pumpkin is good to put in food??

Hi all. I am going to try wellness core for my lucy who is always scratching her face and has stomach issues. I am reading on this great forum here that some put pumpkin in the food. sounds really good since lucy is such a picky eater and just dog food does not do it for her!!! Is is ok to give??? vickie

Yes. as long as it is pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling which would make her very ill. Some dogs react to pumpkin and it's not good for dogs with yeast issues, but most dogs do fine with it. Check the label of the canned pumpkin and make sure it uses ONLY pumpkin. Some companies use pumpkin and squash. I have had one foster who is fine with pumpkin, but doesn't do well with the pumpkin/squash mix.

Add about a tablespoon to the meal. Pumpkin adds fibre and is good for both diarrhea and constipation. Might also think about adding fish oil to her food. I use Noble Herring oil as two of my dogs react to salmon oil. Noble Herring oil already has vit E added which is needed to absorb and process the fish oil.

Pumpkin is for fibre issues such as diarrhea or constipation. If your dog is not experiencing those things, don't bother with Pumpkin, it will just bulk up her stools and make her have to poop more.

If you can get Wellness Core, look for the Wellness 95% meat cans. If she's having allergy issues I'd suggest using the Ocean Fish variety of Core and using the 95% Salmon canned as a topper.

If there's stomach issues, look into a probiotic like Mercola which has 51 billion microorganisms (it's a powder, i can sell it to you through paypal if you would like to try it since good probiotics are hard to find). Do not add yogurt, most dogs are lactose intolerant and cannot handle dairy products like yogurt. You might even want to look into prozyme if she doesn't seem to digest her food properly.

Ok thanks i will check the can i have at home. what about other additives like salt or anything else?/

vicpap31 wrote:Ok thanks i will check the can i have at home. what about other additives like salt or anything else?/

Avoid salt, sugar, any added preservatives or colourings.

Lucy only eats dry dog food right now but i could try some wet on top. Wellness core makes both? Also lucy does have trouble with soft stools. vickie

vicpap31 wrote:Lucy only eats dry dog food right now but i could try some wet on top. Wellness core makes both? Also lucy does have trouble with soft stools. vickie

What are you feeding right now first of all?

And yes there is both a wellness core wet and dry, but wellness also makes a 95% meat canned food in various flavours which are NOT full complete meals but meant to be very simple toppers for dogs with allergies and sensitivities. Fish is VERY good for sensitive stomachs, very easy to digest.

ETA: Pumpkin is fine for the short term for loose stools, but you really should look for the reason she's having them. Pumpkin is a band-aid fix that will fix the symptom, but it won't help the cause.

I feed her a limited ingredient product with lamb and brown rice but i always top in off with some chicken or turkey (people food) or she will not eat. I have spoiled her. i was thinking a good quality wet food to put on top would be much better for her but as a puppy she was not tolerant of wet food but it could have been the brand, i know wellness is very good. thanks

vicpap31 wrote:I feed her a limited ingredient product with lamb and brown rice but i always top in off with some chicken or turkey (people food) or she will not eat. I have spoiled her. i was thinking a good quality wet food to put on top would be much better for her but as a puppy she was not tolerant of wet food but it could have been the brand, i know wellness is very good. thanks

Lamb is actually not good for sensitive tummies believe it or not, it's actually a very fatty meat source. If she's having the face rubbing issues, get rid of the poultry and the grains. She won't eat her food because you've taught her that if she holds out, something better is coming. It's time to buck up and put your foot down and say no more goodies to make her eat. She won't starve herself. Put the food down and if she hasn't eaten her portion in 15-20 minutes, pick it back up and try again at supper time. She may puke, she may stare at you with big pug eyes, she may fuss and whine and cry... But YOU are the person with the food and she needs to eat what is offered to her or not eat at all. It's tough love, hard to do but very necessary. You can't keep waiting hand and foot on her every desire.

omg you are soo funny. You just described me to a t with my lucy. She has vomited on me, she has looked at me with that pug face. I'm such a mush and you are so right so i will get the wellness core with no chicken or grain. Just fish. I can't believe how right you are. Hey if you live in the new york area can you come and train ME for a couple of days

Actually I don't think there is anything wrong with adding a topping if it makes them enjoy their meals more, PROVIDED the topping is good for them. Mine eat grain free fish kibble but I always top it with a little bit of poached fish. What you don't want is for them to try to browbeat you into giving them something that they shouldn't really be having.

yes thanks. I use chicken cold cuts and all kinds of stuff. I will try the wellness fish. thanks so much

I think pumpkin is a great addition, provided there are no allergies / yeast issues.

All three of my pugs get a spoonful each evening in their dinner. It has helped them with anal gland issues and general tummy upsets. Plus, they love the stuff.

The Wellness 95% is a great topper too. I buy this for my fosters, especially the picky ones, and occasionally add it to my pugs dinner.

I agree with Bella, nothing wrong with a little topper, provided it is appropriate.

vicpap31 wrote:yes thanks. I use chicken cold cuts and all kinds of stuff. I will try the wellness fish. thanks so much

I also don't think there's anything wrong with a topper, but I'd lose the chicken cold cuts. Too many other things in cold cuts that could be problematic--salt, preservatives, etc.

And I'd take her off of grains entirely. I have two dogs who react to all grains--rice, oats, barley, flax, etc. And I like the Wellness products.

I don't know if you leave food out for her to eat all the time (free feed), but if you do, that can also cause dogs to be picky eaters. If you free feed, the dog nibbles at their food all day long and are full all the time and will turn their nose up when new food is offered.

If you do free feed, I would try feeding the dog twice a day, leaving the food bowl down for no longer than 20 minutes and taking the bowl back up where the dog can't get at it after the 20 minutes.

Most dogs won't eat at all the first few days, then they start nibbling at their food after about 3 or 4 days and usually in a week or two, they will eat what is put in front of them.

I like scheduled feedings. It makes it much easier to control the dog's weight, and with pugs, that's important. And the dog's appetite is a barometer of health, I know if I put their food down and they don't eat, there's a problem. With free-feeding, you'll miss out on this important indicator.

I will put goodies on my dogs' food, but as a treat, not an inducement to eat. Mine like pumpkin, and it's supposed to keep the anal glands flowing free and easy, always a good thing in my book!

MandyPug wrote:Pumpkin is for fibre issues such as diarrhea or constipation. If your dog is not experiencing those things, don't bother with Pumpkin, it will just bulk up her stools and make her have to poop more.

I respectfully disagree. Pumpkin (as long as no allergy or yeast issues arise) is a great additive for any dog's diet. Mine love it. I also think it makes there coats shiner, but that could be my imagination. And they don't poop any more than they did before the pumpkin. They get a heaping teaspoon-full in their evening meal.

Slightly OT, sorry, but we don't get canned pumpkin in Australia (or not that I've seen). We do have fresh pumpkin all year round, though. Butternut I reserve for my own baked dinners, 'cos it is soooo yummy but I use Japanese or Grey or QLD Blue to make a "soup/casserole starter" using fresh steamed pumpkin, plus steamed apple and a little boiled carrot, throw it all in the food processor and then freeze it in single cup quantities.

This is what I use as a soup base and in some casseroles and the odd fruit loaf and I will also throw a cupful into the dog's raw wet mix - I assume that it has the same qualities as US canned pumpkin. I have also used a couple of tablespoons as a topper occassionally when I've observed their poops getting too dry and chalky.

So far it hasn't killed them but every now and then I do wonder if my frozen pumpkin base is the same as your canned pumpkin. Thoughts, ladies?