5 Ways to Treat Your Pup to Pumpkin
Sydney Hess
Packed with essential nutrients and beneficial fiber, pumpkin for dogs isn’t just a festive fall treat; it can be a game-changer for your dog’s digestion, weight management, and overall wellness.
As dedicated dog parents, we’re always on the lookout for ways to include our dogs in our everyday life. As the leaves turn and the air gets crisp, there’s no better time to treat ourselves and our dogs to a seasonal favorite–pumpkin!
Packed with essential nutrients and beneficial fiber, pumpkin isn’t just a festive fall treat; it can be a game-changer for your dog’s digestion, weight management, and overall wellness. Whether you’re looking to add a nutritious boost to your pup’s meals or create a festive fall treat, look no further than these 5 ways to incorporate pumpkin into your dog’s diet.
Just remember, like all good things, pumpkin is best served in moderation. Pick one additional way to serve your pup pumpkin per week in addition to their main meal of Sundays (which includes pumpkin too, but we’ll get to that in a bit).
1. The Pup-kin Spice Latte
To start us off with perhaps the most popular fall treat, this is our dog-friendly twist on the classic autumn beverage: the pumpkin spice latte!
½ cup bone broth
¼ cup 100% pumpkin puree
2 tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt or kefir
Whipped cream for topping
This treat is quick to make, requires minimal ingredients, and can be used as a hydrating meal topper. Just give all the ingredients a quick mix and serve in a small cup with whipped cream, or pour over your pup’s dinner!
2. Pumpkin Biscuits
There is no better way to spend a chilly fall evening than snuggling up with your pup, putting on a spooky movie, and enjoying some fresh baked cookies. This simple 3-ingredient pumpkin biscuit recipe is sure to elevate your movie nights.
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup 100% pumpkin puree
⅓ cup peanut butter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and then roll out the dough with a rolling pin
- Cut the cookie dough into your desired shape and place on a lined baking sheet
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, let chill, and enjoy!
For best freshness, store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge til they are gone.
3. Enrichment Stuffer
In addition to being a staple ingredient in several dog-friendly recipes, canned pumpkin is the ultimate enrichment toy stuffer. It is low calorie, highly palatable for most pups, and has the perfect spreadable texture! Whatever enrichment toy you already have is more than likely to work with pumpkin puree, but if you are in the market for something new- here are our top favorites.
This mess-free enrichment toy has refillable trays for quick and easy prep! This toy is also completely dishwasher safe, which is a huge bonus for busy pet parents.
Lick mats are widely available at pretty much any pet store, and they have started to appear in other popular retail stores like Target, HomeGoods, and T.J.Maxx. Lick mats are perfect for spreadable enrichment stuffers like pumpkin puree!
You can never go wrong with buying a WestPaw Toppl toy. These toys are durable, dishwasher safe, and incredibly versatile!
4. Food Topper for Dogs
In its simplest form, pumpkin can be fed as a regular meal topper to help regulate your pup’s digestion. Pumpkin can be fed straight from the can, as a rehydrated powder, or cooked fresh in your kitchen. However you choose to feed it, a serving of pumpkin provides an array of health benefits for all dogs. It can help alleviate both diarrhea and constipation for pups that struggle with bouts of tummy upset, as well as boost their fiber intake for better and more consistent poops.
5. Sundays for Dogs Recipes
There is no easier way to incorporate pumpkin into your pup’s diet than by feeding a healthy, nutrient dense food that includes pumpkin right in the ingredients. Sundays includes this superfood in all three of our recipes so your pup can reap the benefits on a daily basis. Better poops make for happier pups and people.