Want to give your dog or cat a boost? Pumpkins are a good source of fiber and nutrition to keep your digestion in check. How to include it in your pet’s food!
Pumpkin: Nutritional Benefits
We’ll get technical and look at the fine print of nutrition to see how much pumpkin benefits cats and dogs. Pumpkin is a nutritional powerhouse.
Vitamin A
Pumpkins are rich in beta carotene and other forms of Vitamin A that can help maintain the health of the muscles and nerves of your pet. Pumpkins are also great for skin and fur.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to support your pet’s immunity. Vitamin C can help your pet stay healthy and prevent sneezes.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is another essential antioxidant that supports eye, muscle, and reproductive health. This is especially true for older pets, as it can help manage inflammation and pain.
Minerals
The pumpkin is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins, including potassium, calcium, iron, and phosphorus. These minerals are essential for crucial body functions, from red blood cell production to bone development.
Fiber
Pumpkin is high in fiber, which helps to improve digestion and reduce diarrhea. Fiber helps to bulk up your pet’s digestive system, reducing diarrhea, constipation, and hairballs. Fiber is also a Prebiotic. It adds fatty acids to the digestive tract, lowers pH, and improves water absorption.
Moisture
Fresh pumpkin, and even canned pumpkin, is high in water. This makes it an excellent source of moisture for dogs and cats who need a little more hydration. It is essential to maintain a healthy body hydration level. Good digestion.
Add Pumpkin to your Pet’s Food
How can you feed your cat or dog pumpkin if you are convinced of its benefits? You can easily add pumpkin to your pet’s diet!
Find a dog or cat food that has pumpkin as an ingredient. It is common to find pumpkin in pet food for sensitive stomachs. This ingredient helps with digestion.
Does your pet love its current food, or is it, not a good fit? You can easily add pumpkin puree to your dog’s diet, whether to give it a nutritional boost or treat an upset stomach.
Mixing a small amount of pumpkin puree with their meal is the easiest way. Even though some people may not like chunks or dollops of pumpkin, incorporating it into their dry or wet food will make it more palatable. Most dogs love pumpkin’s naturally sweet taste and could even make their food more appealing!
Most grocery stores sell pumpkin puree. Look for plain cans of pumpkin containing no added sugar, salt, or spices. Do not buy pumpkin pie filling!
No recipe is needed to make pumpkin puree. You can buy whole organic pumpkins. You can also steam or bake the pumpkin until it is tender. Remove the peel and blend in a food processor or blender until you have a smooth puree. Roasted pumpkin seeds can be used to deworm animals and are tasty for people and pets.
You can also feed your pet pumpkin by making homemade pumpkin treats. For a frozen treat on a hot day, you can freeze pumpkin purée in an ice-cube tray. You can make these homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Dog Treats to show your culinary skills.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure to feed the correct amount. If you want to give your dog pumpkin daily, ensure you provide them a portion proportionate to their size. Small dogs and cats should be given fewer pumpkins than large dogs.
As a general rule, no more than 15% of the daily calories consumed by your pet should be from different foods. The remaining 85% must come from its staple diet. Learn more about adding fresh food to your pets’ meals in our guide!
Pumpkin is a beautiful addition to the diets of most dogs and cats, as well as your own. Pumpkin is excellent for sharing with pets.