31/10/2024
Let's talk about Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seeds! 🎃🧡
🎃🎃 Long post 🎃🎃
Yes! Your dog can eat pumpkin and the seeds!
There are so many health benefits, nutritional values and your dog will simply love it!
🎃 What are the health benefits of Pumpkin for your dog?
🤎 Vitamins and Minerals - Pumpkin is packed full of nutrients for your dogs health. Vitamins like A, C, and E, as well as minerals like iron and potassium
🤎 Antioxidants - Vitamin C, which is great for our immune health, as well as Vitamins A and E, Pumpkin can help to prevent various diseases and give your dog an all-round boost.
🤎 Eye Health - The beautiful bright orange in pumpkins shows that they are packed with beta-carotene, which help neutralise free radicals. The lutein and zeaxanthin found in pumpkin also promotes eye health and is another whole food that protects against macular generation.
🤎 Improves dry skin - Pumpkins contain a high moisture content. Adding pumpkin as an additional food source in your dogs meals that can contribute to extra vitamins and minerals. The additional water and Zinc from the pumpkin will help improve dry skin, skin conditions such as eczema and overall health.
🤎 Promotes healthy digestion - Being high in water and high in fibre, pumpkins are the perfect superfood to improve your dogs digestion. The water and the fibre work together, creating healthy p**p. The fibre helps create a healthy solid stool. Pumpkins are also a great source of prebiotics, improving your dogs gas and bloating. Prebiotics help improve digestive health by introducing good bacteria into the intestinal tracts to help in the breakdown of foods and the production of waste.
🎃 While pumpkin in your dog’s diet can be extremely beneficial, too much can contribute to too much fiber can be bad for your furry friends. Adding a lot of fiber from pumpkin or other fiber-rich foods may decrease how much protein and other nutrients your pet can absorb from their food, putting them at risk of deficiencies.
So feed your dog pumpkin as an additional treat and to help with extra nutrients making your dogs food more exciting. But keep the quantities to a tasteful level.
🎃 How to prepare pumpkin
🔸Peel a whole pumpkin and remove the seeds, then slice it into chunks.
🔸Simmer the flesh in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes or until it's tender. 🔸Drain and mash it into a smooth paste.
🔸Pop into a container and into the fridge, this will keep for 3-4 days or pop into moulds and freeze - these will keep for around 6 months.
🧡 When feeding - Start with a very small serving, working up to no more than 1 teaspoon (per 10 lbs. of body weight). For small dogs, that max amount might mean ½ teaspoon per day, while large dogs can safely eat 1-4 tablespoons daily.
Alternatively, you can find pure pumpkin powder in our shop. Mix with water and it will make you a wonderful pumpkin purée. Pumpkin powder is a perfect supplement to keep in the cupboard when needed.
If you've read this far... Well done you! On to the next part 😆🤎🎃
🎃 Pumpkin Seeds 🎃
Yes, dogs can safely eat pumpkin seeds in moderation. Pumpkin seeds are high in antioxidants and can improve a dog’s digestive system. Pumpkin seeds can be given grounded up and sprinkled over their food.
🧡 Pumpkin seeds contain so many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which help you keep your dog in good health.
What are the health benefits of Pumpkin seeds for your dog?
🤎 Pumpkin seeds are full of fibre. They improve the function of a dog digestive system, which, in turn, helps to initiate weight loss. It also provides better overall health for your dog.
There is a high magnesium content in pumpkin seeds which helps boost bone health in dogs. Magnesium also helps control blood pressure and sugar and reduces the risk of heart diseases in dogs.
🧡 Studies have shown that pumpkin seed helps reduce the risk of specific health issues like cancer and heart diseases.
🤎 Urinary Health - The fatty acids and antioxidants present in pumpkin seeds help improve dogs’ urinary health. It also helps alleviate pain caused by urinary tract infections and prevents it. Regular consumption of pumpkin seeds can help older dogs suffering from overactive bladder disorders. Also, the seeds can help avoid kidney stone formation and even dislodging them.
🤎 Parasites - Pumpkin seed contains an amino acid named cucurbitacin. This amino acid is known as one of the most effective deworming agents. Cucurbitacin in pumpkin seeds paralyses the tapeworms and roundworms and effectively removes them from your dog’s intestine. That means regular Pumpkin seeds’ regular consumption helps the dogs get rid of worms and parasites.
🤎 Anti-inflammatory - As these seeds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, they can reduce inflammatory pain significantly. That makes pumpkin seeds one of the best introductions that can help you fight age-related problems, like elbow, hip dysplasia, and arthritis in dogs.
🤎 Prostatic Hyperplasia - Many male dogs suffer from problems related to an enlarged prostate gland. Regular consumption of pumpkin seeds can help the dogs to fight this problem. Not only that, these seeds can reduce the discomfort of the dogs suffering from this issue.
🤎 Good Fats - Even though we tend to think fat is bad for health, good fats are an essential factor that helps us survive. The same thing is true for the dogs as well. The pumpkin seeds contain both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These fats enable the dogs to keep their blood cholesterol level lower.
🤎 High in Vitamins and Antioxidants - Pumpkin seeds contain a wide range of antioxidants that helps to slow down the ageing process of your dog. The antioxidants help your pet fight inflammation, improve eye health, and prevent other diseases. Along with the antioxidants, pumpkin seeds also contain high vitamins and minerals, like vitamin A, C, magnesium, and zinc.
🔸Vitamin A improves the eye health of your dog.
🔸Vitamin C is known for its immunity-boosting benefits.
🔸Zinc in the Pumpkin seeds can help your dog maintain a healthy coat and skin.
🔸Magnesium supports the functions of the nervous system.
🧡 Pumpkin seeds are best served plain roasted. Never add any salt, garlic, or oil, as these ingredients harm your dog’s health. You have to clean, peel, roast and blitz them before handing them to your pet.
🎃 You do need to be careful about the type of pumpkin seeds you are feeding your dog. If you are getting packed seeds from the shop/supermarket, check the ingredient list first. Only buy the seeds that do not contain any salt or other seasonings.
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
🔸Remove the seeds from a pumpkin, and wash them thoroughly with water.
🔸Place the seeds in an oven-safe dish or baking sheet evenly spread out. Do not drizzle oil or add any spices, herbs, or salt.
🔸Bake at 165C for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
🔸Store in an airtight container or jar.
🎃 When feeding - While there is no doubt that Pumpkin seeds are suitable for your dog, you should not go overboard with them. Even though the tiny seeds are packed with goodness, too much can lead to stomach upset. It can also lead to weight gain in your dogs.
🎃 Can I feed my dog pumpkin seeds daily?
🔸Yes, you can feed pumpkin seeds daily to a dog. However, you must be within the recommended portion size. The best way to give your dog the benefit of pumpkin seeds is to grind them and add a ½ teaspoon per 20lbs of weight to food per day.
🔸We feed half tea spoon every day or every other day to our two spaniels. It makes a great meal topper.
🎃 Be aware that too many consumed seeds can give your dog diarrhoea. This is because pumpkin seeds are rich in fibre.
Please note - we do sell Pure pumpkin purée powder but we do not sell Pumpkin seeds, this is purely an educational Post to our knowledge and research 🐶 🎃
