Pumpkin?

[Puji]

Thanks all, for the advice. We fed Charlie a white rice-boiled chicken breast diet for most of last week, and thankfully it seems his systems are back to normal. But… we did have an interesting observation that I wanted to share and get your feedback on.

While he was getting the chicken and rice, Charlie seemed a bit more 'tame' than usual - calmer, more restful, less jumpy. We attributed it to him being hungry and weak from the diarhhea and the low-energy diet.

As soon as we added even a bit of usual kibble back to his meals, we noticed that his usual 'edginess' came back. He's always been a restless, edgy boy - ready for action at any minute - highly attuned to about what's going on, and what it might mean for him - and likely to create some action if he's bored. His crankiness came back too. Anyway, all this made me think that perhaps his kibble is causing some of his restlessness, edginess and crankiness. Is this possible? Or is it more likely that he's just feeling more like his usual basenji self again?

P.S. Charlie's on Canidae chicken and rice kibble. We usually add a spoon of pumpkin.

[jonny b.]

When you add pumpkin, is it just from the can like you use to make pumpkin pie that you get at a grocery store? Thank you.

[hdolbow]

yep as long as its unsweetened.

[tanza]

@jonny:

When you add pumpkin, is it just from the can like you use to make pumpkin pie that you get at a grocery store? Thank you.

It is the pure pumpkin, not the kind that is ready made for pies…..

[Benkura]

I have a dog who has anal gland probs from time to time. Not sure if pumpkin is readily available in the UK. Could I use butternut squash or sweet potato and if so, what do I do with it. Is it given raw/cooked, how much/regularly, chopped/mashed etc etc??

[Basenjimamma]

Benkura,
I am pretty sure you could interchange pumpkin with either sweet potato or any of the winter squashes like butternut. Unless you buy the veggie in a can, ie already prepared, cook the fresh one somehow, either steam it, or roast it in the oven until done and then give mashed up, almost pureed about 1 tbsp a day, until problem clears up. I buy the pumpkin in a can here in the states and I once I open one can freeze I the left over in an icecube tray or by the spoon full on wax paper, until hardened and then I have portions in the feezer. Then I take one out a day or whatever have you so it stays fresh.
I hope that helps.

[Benkura]

Thanks Basenjimamma, I'll give that a try. I like the idea of freezing it in ice cube trays - excellent! :)

[Basenjimamma]

No problem. I hope it clears your dogs problems up.

[basenji_fan]

sweet potato would be your better option as it is the closest to the pumpkin

you can also take portions of the "meat" of a sweet potato and dehydrate them and then and give them to the dogs as treats, like chew treats. Or you can buy it pre-made LOL

[Shaye's Mom]

We give Shaye about a heaping teaspoon of pumpkin in her kibble to firm her stool, and it has helped with the anal gland issue. Also cottage cheese helps, as does a little sweet potatoe. In the first instance, when she had really bad problems, I mixed up drained boiled hamburg, rice, and cottage cheese - she loved it and cured the loose stool situation in about a day and a half. I found you can buy sweet potatoe patties in Walmart, and a half of one heated and mixed with her food in the morning, the other half in the evening, makes her eat it all up right away. Since we've been doing these things, she hasn't had anal gland problems and her stool is always firm.