After last weeks article, “Remember National Pumpkin Day,” one of our readers sent an email with some very interesting information.
She informed us that pumpkin is good for dogs for both weight control and improved digestion.
This information really peeked our interest. We have several pumpkins (the combined weight of which exceeds 100 pounds) which we will be processing very soon. That is quite a bit of pumpkin, but our residents will enjoy it.
Given that bit of information, we did a little experiment. Sr. Christina cooked the pieces that had been cut out to make jack-o-lanterns and mashed them up. We found that both Zoe (our Havanese Bichon) and Gracie (our yellow lab) really enjoyed it.
In recent weeks, Sr. Rebecca has discovered that Zoe also enjoys other cooked vegetables, such as carrots and beans.
Now, when we freeze the processed pumpkin, we can add a little extra to each bag. Once we’ve measured what is needed for cookies or muffins, any extra can be used as a healthy treat for our four-legged friends.
In doing a little more research on feeding pumpkin to dogs, we found that it is good for digestive health, urinary health and weight loss (throughadogsear.com). According to the Morris Animal Inn Blog, it is also good for adding bulk to a dog’s food and making them feel full. This probably ties in with its usefulness in weight control. This same article shares its value as a source of important vitamins.
According to Pet360, pumpkin is also good for a dog’s skin and coat: as well as fighting fur balls and parasites. Even the pumpkin seeds are claimed to have benefits.
So, all the work of cleaning, cutting , baking and peeling our pumpkins is worthwhile, not only for humans but for our pets as well.
Congratulations to our Chapel guardian, Zoe, on her birthday! My cat, Bucky, likes a sliver of turkey, chicken or ham, corn, apple, spinach and carrots mixed with his food, yogurt/ice cream and cheese. Although, the other day, he found out he didn’t care for Swiss cheese. After taking a sniff of the cheese slices I grabbed for a snack, he was very zealous about having some. I broke off a little sliver and held it while he chomped down on the end and chewed his way up to my fingertips. As the bitterness hit his tastebuds, he responded with a gag reflex, gave me the ‘evil eye’ and went to get a drink. I use WebMD.com and they have pet as well as human advice. Pumpkin is an excellent remedy for constipation (including prescription-induced) as well.
Also use Care2.com for pet info.
SWEET!
Ah, Sr Christina. I so enjoy your humor and creativity! God bless you with continued creativity. I
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Have a nice day.
Sr. Christina M. Neumann St. Anne’s Guest Home http://www.stannesguesthome.org Blog: http://www.stannesguesthome.org/Blog.html [image: facebook1] Like us on Facebook â â ââ [image: twitter-bird-white-on-blue] Follow us on Twitter
*Support St. Anne’s without spending an extra penny!* Do you shop online? You can make it count for St. Anne’s! With We-Care, a percentage of your online purchases (with participating merchants) goes to St. Anne’s. To get started, visit stannesguesthome.We-Care.com/Start.
On Mon, Nov 7, 2016 at 12:51 AM, The St. Anne’s Scoop wrote:
> Mary Ann Votava commented: “Ah, Sr Christina. I so enjoy your humor and > creativity! God bless you with continued creativity. I” >