Pumpkin Seeds – a Superfood for our Dogs

Pumpkins Seeds are available all year round – in packets in supermarkets, as a supplement powder and at the right time of year inside actual Pumpkins!

They are very amazing little things and can have huge benefits for our dogs. In fact the whole pumpkin can help our dogs throughout their lives.

It’s National Pumpkin Seed Day on October 2nd so let’s look at why Pumpkin Seeds should be a part of our dog’s diet…

Overall Benefits of Pumpkins Seeds for Dogs:

🎃 They contain Amino Acids including Cucurbitin – this is a great addition to our worming preventatives as it paralyses and eliminates parasites from the digestive tract. They help make the digestive system inhospitable for parasites including worms which prevents an infestation in the first place.

Did you know that the chemical wormers given to dogs routinely are not designed to prevent worms? They are a worming treatment, so if there are no worms dogs are being treated for something regularly they don’t actually need!

Giving ground pumpkins seeds (a small amount) regularly can help towards preventing worms – we use them for our dogs and also our chickens!

🎃 They contain Niacin – this helps with cognitive function which is great for all dogs but even more so for our Puppies and Golden Oldies! It also helps with growth for puppies and teenage dogs, helps with stress due to the corticosteroids, and helps with digestion and prevention of bile being brought up.

🎃 There are Omega Fatty Acids inside – they contain both Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids which amongst other things help with coat and skin health, can support joint health due to being anti inflammatory (including helping arthritis) and boost the overall immune system.

🎃 They are full of helpful vitamins – including Vitamin B, E and K. Vitamin B includes Niacin as above but also helps with energy and immune system. Vitamin E helps with having a health coat and skin as well as additional support for joints. Vitamin K helps with normal blood clotting and it good for dogs who are not eating regularly (eg due to illness) plus can support dogs with certain Kidney or Gall Bladder issues.

These are just a few of the benefits – there are more which may be more specific to your own dog’s needs.

How to offer Pumpkin Seeds to Dogs:

Although dogs may eat Pumpkin Seeds as they are, the most beneficial way to give them to our dogs is to have the dried out completely and ground into a powder. Grinding them allows for the nutrients to be absorbed much more easily and also helps them be more digestible for dogs, as their systems are very different to ours! If you buy Pumpkin Seeds for dogs they will be prepared already and as a powder, but if taking from a pumpkin take a little time to dry them out or bake them so they are dry before grinding – trying to grind wet seeds isn’t a fun task!

Add a small amount to your dog’s meals, a pinch to begin with but no more than a teaspoon for larger dogs per meal. It is possible to give too much, as with anything we give our dogs, which can lead to upset stomaches as the system isn’t ready for so much of something new.

You can also bake the ground pumpkin seeds into biscuits or cakes for your dog! If you have a recipe you already use you can add a sprinkling of ground seeds into the mixture or replace a flavour ingredient with the seeds and also with pumpkin flesh too!

Make a quick treat by mixing some Grand Seeds into Dairy Free Yoghurt and freeze into ice cube trays then offer as a snack for your dog!

What to do with the Pumpkin once you have the Seeds?

The Pumpkin is brilliant for Dogs as well – this will be a separate blog but I’ll link it here once it’s written! So during October grab a Pumpkin, take the obligatory Halloween Photos with your Dog, then keep the Pumpkin for lots of tasty health benefits for you Dog which can be used throughout the year.

Note – if your dog is on medication for health issues or has a health condition we advise checking with your vet or specialist before adding Pumpkin Seeds to your dog’s diet. We advise this for all new types of supplements and superfoods!

You can buy Pumpkin Seeds especially prepared for dogs in various places – Buddy and Lola do a powder which is all of the pumpkin so gives even more support:
https://www.buddyandlola.co.uk/products/super-pooper-bundle?variant=40846798782531&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&tw_source=google&tw_adid=707290607976&tw_campaign=21513314585&gad_source=4&gbraid=0AAAAACThIOHfM4luyeKdwAJhAazk3dFc2&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3vO3BhCqARIsAEWblcAV7qlUIx_ghMc_7LD5nQxMRCESYNJ9dKDUQUEkAuo0H01yO-1CD6kaAjFMEALw_wcB

Have you tried giving your dog Pumpkin Seeds or Pumpkin puree? Let us know what your dog thought!

We hope you enjoyed this Blog by Joe Nutkins – let us know if you have topics you’d like us to cover below!