Pumpkin Recipes Dogs Love for Thanksgiving!

My greedy little pug Kilo absolutely loves sweet potato and pumpkin (and turkey, bacon, garbage, dirty tissues, socks and just about anything else except berries).  I sometimes call him my little Pug-Kin.

Pumpkin Benefits for Dogs

Pumpkin contains fiber, potassium, iron and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Cooked or canned pumpkin can be good for digestive health (both constipation or diarrhea) in small quantities. Just avoid the sweetened versions and nutmeg.

Try Our DOG LICKS Dog-friendly Pumpkin Pie Pups

See the full recipe and post HERE.

Pumpkin Recipes

I wanted to share the simple recipes I make for Kilo plus some safety tips learned the hard way.

1) Pumpkin baked chips or “fries”. I simply buy a bag or package of pre-peeled and cut pumpkin or squash chunks (or if you have a pumpkin and time, you can peel and chop). I spread them out on tin foil on a flat baking dish, and either leave them plain or add a tiny bit of olive oil or coconut oil so they don’t stick. I then bake them in the oven at 350 for approximately 45 mins then turn them over and bake until cooked well and slightly crisp on edges. I then take them out and put them on paper towel to cool down slightly and Kilo and I fight over them – so delicious.

2) Pumpkin Kong filler Ice Cream – I pull out a few chunks that are baking early once they are soft and mash them up with chunks of ripe banana. I sometimes add a dash of plain Greek yoghurt and/or peanut butter. I stuff the mashed mixture into Kongs and freeze for Kilo as a treat to calm him (it takes him longer to eat if frozen and he loves it).

3) Pumpkin Puree/Soup– I sometimes take the same pumpkin chunks and put them in a saucepan with enough water to cover them. I boil them slowly until soft if prodded with a fork.  I then set a few chunks aside for Kong ice cream above and a rice dish I make below. I then puree the cooked pumpkin and it makes a delicious snack to warm you up after a pre-dinner cold walk.

4) Pumpkin Rice I often have plain unseasoned white or brown rice cooked for our dinners so I set aside some and mix in a little water, a little of the baked or boiled pumpkin and maybe some tiny pieces of chicken or kibble or turkey or ham and even some beans or spinach. Kilo finds it much more filling than plain kibble and takes longer to eat it as is almost like a soup.

SAFETY TIPS 

Avoid cooked bones, garlic, onion, wine, chocolate, nutmeg, avocado, grapes and other products that can be toxic to your dog.

Tidy up right after appetizers or dinner and make sure cupboards, garbage and dishwashers are not accessible – Kilo is part ninja and can jump very high. He was trying to be “helpful” and went and cleaned up the appetizers when we moved to the dining table from the living room at a dinner last week. Luckily he only got a cracker, a carrot stick and some tiny bits of smoked salmon. He did grab a seed of an olive but did not swallow it. He knocked over and smashed a wine glass but did not drink any wine or cut himself. He has also washed the dishes at another dinner when someone left the dishwasher open, cleaned the dining table left overs as we were saying goodbye to guests (luckily fruit/cheese and crackers not chocolate), and eaten smelly salad dressing and other scraps when the garbage can was not sealed tightly enough and he managed to knock it over.

Warm Up With The Honest Kitchen’s Pumpkin Latte

We couldn’t get enough of this simple and healthy recipe from The Honest Kitchen, that’s safe for you and your pet to enjoy! We met them at Barkworld and attended some of their cooking demos.As a bonus, the recipe contains The Honest Kitchens Pro Bloom™ supplement . It’s formulated with natural goat’s milk plus probiotics and digestive enzymes that help maintain a healthy digestive track.

You can use their Pro Bloom alone as a nourishing drink (great for weaning puppies). Pour it over kibble to add moisture or to hydrate other Honest Kitchen products.