October is here and that means it’s pumpkin season once again!
Pumpkin is great for dogs and whilst they can’t enjoy a pumpkin spice latte with you on your next coffee date, there are still plenty of tasty ways you can add a bit of pumpkin to their diet this month.
Pumpkin health benefits
Pumpkins are an excellent source of vitamins like A, C and E as well as minerals like iron and potassium. It’s high soluble fibre content also means pumpkin can be useful for firming up your dog’s stools and reducing issues with diarrhoea.
Like with most things in life, you can have too much of a good thing and that applies to pumpkins. Too much fibre in your dog’s diet can lead to bloating, gas and constipation. Pumpkins also have a higher calorie content than over vegetables so it’s best to feed small amounts in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Pumpkin puree
For these recipes, we’ve used pumpkin puree. If you’re buying pumpkin puree, make sure there’s no added sugar or spices.
Can’t find it in the shops? Use this BBC Good Foods recipe to make it at home
You can add pumpkin puree to your dog’s bowl as a meal topper along with their normal food, spread it on a lick mat or inside a kong as an enrichment activity or try one of the easy recipes below!
Recipes
Frozen Pumpkin treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree
- 1 cup Plain yoghurt
Method
- Mix the ingredients together and pour into silicone moulds suitable for the freezer. (We like these ones on Amazon)
- Pop in the freezer for 24 hours
- Serve as a tasty and refreshing treat
Peanut butter and pumpkin dog biscuits
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup peanut butter (make sure its dog safe and xylitol free)
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 190⁰C or 375⁰F
- In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin and peanut butter
- Slowly add the flour and mix together until you create a smooth, lump free dough
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface
- Cut into shapes using your favourite cookie cutter
- Place the treats onto a baking tray
- Bake in the over for 12 minutes until cooked through
- Leave to cool and serve
Pumpkin Carrot Bites
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ grated carrot
- 1 cup plain flour
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180⁰C or 350⁰F
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl so that they form a wet batter
- Roll the batter into small bowls and place on a baking sheet
- Bake for 30-35 minutes
- Allow to cool and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator
Let us know if you try any of these tasty pumpkin recipes with your dog!
