Every October the same question pops up: can dogs eat pumpkin? The short answer is yes. Plain, cooked pumpkin is safe for most dogs, and a small spoonful can be good for their digestion. The carved one on your doorstep, though, is a different story.
Is pumpkin good for dogs?
Plain cooked pumpkin is:
- About 90% water, so it's light and hydrating
- A gentle source of fibre, which helps digestion
- Low in calories, good even for dogs watching their weight
- Rich in beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A
The fibre is the useful part. It firms up loose poo and helps when things are stuck, and it feeds the helpful bacteria in your dog's gut. Vets have used fibre this way for years: in one study of dogs with long-running diarrhoea, adding fibre helped most of them.
A little pumpkin can help a mild, one-off wobbly tummy. For dogs whose tummies wobble often, it's worth supporting their gut every day, not just on bad days, which is where a daily gut supplement like Taël helps. If an upset lasts more than a day or two, call your vet.
How to give your dog pumpkin
Peel it, scoop out the seeds, steam or boil until soft, then mash and cool. Out of season, butternut squash works the same way.
Safe for dogs:
- Plain fresh pumpkin, steamed, boiled or roasted, with nothing added
- Plain cooked butternut squash
Not for dogs:
- Raw pumpkin, which is too hard to digest
- The skin and stalk
- Pumpkin soup, risotto or anything made with onion, garlic or stock
- Pumpkin pie, cakes or anything "pumpkin spice", which contain sugar and nutmeg
How much pumpkin can I give my dog?
Daily, mixed into their usual food:
- Small dogs (up to 10kg): about 1 teaspoon
- Medium dogs (10 to 25kg): about 2 teaspoons
- Large dogs (over 25kg): about 1 tablespoon
Start small, as too much fibre at once can cause wind and loose poo. Cooked pumpkin freezes well in an ice cube tray.
Can dogs eat pumpkin seeds?
Plain seeds aren't poisonous, but they're high in fat. Roast a few plain, grind them, and sprinkle a pinch over food. Never share salted or flavoured seeds.
Is a Halloween pumpkin safe for dogs?
No. Carved pumpkins go mouldy within days, and mouldy food can cause vomiting, shaking and even seizures. Bin your lanterns after Halloween, and use battery tea lights rather than candles.
Keep these out of reach on 31 October too:
- Chocolate, especially dark
- Raisins and sultanas, which can damage the kidneys
- Sugar-free sweets and gum, which can contain xylitol
If your dog gets into any of them, or chews a mouldy pumpkin, call your vet straight away.
A spoonful of pumpkin, a happier tummy
Plain, cooked and in small amounts, pumpkin is a simple way to add gentle fibre to your dog's bowl. And if you'd like that support every day, without cooking and mashing a pumpkin, that's why we put pumpkin powder in Taël, alongside probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics and MRF in one daily scoop, stirred into their food at room temperature.
