because of its vitamin mix, it helps promote healthy blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and cholesterol levels.
- Pumpkin supports healthy digestion because of its fiber content. It’s an easy cure for mild diarrhea or constipation.
- It is a good source of prebiotics, also helping with digestive health.
- Dogs love the taste of it!
What kind of pumpkin should you give your dog?
Plain canned pumpkin puree is certainly the easiest to buy and give to your dog. Make sure you look at the ingredients, and DO NOT buy canned pumpkin pie mix. It contains lots of sugar and other additives for making pumpkin pie. Look for cans that have pumpkin listed as the only ingredient.
If you have the time and energy, you can buy a pumpkin, cut it up, roast it and scrape out the cooked pumpkin flesh. But we will tell you from experience, that’s a lot of work!
If you’re interested, you can make raw pumpkin treats with flour and perhaps some honey and cinnamon. Roll the dough into balls, put them in the refrigerator, or store them in the freezer.
How much pumpkin should you feed your dog?
If you’re just beginning to give your dog pumpkin, start off slowly by adding a very small amount to his meal. Build up to a quantity of from 1 to 4 tablespoons, depending on the size of your dog and how much food you feed. Giving him too much, in the beginning, could result in digestive upset because of the fiber content.
If you’re feeding a kibble-based diet, add water to the dish after adding the pumpkin. Then stir to mix it all in.
In addition to giving your dog the health benefits of pumpkin, he’ll enjoy his meal that much more because of the added flavor!