Pumpkin is one of the yellow vegetables, which is full of nutrition. It contains high fiber, vitamins A, C, E, iron, and potassium. So keeping it to your dog’s diet ensures lots of health benefits for your furry friend.
Though dogs can eat raw pumpkin, it’s harder to chew and digest than cooked pumpkin. Even raw pumpkins may make your dog sick. So it’s important to cook pumpkin to avoid health risks.
This post will discuss where you collect pumpkins, how to cook pumpkins for dogs, and how much time it takes. Overall, you’ll get a basic guideline about homemade pumpkin dog treats. But we suggest you consult a veterinarian before adding new food to your dog’s diet.
Which Pumpkin Should You Buy?
Before cooking pumpkin for your dog, you have to collect it. Here you have at least 3 options. Such as
1. Canned pumpkin
If you are busy, canned pumpkin puree is a great option. It is available in the super shop or e-commerce website and ready to use for further cooking.
2. Pumpkin pie filling
Pumpkin pie filling is another available alternative to the ready-to-use pumpkin with added sugar and spices. So you shouldn’t buy pumpkin pie filling for your dog because of its extra sugar and spices.
3 Fresh pumpkin
The fresh and raw pumpkin is the best option to choose among the three as your dog food. Though fresh pumpkin for dogs takes some more time to prepare and cook, it’s healthier than those two.
How To Cook Pumpkin For Dogs
In most cases, your dog won’t like to eat pumpkin daily if there is no taste diversity. So here we’ll love to share 3 different pumpkin recipes that are easy to follow. However, we don’t forget our vegan friends. So for them, we also keep a vegan pumpkin dog treats recipe that won’t need any egg to make.
Preparation 1: How to make pumpkin puree for dogs
100% pure pumpkin puree is one of the dogs’ favorite foods. It will be easily digested and help to cure dogs’ diarrhea how to clean dogs bum after diarrhea and constipation.
List of ingredients
- 1 pound fresh pumpkin
- 2-4 tablespoons water or as required
Cooking utensils
- A paper towel
- Sharp vegetable knife
- Parchment paper
- A tablespoon
- Blender
- Cup containers
Heating source
- Oven
Time needed
- Preparation time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 45 minutes at 350°f temperature
- Resting and blending time: 12-15 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Step 1: Pumpkin preparation
Wash the pumpkin and make it dry with a paper towel. Next, cut the crown of the pumpkin with a sharp knife. Do it gently, as it’s the harder portion of the pumpkin. Otherwise, you may cut your finger.
Step 2: Clean guts and seeds
Now, you can see a lot of guts and seeds inside it. Scoop all those with a tablespoon and keep them in a soup bowl. Later you have to discard pumpkin seeds from the guts because roasted pumpkin seeds are another healthy food that you can add to your diet or your dog’s diet.
Step 3: Cut the pumpkin
You won’t need the whole pumpkin to make puree for your dog. So cut its ¼ portion or 1 pound into large slices and place the rest of it in the refrigerator for future recipes.
Step 4: Cook the pumpkin in the oven
Switch on your oven and preheat it for 15 minutes to reach 350°f temp. In the meantime, spread parchment paper on the baking sheet and line the pumpkin slices.
Place the baking sheet in the oven, and bake the slices for around 45 minutes to become tender. You can check by piercing a toothpick or a fork into the pumpkin.
Step 5: Remove pumpkin from the oven
Switch off the oven, and open its door. Wear oven gloves, remove the pumpkin from the oven and keep them resting for 10 minutes or until it cools down to handle.
Step 6: Blend the pumpkin
Remove the outer skin of the pumpkin slices and cut them into small pieces. Put the pieces in the blender and add 2-3 tablespoons of water. Blend them for a few minutes, and if needed you can add more water. Once it reaches the baby food consistency, remove it from the blender.
Step 7: Serving
Serve 1 tablespoon of pumpkin puree for a large breed dog or 1-2 teaspoons for a baby to medium dog.
Step 8: Storing
You get 1 cup of cooked puree from 1 pound of pumpkin, and you need 1 tablespoon at a time. So it’s wise to freeze the rest of the puree. Store these in a cup container or an ice cube tray.
Note: Boiling or steaming are the other two methods of making pumpkin puree. Boiling takes 25 minutes, while steaming takes 50 minutes. The rest of the process is the same as the baking method.
Preparation 2: Pumpkin peanut butter dog treats recipe
If your dog loves to eat crunchy items, but you are a vegan. The pumpkin dog treats recipe with no eggs is a great option. As the pumpkin puree is ready, you can easily follow the peanut butter pumpkin rice flour dog treat recipe to change your dog’s taste without compromising nutrition.
List of ingredients
- 2 cups rice flour
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup Xylitol-free peanut butter
Cooking utensils
- A large soup bowl
- A dough roller
- A cookie cutter
- A kitchen brush
- Airtight container
Heating source
- Oven
Time needed
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 12 minutes at 375°f temperature
- Total time: 22 minutes
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Turn on the oven switch and preheat it at 375°f temp. It may take 12-15 minutes, based on your oven condition.
Step 2: Make the dough
Take a large soup bowl and pour pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and flour. Properly mix these to make a solid dough.
Step 3: Shape the cookies
Spread some flour on a plain surface and roll out the pumpkin dough with a wooden roller ensuring 2-3 inches in depth. Cut the rolled dough with a cookie cutter to bring them into shape. You can cut 12-15 cookies from the dough.
Step 4: Baked the cookies
Brush oil on the cookie sheet to easily remove them after baking. Place the cookies half inches apart to ensure even baking. Now bake them for 12 minutes until they turn brown and become crunchy.
Step 5: Store the cookies
Remove the cookies from the oven and wait a few minutes to cool down. Once they cool down, serve 1-2 cookies in front of your dog and store the rest of them in an airtight container.
Preparation 3: Pumpkin carrot bites recipe
On holiday, you love to eat something special, right? So why not serve your dog special food on holiday? Our third recipe is pumpkin carrot bites, which are crispy from the outside but chewy and delicious from the inside.
List of ingredients
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 slightly beaten egg
Cooking utensils
- A large soup bowl
- A tablespoon
- An airtight container
Heating source
- Oven
Time needed
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 30-35 minutes at 350° f temperature
- Total time: 45 minutes
Step 1: Preheating the oven
Preheat your oven for 15 minutes to reach 350° f temp.
Step 2: Mix all the ingredients
Pour flour, pumpkin puree, chopped carrot, and slightly beaten egg into a large soup bowl. Stir the ingredients with a tablespoon until they become moistened like dough.
Step 3: Make small balls
Pour a drop of oil into your palm and divide the batter into small pieces. You can make around 40-45 pieces with the batter. Now take a piece and give it a small ball shape by rolling it on your palms.
Step 4: Baking
Keep the balls on the baking sheet ensuring proper space, and place them in the oven. Bake them for 30 to 35 minutes.
Step 5: Storing
Put the balls into an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator to avoid growing bacteria and mold.
Some Useful Tips For Cooking And Serving Pumpkin For Dogs
- You have to ensure there is no pumpkin skin, guts, and seeds with the pumpkin when you make its puree. The pumpkin skin is too hard; if your dog eats the skin, it may cause digestive problems like constipation.
- You can add pumpkin powder to your dog’s food instead of pumpkin puree if it isn’t available at home.
- Don’t give your dog too much pumpkin and the same recipe daily; it makes your dog bored.
FAQs
Can I give my dog pumpkin everyday?
You can give 2.5 ml to 14 ml of pumpkin per day if the dog loves to eat pumpkin. However, the amount should be measured depending on your dog’s size, weight,how to make a dog weight pulling harness and health condition.
How much pumpkin should I give my dog?
In general, you have to start serving 1 teaspoon of cooked pumpkin based on each 10 pounds of your dog’s body weight. So you can give ½ teaspoon for a small dog and 1-4 tablespoons for a large dog. Moreover, you have to discuss it with a veterinarian to ensure the amount.
Can dogs eat pumpkin skin?
In simple words, yes. Dogs can eat pumpkin skin. However, your dog can’t easily digest it as it is hard. So if your pup eats too much pumpkin skin within a few days, its poop will be too hard, and face constipation problems.
Can pumpkin cause diarrhea in dogs?
If you serve readily available pumpkin pies, cakes, cookies, and other foods that contain added sugar and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to your dog, pumpkins can cause diarrhea in dogs. That’s why most veterinarians suggest serving homemade cooked pumpkins for dogs.
How fast does pumpkin work for dog diarrhea?
Pumpkins can cure simple diarrhea within 1-3 days with proper diet and care. But you should always seek veterinarian suggestions for baby and older dogs.
Pumpkin for dogs' upset stomach?
If your dog’s stomach is upset due to diarrhea or constipation, pumpkin is a good treat to cure both. Just serve one tablespoon of pumpkin or according to veterinarian recommendations for 1-3 days. It will gradually ease his distress.
Final Words
Follow the recipes of how to cook pumpkin for dogs and alternate the foods. So your puppy won’t get any chance to get bored by chewing the same food every day. However, add a moderate amount of pumpkin to the dog’s plate, as adding too much brings health risks instead of benefits.
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