Autumn is here, and so is the pumpkin. During the pumpkin season, you can enjoy many delicious foods made with pumpkin. Fall is all about pumpkin… from foods, desserts, and even drinks. And you, like many other dog lovers, enjoy sharing your experiences with your dog. And that goes for food too. So, do you wonder if your husky can eat pumpkin? The answer is yes. Your husky can eat pumpkin in many ways. Pumpkin puree, cooked pumpkin, or canned pumpkin are a tasty and healthy addition to your husky’s diet. As long you give him or her the proper amount for his age and weight. I will try to cover any questions that you might have regarding this subject in this article.
What kind of pumpkin is good for my husky?
Pumpkin is good for your husky as long as you feed him a proper amount of cooked pumpkin. You can feed your husky pumpkin puree made at home or canned pumpkin that contains no spices, salt, sugars, or artificial sugars such as xylitol. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Always, and I mean always, check the ingredients before giving your dog something bought from the store.
Nowadays, you can find xylitol in baking goods, fruit yogurt, peanut butter, puddings, ketchup, syrups, sauces, toothpaste, chewing gum, and many more. If a product contains xylitol, you will find it written in the ingredient list. If there is no xylitol, spices, or sugar, your husky can safely eat canned pumpkin.
Don’t feed pumpkin pie filling to your husky
Never feed pumpkin pie filling to your husky. Pumpkin pie filling contains harmful spices for your dog, such as nutmeg, sugar, or xylitol. I mentioned this earlier, but I need to mention again, xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. Not feeding your husky pumpkin pie filling also means no pumpkin pie for him or her either.
Your dog can’t really digest raw pumpkin
Cook the pumpkin before you feed it to your husky because raw pumpkin is hard for him or her to digest. Dogs can eat raw pumpkin, but it’s better if it’s cooked. Don’t let your husky eat raw pumpkin skin. If you really want to give your dog some pumpkin, you should remove the rind and seeds and put it in a food processor or blender to make a puree out of it.
Is pumpkin good for my husky?
Pumpkin is delicious and has many benefits for your dog as long as you give the right amount to him or her. With lots of nutrients, fiber, and low in calories, pumpkin helps your husky’s metabolism, immune system, muscle health, regulates blood pressure, and hydrates. A few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin or homemade plain pumpkin puree added to your husky diet will bring fiber, vitamin A, C, E, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
| Cooked pumpkin | Vitamin A | Magnesium | Fiber | Potassium | Sugar | Water | |
| 100 g | 5760 IU | 9 mg | 1.1 g | 230 mg | 2.08 g | 93.7 g |
Can pumpkin help with my husky’s diarrhea or constipation?
The most known fact about pumpkin when it comes to feeding it to your dog is that pumpkin can help with diarrhea and mild constipation due to its high fiber content. Pumpkin can help lower the acidity level from the large intestines and help the colon recover from injury. Always start with a small amount of pumpkin per meal because you don’t want too much fiber at once. You can give your husky from 1 to 4 tablespoons of pumpkin per meal for a few days. Your husky can safely eat pumpkin if you give him or her this amount. Check the stool and see if it has the right consistency. When your husky’s stool is ok, you can reduce the amount or stop giving him pumpkin for a while.
Still, we are talking here about mild constipation or diarrhea. Always check with your husky’s veterinarian if you are worried about his or her health. Also, your veterinarian can tell you why your husky is constipated or why he has diarrhea. I don’t want to alarm you, but huskies love to chew on things and if you suspect that he or she may have a foreign object in the colon is better to go to the vet.
Pumpkin is not a miracle worker when it comes to constipation or diarrhea. It helps in many cases, but it might not work in others. If pumpkin didn’t help you with your husky’s digestive problem, you should ask your veterinarian for some supplements that can solve the problem. Still, even if there is no problem regarding digestion, pumpkin is a healthy addition to your husky’s diet because it contains fiber and many nutrients.
Pumpkin is excellent for husky’s weight management
We love our dogs, but we need to understand that they need a balanced and healthy diet, even if it means saying no to puppy eyes. Your husky wants to eat what you eat because you eat it, not because he or she can’t live without it. I know that you want to share food with your husky because you care about him or her, but these foods are not always safe foods for dogs. And I also know that we all love to spoil our dogs with treats. But all the treats, the extra food, not keeping your husky on a balanced diet, and a low activity level will lead to obesity. Nowadays, obesity in dogs is a problem because it leads to many health issues and even shortens a dog’s life. If you want to spoil your husky more, try giving him or her more of your time and play or walk more together.
You might wonder what the connection between pumpkin and obesity is? Well, the fibers found in pumpkin and other whole fruits and vegetables can make a dog feel full even if he or she ate only a few calories. Pumpkin is also low in calories so is perfect for weight management. I’m not saying keep your dog on an only pumpkin diet, I’m saying pumpkin is an excellent addition to your husky diet. Many dog foods that are for weight management can contain pumpkin.
Pumpkin is good for your husky’s skin and coat
Pumpkin contains vitamin A – which is transformed into beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, and Zinc. All these are important for your husky’s skin and coat. I talked more about beta carotene in the article about why carrots are good for your husky. As a quick recap, beta carotene neutralizes free radicals, helps the immune system, and acts in synergy with vitamin C and E.
Pumpkin for your husky’s eyes
Pumpkin is good for your husky’s eye health because it is rich in vitamin A. Vitamin A helps your dog’s eye health. Other foods that can help your dog’s eye health are carrots, blueberries, sweet potatoes (always cooked), and eggs.
How much pumpkin can my husky eat?
Pumpkin like many other vegetables and fruits should be given to your dog as long as you can keep him or her on a balanced diet. You can safely give 2-3 tablespoons of homemade pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin to your adult husky. Make sure that the canned pumpkin doesn’t contain spices. Even if pumpkin contains fiber that is amazing for your husky’s health, keep in mind that too much fiber can lead to harmful effects. Check your husky’s stool to see if there is enough fiber in his diet.
Can my husky eat pumpkin seeds?
Your husky can eat pumpkin seeds only if they are peeled, cooked, and unsalted. And only in small quantities. Some dogs may have trouble digesting pumpkin seeds, so it is better to grind them and make a pumpkin seed powder. If you heard that pumpkin seeds can kill worms, let me inform you that this is false. Take your husky to the veterinarian and make sure your dog takes all the vaccines and all the necessary pills. If your dog has worms take him or her to the veterinarian to administrate the correct medicine.
Can my husky eat pumpkin pie?
No, your husky can’t eat pumpkin pie because it contains sugar, spices, and even xylitol. Xylitol is lethal for dogs. You should always check the ingredient list before you feed your dog something from the store. Canned pumpkin pie filling may contain xylitol also, besides sugar and spices.
Can my husky eat pumpkin bread?
No, your husky can’t eat pumpkin bread because it contains an unsafe quantity of butter and spices that are not safe for dogs. Nutmeg is one of the spices that are toxic for dogs and is usually found in pumpkin bread.
Is pumpkin soup for my husky?
Your husky can’t eat the pumpkin soup made for humans because it contains spices and onion. You can make safe for dogs pumpkin soup for your dog at home. Just boil de pumpkin chunks after you have peeled the pumpkin and removed the pumpkin’s seeds.
Can my husky eat raw pumpkin skin?
You husky will have problems digesting the raw pumpkin skin or even choke. Don’t let your husky chew on the pumpkin rind. You can give your husky to chew some apple slices (without core) or some carrots if you want to give him or her something healthy.
Conclusion about pumpkin and huskies
I feed my dogs homemade pumpkin puree, pumpkin treats, and I even put some pumpkin when I cook food for them. They enjoy the pumpkin’s taste and sweetness, and it increases their fiber intake and their overall health. As I mentioned earlier, pumpkin is not a miracle worker but is a great addition to your husky’s diet. Let me know if you find this article informative and tell me if your husky likes pumpkin as much as mine do.
