In the first three quarters of this year, unforeseen war, ongoing disease and climate disasters threw shade on previous financial predictions for 2022.

Chicken and rice for dogs!? Yes please, with some pumpkin on the side! 

Tummy Tamer, our classic chicken and rice recipe for dogs is getting an upgrade: We have made the decision to add pumpkin into our Tummy Tamer recipe. 

We developed Tummy Tamer to be the go-to recipe for dogs experiencing diarrhea or an upset tummy. As such, we’ve kept it simple with chicken and rice as the main ingredients, and for some extra nutrition and tummy-soothing properties, we’ve now added pumpkin into the mix.  

Is pumpkin good for dogs? Yes! And here’s why:

1. Pumpkin is good for dogs with diarrhea – or constipation.

Pumpkin can provide bulk and integrity to the stool, as it contains both soluble and insoluble fibres. Both can be highly beneficial for firming up stool, moving food through the digestive tract, regulating bowel movements, and acting as a prebiotic for the microbiome. 

Insoluble fibre moves quickly through the digestive tract and can help provide bulk to the stool. 

Soluble fibre can help firm up loose stool due to its ability to absorb water as it passes through the digestive system. 

Pumpkin provides a rich source of both fibres, which together can help with constipation or diarrhea in dogs.

Learn more about the importance of fibre in your dog’s diet here. 

2. High in Beneficial Nutrients

Vitamin E, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium are all found in pumpkin and are beneficial for the gut. 

Vitamin E can help with digestive enzyme activity, which then increases the digestion of other nutrients! 

                                                                    Photo by Lorren & Loki

Potassium is an important electrolyte for the gut. In addition, it is involved in contractions of the muscles in the digestive system. This helps move food through the digestive system. 

Vitamin C may aid in reducing the bad bacteria in the gut and promoting good bacteria. 

Magnesium is another nutrient important for digestive enzyme function and may be beneficial for maintaining a healthy microbiome. 

3. Feeds the microbiome in your dog’s gut

Pumpkin can act as a prebiotic due to its fibre content. The soluble fibres in pumpkin reach the microbiome and supports the growth of the beneficial bacteria. This is important when there are digestive issues as most digestive problems are a result, or can cause, dysbiosis. Dysbiosis occurs when there is an imbalance in the microbiome. The prebiotic fibres may help to restore the microbiome to balance. 

                                                           Photo by Karolina Grabowska                  

4. Improves digestion

Adding pumpkin to your dog’s food can help improve the digestion of other nutrients, which is especially important for diarrhea in dogs. 

When your dog has diarrhea, it reduces the amount of digestion and absorption of nutrients because nutrients pass quickly through the digestive system and get expelled in diarrhea. 

Pumpkin is considered to be highly digestible, and the soluble fibre content slows the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can increase the amount of time for digestion. 

5. Pumpkin makes your dog’s food taste great

Pumpkin, alongside chicken and rice, is highly palatable – aka super tasty – for dogs. When your dog is experiencing diarrhea or an upset stomach, one of the top priorities is just getting them to eat something. That’s why we’ve aim to keep this recipe highly palatable to encourage eating without further perpetuating any digestive problems. 

And because this recipe is so tasty, some of our loyal companions also add it to their pups’ complete and balanced meals as a healthy meal topper or mix in — sore tummy or not.*

Our Tummy Tamer recipe continues to be a safe and great option for dogs experiencing digestive issues such as diarrhea and upset tummies. Now, with the healthy addition of pumpkin, you’ll feel good knowing that your pup is getting some extra nutrition when they’re under the weather, too. 

*Note that our Tummy Tamer recipe is designed specifically as a temporary meal to help dogs through their digestive issues (that is, it is not a complete and balanced meal that you can feed your pup on a regular basis).

Click here to learn more about our fresh recipes for dogs here. 

Written by: Hannah Godfrey
Animal Nutritionist
BSc.H. | MSc. Animal Nutrition
www.tomandsawyer.com

US pet industry showing signs of significant growth.

In 2021, these dog, cat and other pet food companies had headquarters in the United States. The pet food businesses’ annual revenues in 2021 appear in Petfood Industry’s Top Pet Food Companies Current Data. Companies are listed in alphabetical order.

Purina Dog Chow teams up with Wilmer Valderrama to honor Visible Impact Award finalists.

Petco expands WholeHearted pet food line.

Columbia/Okura marks milestone.

16,000 pet professionals attended recent SuperZoo.

Pet foods are among the products that U.K. consumers will likely be able to buy at lower costs, thanks to duty-free trade with least developed countries.

Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin Pie?

Pumpkin pie is a must at most holiday gatherings and a delicious seasonal treat that lots of us look forward to all year long. If you’ve got a pup joining you for the holidays, or are just looking for something special to treat your dog with, you might be interested to know that dogs can eat pumpkin pie!

Most of the ingredients in homemade pumpkin pie are totally safe for dogs, but there are still a few important pieces of advice you should follow if you plan to share a slice with your pooch. 

Is Pumpkin Pie Safe for Dogs?

Yes, pumpkin pie, without pumpkin spice,  is safe for dogs. For the most part, the ingredients used to make pumpkin pies are safe for dogs to eat, if not particularly healthy. The exception is pumpkin spice. 

Pumpkin spice, or pumpkin pie spice, is a blend of spices usually consisting of cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, and allspice. Cinnamon and ginger are safe and even beneficial for dogs in small quantities, but clove, nutmeg, and allspice can be toxic. If your dog happens to sneak a small piece of pie that contains these spices, don’t worry, they should be fine, but if consumed in large quantities or regularly, these spices can cause toxicity. 

This is also why you should avoid giving your dog pumpkin pie purchased at the store since it can be hard to determine how many spices are in the recipe, or if anything not listed on the label has been added. Similarly, pumpkin pie filling purchased in a can includes blended spices (plus artificial preservatives and sweeteners) that are not safe for dogs to consume.

Finally, consider whether you want to feed your dog something high in sugar. While a small piece of sugary pie won’t hurt your dog right away, feeding them sugary foods, in the long run, can be detrimental to their health, and produce negative feeding habits. Ideally, if you are planning to feed pumpkin pie to your dog as a treat, it should be baked at home using dog-safe and friendly ingredients. 

Nutritional Value of Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin is an extremely nutritious fruit, low in calories, fat, and sugar but high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and other key nutrients. The flesh of the pumpkin is completely safe for dogs to eat, and makes a delicious addition to any meal. Many dog owners use pumpkin puree as a dietary supplement to boost their dog’s digestive health and report excellent results. 

Beyond the pumpkin, there isn’t much substance in pumpkin pie, at least as far as a dog is concerned. The eggs may add a small amount of protein, but because dogs should get very little in terms of nutrients from treats like pumpkin pie, this will be negligible in the long run. Other ingredients like added sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and butter may also cause digestive irritation, so while not explicitly bad for your dog, these ingredients aren’t very good for them either. 

How To Safely Feed Pumpkin Pie to Your Dog

The absolute best way to feed pumpkin pie to your dog is to make them their own doggy-approved pumpkin pie. We’ll be sharing a great recipe for dog-safe pumpkin pie just a little further down in this blog, so be sure to keep scrolling to take a look at that. 

If you cannot bake your own dog-safe pumpkin pie, and absolutely must share a little piece of pumpkin pie with your pooch, make sure it is a homemade pie that uses 100% pumpkin puree and does not include nutmeg, allspice, or cloves. 

No matter what kind of pumpkin pie you decide on, make sure to only give your dog a very small piece. 

Can Dogs Eat Other Kinds of Pie? 

So pumpkin pie isn’t your jam, and you’re more of a pecan or cherry kind of person; don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick overview of the kinds of pie dogs can and can’t eat. 

Can Dogs Eat…?	Safe for Dogs?	Toxic Ingredients	Unhealthy Ingredients	Advice
Pumpkin Pie	Yes, in small quantities.	Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice	Sugar, Butter, Shortening, Sweetened Condensed Milk	Bake your pie at home to have better control of ingredients. Better yet, bake a dog-friendly sugar-free pie!
Apple Pie	Yes, technically.	Nutmeg, Allspice	Sugar, Butter, Shortening	While it’s safe for your dog to snag a tiny piece on accident, let’s save this one for the humans.
Pecan Pie	No, but don’t panic.	None.	Pecans, Corn Syrup, Butter, Shortening, Extracts	Pecans aren’t toxic to dogs, but they can carry nasty molds and bacteria. Check out this blog to learn more about dogs and nuts.
Cherry Pie	Yes, in small quantities.	None.	Sugar, Butter, Shortening, Extracts	Avoid cherry pies made using canned filling since these can include artificial sweeteners and preservatives that may not be good for your pup. Learn more about feeding your dog cherries here.
Sweet Potato Pie	Yes, in small quantities.	Nutmeg	Sugar, Butter, Shortening, Extracts	Sweet potatoes are good for dogs! They are a good source of fiber, just like pumpkin, and can be used in place of pumpkin for your dog-safe pie recipes.
Oatmeal Cream Pie	No.	Raisins, Cocoa, Spices, Chocolate	Sugar, Butter, Extracts, Artificial Flavorings, Sweeteners, and Preservatives	Unless you make your oatmeal cream pies from scratch and can be certain there are no toxic ingredients, don’t let your dog get hold of these.
Key Lime Pie	No!	Limes	Sugar, Butter, Shortening, Extracts	Limes are toxic to dogs! Never let your pup eat key lime pie.
Rhubarb Pie	No!	Rhubarb	Sugar, Butter, Shortening, Extracts	Rhubarb is toxic to dogs! Never let your dog eat rhubarb pie.
Chicken Pot Pie	Yes, in small quantities.	Onion, Garlic	Butter, Shortening, Salt, Spices	Homemade pot pies are the best to share with your dog since you can guarantee they don’t contain toxic ingredients like onion or garlic. This said a small bite of chicken pot pie (even if it includes garlic) shouldn’t harm your dog.

Dog-Safe Pumpkin Pie Recipe

The Barksgiving pumpkin pie is one of Rocky’s most iconic recipes, and a super fun way to share the festivities with your pooch. So simple and quick to make, here’s what you’ll need to make your very own doggy pumpkin pie. 

Ingredients: