Are there additional health benefits of pumpkins?
Known around the world as quite possibly the spookiest vegetable of all, the pumpkin is actually packed with a frighteningly large amount of nutrients. When ingested in a number of different ways, the nutrients found inside pumpkins can benefit your dog’s overall health or be useful in treating specific digestive or skin issues.
Rich in nutrients.
Low in calories. High in nutrients. Pumpkins are packed with potassium which helps regulate blood pressure, improves the health of muscles, and supports a good metabolism.
Furthermore, pumpkins also contain various vitamins, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and folate.
Great for eye health.
Pumpkins boast a great amount of Vitamin A (beta carotene), which is essential for eye health and crucial for brain growth. The zinc found in pumpkins is also beneficial to retina development.
An all-around immunity booster.
According to Amy Dyck of Homes Alive Pets, Vitamin C is known as the best immunity booster, but when mixed with Vitamin E, A, and other antioxidants found in pumpkins, it can prevent certain cancers from developing in dogs.
Puts the “P” in pumpkin.
It’s not just the flesh that provides nutrients, but the seeds as well! Pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids which are full of anti-inflammatory properties. These can help dislodge kidney stones and are known to prevent urinary health incontinence, which reduces the ability to hold in urine.
If you have any roasted pumpkin seeds left over after Halloween, you know who to share with. Just make sure they aren’t salted or flavoured in any way!
It’s got a hard-to-resist taste.
Think of your favourite home-cooked dish and how hard it is to resist that mouth-watering taste. Well, the same happens to go for dogs and pumpkins. Dogs are huge fans of its rich and creamy flavour, so if you’re ever trying to feed them something they don’t like, pair it with pumpkin and see your troubles fade away!
Helps maintain a healthy weight.
Thanks to their high moisture and fibre content, pumpkins are a great way to cut some pounds. Pumpkin fibre and the additional water it contains will keep them feeling full so they won’t be craving those extra calories.
Moisturizes the skin and coat.
The Vitamin A and zinc found in pumpkin can improve your pet’s skin and coat. The high water content in pumpkin flesh is also a great source of hydration and contributes to fresh, flexible skin and a glistening coat.
Drink in the benefits!
Dogs on a dry kibble diet don’t often consume water with their food and in addition, also don’t have a strong thirst drive. So how do you ensure your dog is getting a sufficient amount of water? With pumpkins, of course! Pumpkins contain a high moisture content and add more water to your dog’s diet easily and naturally.
If you’re looking to serve your dog a more consistently hydrating diet, we suggest trying one of our Bold by Nature recipes to promote a higher water intake. Each recipe contains high moisture content, meaning your pup will stay hydrated with every delicious bite.