# Supplementing RAW with Pumpkin (raw or otherwise)..



## kai.mc.square (Dec 13, 2012)

Hey I tried looking around the forum and the only references i can get through the search function is pumpkin with relation to diarrhoea/ runny stools.

My 3mo puppy *hasnt really had diarrhoea and his stools have been awesome*, only rarely it is soft.

Diet has been....
*Breakfast*: Milk with about 120 grams of lowest-quality kibble (pedigree). I switch between the puppy formula and the adult formula to get the best balance. /shrugs

*Lunch*: 3 scrambled eggs with *2* shells, although sometimes he shakes it off. On alternate weeks, he will get a whole raw frozen Glass Eye Squirrelfish (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus).. sometimes red tilapia or pirapitinga/ pacu . (Thats the best/ cheapest I can find here for thiaminase-free fish.)

*Dinner*: 2 chicken necks, inclusive of head, brain and beak. On alternate weeks, 2 chicken drumsticks. All raw and frozen.

Sometimes when I run out of kibbles, I substitute with 1 chicken neck for breakfast.

Anyways, this little monster is growing like a balloon, and I will be VERY happy to be able to include pumpkin for him so as to manage my future finances better.

From what I know, pumpkin is pretty healthy as far as humans are concerned and even contains a small amount of protein. It has quite a bit of vitamin A, and its seeds are good source of iron.

*Does anyone here actually know if it were harmful if I added 1/3 of every meal into pumpkin as he grows up?*

For e.g., instead of feeding him 3 chicken necks, I feed him 2 chicken necks + equivalent amount (in relation to 1 neck) in pumpkin.

And lets say its actually okay (pumpkin is hella cheap here, plus I love the taste as well haha), do I give him raw? With skin? With the "guts"? What about the seeds? Or do I have to boil everything?

Possible problems I can guess would be an eventual overload of vitamin A? Iron?

Also, he likes the pumpkin and as usual, his stool is okay I suppose, although Im no vet.

PS:

Like i said, its all really financial. The GSD owners here actually feed a very large portion of porridge to meat, even for adult dogs btw and... well, doesnt seem likes theres a problem heh.

I bet if I told them what I feed my GSD, they would probably think Im insane and am made of money.

Actually, these locals Im talking about are the local navy with their working attack dogs. Thats where I got my puppy from. :]


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

In too big of a hurry to post, but quickly, you want to stop feeding milk. They don't need it, nor tolerate it well.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

I am not a raw feeder, but hopefully someone will come on here later with some suggestions for you. I only know that pumpkin can be fed to help with diarrhea or constipation, others on here can probably help you with it being in the diet daily. Have you tried entering the word pumpkin or raw diet in the search in the black bar at the top of the page, you may be able to find something that will help you with your question?


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## kai.mc.square (Dec 13, 2012)

Sunflowers said:


> In too big of a hurry to post, but quickly, you want to stop feeding milk. They don't need it, nor tolerate it well.


Oh really? Awesome, that's less spending for me. 



1sttimeforgsd said:


> I am not a raw feeder, but hopefully someone will come on here later with some suggestions for you. I only know that pumpkin can be fed to help with diarrhea or constipation, others on here can probably help you with it being in the diet daily. Have you tried entering the word pumpkin or raw diet in the search in the black bar at the top of the page, you may be able to find something that will help you with your question?


Yes, like I mentioned, the only results yielded really were those related to diarrhoea, which thankfully I haven't had a problem with so far. So, yeah, pretty irrelevant to my enquiries..


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## kai.mc.square (Dec 13, 2012)

Oh btw just for everyone's info, there was this couple of days I ran out of meat and was too lazy to go to the store and just fed him exclusively kibbles..

It was poop ****... all soft and runny and smelled bad. Yuck.



edit:
I can say poop but I can't say h-ell? Haha oh dear..


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## kai.mc.square (Dec 13, 2012)

PUMPKIN
This festive gourd is a miracle food for dogs. Good for both diarrhea and constipation, canned pumpkin (not raw, not the sugary, spicy pie filling) is loaded with fiber and beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. Don’t give Buddy a lot of it—too much A is highly toxic to dogs—but a couple of teaspoons a day for little pups, or a couple of tablespoons for big boys, should keep them right on track.


Read more: Dog Nutrition: A to Z | Cesar Millan


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

There is no nutritional need that can be filled feeding large amounts of pumpkin to dogs.

It is fiber - a filler. Good to bind things up when too loose or get things moving when stuck.


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## Rua (Jan 2, 2012)

You can give your dog pumpkin, providing that it's cooked first. Nutritionally it's great, but it really shouldn't be his main source of food. Only a supplement. Your pup won't need more than a couple tablespoons a day. So if it's fresh pumpkin you would like to use, than I recommend you roast it in an oven. Once it's cooked, remove the peel, and put the filling into ice cube trays and freeze it. Then you can always have some frozen pumpkin on hand in Tablespoon sized quantities.

As regards the rest of his diet....

Ditch the milk. As Sunflowers said, he doesn't need it and it's likely to cause gastric upset anyway.

Go easy on giving him the eggshells with his lunch if you are giving him kibble. The odd one isn't going to hurt him, but eggshells have a lot of calcium, which can be detrimental for growing pups if they get too much. The eggs can be fed raw if you are in a hurry and don't want to scramble them. 

The switching around the adult and puppy formula for kibble could cause tummy upset as well. It would be best to stick with just one that works for your pup. 

Supplementing with chicken necks, heads, and fish is all great though. Keep up with that!


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## NEPA57021 (Feb 8, 2013)

I had my dog on a raw diet for the last 4 years and used to give pumpkin here and there. It definitely helps firm up a stool, but it gave my dog gas. She always seems to be burping and I only observed this when she was given pumpkin. Like RUA said ditch the milk.


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## SS-GSD (Dec 10, 2012)

I'd also cut out the milk and eggshells and add more muscle meats/fish to your dogs diet. The chicken bones (As well as the kibble) would meet your dogs daily need of calcium so you don't need it from milk or eggshells.

I would continue to feed the kibble, chicken necks/heads/drumsticks and eggs as you already are and just add a bit of fish (Doesn't have to be a whole one every day, you can cut them up into smaller amounts to feed) or muscle meats (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, ect) each day. You can add some pumpkin if you want but I wouldn't add more than 1-2 spoonfuls of it each day, dogs don't really need it.


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