# Pumpkin and yogurt



## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

I wonderd if you feed your dogs plain yogurt and/or canned (unsweetened) pumpkin. Ranger was having a little trouble switching foods so the woman that runs the pet store I go to recommended pumpkin. I tried it and it worked great and both dogs love it. Both dogs have good solid poop when they eat pumpkin. Problem is I am not sure how much to give them or whether it can be a long term thing. 

I have also heard that plain yogurt is good as well but I don't know how much or whether lowfat is okay. I buy the quarts of plain lowfat for myself, but often can't finish the whole quart in a reasonable amount of time so I would love to share the leftovers if they are safe for the dogs.

Both of my dogs are about 70 lbs.

Thanks for any advice.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Yes..all my dogs love both pumpkin(canned 100% pumpkin) and yogurt(plain). They will take that over meat Dehydrated sweet potatoes and cottage cheese are other choices.


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## barnyard (Jun 21, 2012)

I often give my two a dollop of pumpkin and/or yogurt. (A dollop is probably 2 tablespoons) I use plain greek yogurt since that is what I usually have in the house.


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

How much do you feed them?

I hadn't thought of sweet potato. Good idea. Do you bake it or boil it?


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

Barnyard, thanks for the info. The woman at the pet store recommended giving Ranger a fair amount to accompany his new food to prevent lose stool. I figured that was not a long term recommendation, but it worked so well I decided that both my dogs could benefit from a maintenance dose.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

I also give a dollop of pumpkin with the kibble. A few times a week I'll add yogurt too, I buy the plain with probiotics.


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## TrickyShepherd (Aug 15, 2011)

Mine get plain yogurt, and 100% pumpkin through out the week. I do about 2 tablespoons of each (sometimes they get one, sometimes both, sometimes none... depends, I switch it up). If my dog is having a hard time with tummy issues (switching food, or SIBO issues with Zira), I do pumpkin every day for about a week or so. This helps sooth their stomach.

Sweet potato is great for treats. I use that at training when they are in their crates for a bit. I also have used it on their food... but not as common as the others.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I feed a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin most nights.

Interesting with the yogurt-- I finally figured out that Hans is violently sensitive to it.

He hadn't had any in a very long time.
I was eating some and gave him a teaspoon, and two minutes later he does the hurka gurka and barfs all over the kitchen floor.
NO more yogurt for him...ever.


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## AngelaA6 (Jan 20, 2013)

I use the canned unsweetened pumpkin and freeze them into cubes in an ice tray.  He gets one cube every day because he loves to chew on himself and groom constantly and pukes up his fur -.-'. So to prevent it we give him a cube of pumpkin a day  .


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## Neko (Dec 13, 2012)

We give 1 teaspoon of pumpkin and plain no fat yogurt daily per our vet =) Zeus is doing so much better!


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## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

AngelaA6 said:


> I use the canned unsweetened pumpkin and freeze them into cubes in an ice tray.  He gets one cube every day because he loves to chew on himself and groom constantly and pukes up his fur -.-'. So to prevent it we give him a cube of pumpkin a day  .


 What an awesome idea. I am going to try that and maybe mix the two (pumpkin & yogurt).


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

I also give pumpkin and yogurt, two tablespoons of yogurt and for the pumpkin its just a large tablespoon (heaping) so I would guess around 2 tablespoons as well... I was just wondering what people thought about flavored yogurt? I ran out of plain Greek today and I didnt have any pumpkin so I used blueberry Greek, and Penny seemed to love it... I just didnt know if this is something I should avoid or if giving them flavored yogurt sometimes would be ok?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

mandiah89 said:


> I also give pumpkin and yogurt, two tablespoons of yogurt and for the pumpkin its just a large tablespoon (heaping) so I would guess around 2 tablespoons as well... I was just wondering what people thought about flavored yogurt? I ran out of plain Greek today and I didnt have any pumpkin so I used blueberry Greek, and Penny seemed to love it... I just didnt know if this is something I should avoid or if giving them flavored yogurt sometimes would be ok?


 
I know we had this conversation before, but be careful with giving Greek yogurt daily..it has a lot more protein in it versus regular yogurt. Every now and then is okay, but i'm not sure about everyday.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Rangers-mom said:


> How much do you feed them?
> 
> I hadn't thought of sweet potato. Good idea. Do you bake it or boil it?


 
Dehydrated or boiled...I have never baked it, but I would think that is okay too.


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

I also give canned pumpkin and plain non fat yogurt. I had stopped yogurt for all the dogs as Havoc cannot handle dairy. But I re-strated it for the girls as they love it. Poops are great. 

Kayos likes stuff in her kibble so we started adding some canned food when she was a puppy. We never stopped and all the dogs enjoy it. 

BUT.... we (both hubby and I)work for the DOD and will be furloughed this summer. Pumpkin and yogurt are a lot cheaper than canned Blue Buffalo too.


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

Mandiah89, i would be careful with the flavored yogurt because it has a lot of sugar in it.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Rangers-mom said:


> Mandiah89, i would be careful with the flavored yogurt because it has a lot of sugar in it.


Not to mention other things. Stick to the plain, preferably one with only milk and cultures.


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

It was the first time I did it, and I dont give yogurt every day, probably twice a week the rest of the time its pumpkin, or I bake sweet potato and blend it and add a little of that too... I wont give her flavored again, I just didnt really have anything else to give her this morning so gave her a bit of that. Didnt really think of the sugars or any other bad things in it lol


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

Actually, I would even be careful with the plain. I like plain unsweetened regular (not greek) yogurt with my own sweeteners - fresh fruit. Much to my disappointment I have found that some stores sell "plain" yogurt that is sweetened. I am pretty sure wegman's or walmart or both plain yogurts are sweetened. So read the ingredients.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

is the pumpkin cooked?, boiled or baked?


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

x11 said:


> is the pumpkin cooked?, boiled or baked?


Right out of the can...but it has to be the 100% pumpkin, not the other kind with stuff added to it.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

llombardo said:


> Right out of the can...but it has to be the 100% pumpkin, not the other kind with stuff added to it.


Llom. excuse my ignorance but i was completely unaware you could buy pumpkin in a can. i live rural and pumpkin is an inexpensive and abundant food source which i never personally eat - hate vegetables period. 

i can get fresh raw pumkin easy and cheap, if it is good for my dogs i will feed it. so i assume you would cook it if purchased fresh? remove the skin? boil untill soft?

thanks any info.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i give my dog organic plain yogurt. when i give him canned
pumpkin it's in water only or i bake a pumpkin.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

x11 said:


> Llom. excuse my ignorance but i was completely unaware you could buy pumpkin in a can. i live rural and pumpkin is an inexpensive and abundant food source which i never personally eat - hate vegetables period.
> 
> i can get fresh raw pumkin easy and cheap, if it is good for my dogs i will feed it. so i assume you would cook it if purchased fresh? remove the skin? boil untill soft?
> 
> thanks any info.


I'm not sure about that..hopefully someone else would know more. I would be interested in finding out this info myself.


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

I was wondering the same thing about fresh pumpkin. In the fall I can buy lots of fresh pumpkin on the cheap. I often bake a pumpkin for dinner and often there is a lot left over. It would be great if i could give it to the dogs.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

geez around here the cost of the can would be more than the cost of the pumpkin in it.


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## Loic (Feb 11, 2013)

Why not making your own yogurt? 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## zimmer (Dec 20, 2012)

I give Zim and Loki a tablespoon each of 100% pure pumpkin in their food every night. It really helped Zim when we changed his food a few weeks back - his stool wasn't loose or water-y, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, so I've continued to feed it to him. Loki does well on it, too, though she doesn't have the same digestion issues Zimmer does.

I haven't tried the plain yogurt yet.


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## lylol (Feb 18, 2009)

Recently added yogurt a dollop per meal... Dogs love it and poop is firmer... Will keep using


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

why can't you give fresh baked pumpkin to the dogs?



Rangers-mom said:


> I was wondering the same thing about fresh pumpkin. In the fall I can buy lots of fresh pumpkin on the cheap. I often bake a pumpkin for dinner and often there is a lot left over.
> 
> It would be great if i could give it to the dogs.


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## GatorDog (Aug 17, 2011)

I give organic canned pumpkin to mine and salmon oil.


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## gsdlover91 (Jul 21, 2012)

Mine get pure pumpkin every evening with their dinner, and occasionally yogurt.


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## x11 (Jan 1, 2012)

doggiedad said:


> why can't you give fresh baked pumpkin to the dogs?


 
i guess noone knows - word must of got out about canned pumpkin and that word got repeated and now its just all canned pumpkin and nobody knows why.:laugh::laugh:

i mean if it is 100% pumpkin straight from the can then you might as well just feed pumpkin straight from the pumpkin


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## Loic (Feb 11, 2013)

x11 said:


> i guess noone knows - word must of got out about canned pumpkin and that word got repeated and now its just all canned pumpkin and nobody knows why.:laugh::laugh:
> 
> i mean if it is 100% pumpkin straight from the can then you might as well just feed pumpkin straight from the pumpkin


LoL


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