Growing up a friend of mine would feed their dog practically anything. Especially when she didn’t want to finish the food on her plate. She would chuckle and say “he’s like a real-life garbage disposal!”
At the time, I didn’t think twice about it. When I got older, I realized how wrong that was. The food a dog eats affects their health the same way it would a human. I figured dog food (obviously!) was a good place to start when feeding my pooch. However, there are other dog treats they can eat that dog food doesn’t contain yielding positive results to their overall health.
Pumpkin is at the top of that list.
Vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium are all good for your dog’s health. Pumpkin contains boat loads of these nutrients and minerals. These nutrients help boost their immune system, prevent itchy skin and aid in digestion.
These essentials found in pumpkin help to keep your dog’s skin in tip-top shape by reducing dryness and inflammation. This will keep their fur healthy and shiny. Additionally, these oils support urinary health such as urinary incontinence.
If you were feeding your dog everything under the sun or they just haven’t had enough exercise, they may have gained a little weight. Pumpkin adds fiber to their diet. Fiber will help speed up their metabolism and help your dog cut inches off their waist. They will be slim and trim in no time!
Pumpkin works like a medicine for your pup. This is the fiber working. The fiber reacts to what your dog’s body needs. This means it works particularly well if your dog has any problems with either diarrhea or constipation. It is great for digestion.
Your dog can have pumpkin all year around. Some experts suggest simply adding a ½ can or one full can of pureed pumpkin to your dog’s bowl during meal time. However, some canned pumpkin contains other ingredients or preservatives for flavor such as cinnamon or vanilla. Additionally, using an actual pumpkin (not canned) has a whole other set of precautions and preparations you have to take before serving it to them.
It is best to get a dog multivitamin or dog supplement that contains the right dosage of pumpkin to give to your dog as a treat or to add to their meal. The benefit of giving them a multivitamin is that it typically contains more health benefits than giving them only canned pumpkin..It’s safer, easier and better for them.
It’s outstanding to find out that a vegetable, like pumpkin, can be a powerful nutrient for your dog’s diet. The benefits are immense but the change to their diet is small. You’ll find that a dog might eat just about anything, but dog’s have sensitive stomachs. It’s best to save you and your furry friend the trouble and give them something you know will benefit them in the short-term and for their future.