Can Your Fur-Babies Eat Pumpkin?

It’s finally pumpkin season! With all the delicious pumpkin treats coming back again, you can’t help but feel a little sad that your fur-babies are missing out on all of the flavourful fall fun. So the question today is, can dogs and cats eat pumpkin too?

As is turns out, pumpkin is not only totally safe for dogs and cats to consume, but it also packs a punch of beneficial properties for them! Let’s look into a few of pumpkin’s finest qualities.

Nutrients galore

Pumpkin is a low-calorie gourd which is rich in essential vitamins and nutrients. The most prominent nutrients in pumpkin are vitamin A (fun fact: the pigment responsible for the pumpkin’s wonderful colour is called beta-carotene, and when it is ingested beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A), and potassium. Vitamin A is good for your pet’s eye health and can help prevent the development of eye degeneration. Potassium aids in metabolism and blood pressure regulation, and boosts muscle health. Pumpkin also contains vitamin C, folate, zinc, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus, in smaller quantities. Vitamins, minerals, nutrients, oh my!

Lucious locks and hydrated skin

Because of the zinc and vitamin A content, pumpkin is excellent for your fur-babies’ coat and skin. These substances can help prevent and treat skin irritation, redness, and flakiness as well as help hair grow healthy and full. The high water content in pumpkin is also great for hydrating a pet’s skin and coat! It’s important to note that you should not use pumpkin to treat your pet for any symptoms without instruction from your vet. If your pet is experiencing serious skin or coat irritation they should be taken to a vet before you treat your pet yourself.

Pumpkin seeds for urinary benefits

It’s not just the flesh of the pumpkin that is good for your pets! Pumpkin seeds contain healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which can help dislodge kidney stones. These super seeds are also helpful in preventing and reducing urinary incontinence.

How much pumpkin should you feed your pet?

If you’re looking to feed your pet canned, cooked, or pureed pumpkin, you should give them around 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds body weight each day. Pumpkin seeds have a multitude of good properties for your fur-babies but are also high in fat, so your pet should only consume 1-2 seeds per 10 pounds body weight each day.

How can you incorporate pumpkin into your pet’s diet?

Although pumpkin is a pretty seasonal treat for us humans, it is an incredibly versatile and year round superfood for the pups and the kitties! Here are a few ways your pet can get their gourd on:

• canned pumpkin (without sweeteners or spices) can be mixed directly into food
• roasted pumpkin seeds can be given whole as a small treat or ground up and sprinkled on top of regular food
• cooked pumpkin can be cut into cubes and given as treats
• frozen pumpkin cubes or shapes can make for a fun and refreshing snack

If you are looking for a more involved (and fun) way to feed your pets a little pumpkin, check out these past blogs for sweet recipes!

Peanut butter pumpkin biscuits

Pumpkin pupper treats

And there you have it! Pumpkin is certifiably safe, healthy, and fun for the whole family. If you go ahead and make one of our pumpkin treat recipes, share some pics with us on Instagram or Facebook. Cheers!