Is Pumpkin Good For Bully Breed Dogs?
Is Pumpkin Good For Bully Breed Dogs?
My children wanted to carve pumpkins since it’s so close to Halloween and my Bully, Atlas, was all over it. I had never given Atlas pumpkin before, so I questioned it. Is pumpkin good for Bully breed dogs? Yes, very.
I’m sure you know that I’m always cautious what I feed my Bully. She’s a huge part of our family, and I always want to make sure she’s healthy. Whenever I question anything, I make sure to do thorough research before she gets into something. I’m sure you remember my article on Xylitol being toxic for them. Garlic and onions is another. But pumpkin? There’s so many health benefits, so she went to town on all parts of the insides!
Pumpkin is Good for Bullies Digestion.
Bully breeds tend to have sensitive stomachs. Anyone with a Bully breed knows this already. I don’t know what it is that makes them so sensitive, it’s just part of their bodies. However, just like when they eat grass to calm their stomachs, pumpkin does the same thing.
Next time your Bully has an upset stomach, try feeding them pumpkin. I know we can’t always go to the store and buy a pumpkin. They do tend to have to be in season. But did you know that you can feed them canned pumpkin as well? Of course, make sure there isn’t junk in there. Added sugars, salt, or other ingredients.
You’ll want the canned pumpkin to be as natural as possible for the digestive aid.
Pumpkin is Good for Bullies Urinary System.
Pumpkin also helps in their urinary tract function. I’ve heard of some Bully breeds getting Urinary Tract Infections, similar to some humans. Apparently they can be prone to getting these. Most likely because of their size, they need a lot of water to help their kidneys function.
Just like with humans, if we are larger, we need more water to support our system. The common method to use for water consumption is 1/2 oz per pound of weight. So, let’s imagine you weigh 140 lbs, that means you need 70 oz of water to support your internal organs.
My dog Atlas weighs 52 lbs, so she needs 52 / 2 = 26 oz of water. The equivalent of a little over 3 cups of water. I understand it might seem like your dog gets this. Face it, our Bullies rarely leave the water bowl. In reality, their tongues bring water up under the tongue to the mouth. So they need a lot of licks to get 3 cups of water daily.
Also, if their water bowl is plastic, they tend to get slime on them. Dogs don’t like this, so they’ll snuff their noses up at that stale water. Be sure their bowl is cleaned on a regular basis to ensure they get enough water and that they actually drink it.
Pumpkin is Good for Bullies Weight.
Pumpkin is very high in fiber, so it will fill them up quickly. I don’t see many Bully breed dogs that are overweight, but they can tend to hold fat reserves easily, especially if they’re the shorter, stockier breeds. Atlas is a Pocket Bully, so she’s only 16″ to her withers. The withers is their shoulders by the way.
Let’s talk about how to know if your dog is overweight for a moment. Most people tend to think that thick dogs are overweight. This is not the case. Or that extra skin means fat. Also, not the case. Dogs are overweight when you can no longer see their ribs at all. This is not the same as seeing their ribs all the time. The opposite. Dogs with ribs sticking out prominently are underweight.
For a dog to be at normal weight, when they walk, you can just see the play in their ribs. Dogs carry weight around their mid section, near their rib cage. As they walk or run, you should be able to just see their ribs. This is a healthy weight.
So if your dog is overweight, adding pumpkin to their food will allow them to eat less. The fiber will fill them up quickly, and they will start to become a normal weight within weeks.
Is Pumpkin Good for Bully Breed Dogs for Other Reasons?
Pumpkin has a ton of other benefits, not only for the reasons listed above, but for other reasons as well. The pumpkin has a ton of fiber in it! Fiber plays a huge role in not only helping to fill us up, but also to regulate us. Okay, I’m sorry to have to say this, but it helps with our poo. Yes, your dogs too!
I know many don’t like to think about our poo, but our poo is important. Dogs too. If your dog has very runny stool, they probably have a diet that’s very high in protein and not enough fiber. Dogs need fiber, just like we do. Most people don’t think dogs internal workings are like ours, but they are. I always make sure my dog has a very healthy diet and her stool is consistent.
Pumpkin is also rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium. Potassium is very good for muscle functions as well as blood pressure regulations.
Calcium is needed for bone growth and development. If your dogs bones are strong, they’ll be stronger and less likely to break bones. We definitely want bone strength.
Lastly, Magnesium is good for muscle building. Basically, it helps in making proteins which our Bullies need to be strong.
Is Pumpkin Good for Bully Breed Dogs?
I hope you’ve seen all the benefits this large orange gourd can provide. I know we don’t think about this often since it’s really around this time of year the pumpkin becomes popular. However, with all the health benefits it provides, I’m tempted to make this a staple for Atlas year round.
Last night, she ate every part of the pumpkin. I wasn’t sure about pumpkin being good for her, until last night. As my daughter is getting all the tools out to start the carving process, I’m quickly thumbing through .org sites to ensure she can eat this before it littered my floor.
I didn’t even have to give any to Atlas, either. As soon as the pulp and seeds hit the floor, she started in on it like it was a steak. Chewing through everything and lapping up any missed morsels, she ate well. She ate into the rind and every part that came off that pumpkin.
I was hesitant even to the amount she was consuming, but because of all the benefits to it, and her size, I let her have at it. She loved it. Over the course of the night, I thought for sure she would have to wake up to go outside, but not a peep. She slept all night, very well, and today is just fine. Her stool even looks great and healthy.
So, yes. Is pumpkin good for your Bully breed dogs? Absolutely! I’ll be feeding her pumpkin regularly now.
Katrina,
Both our girls love Pumpkin, which this time of year can drive me a little crazy. Mostly because my wife likes pumpkin in everything as well, so the dogs both go crazy every time we’re trying to eat. The guilt they can make you feel with that pathetic beg stare. Zoey, our Border Collie/Aussie mix is way too good at that puppy eyes stare.
We’ve been using Pumpkin for years anytime they have tummy troubles, it’s part of their three-part simple diet we do. White Rice, Boiled Chicken, and Pumpkin. Though Ruby will mostly just pick around the rice… she’s a bit of a princess.
Thanks for the article,
Sean
Hi Sean,
yes, the puppy dog eyes are hard to ignore! I have a hard time with it myself with my Bully. She’s really good at them, especially when we’re eating. I’ve been really picky with she’s allowed to get a hold of. My hubby is one of the worst contributors to her getting a hold of human food. It drives me nuts, especially because I know it’s so bad for them. My older dog never got people food and she was a healthy dog through her life. Atlas is very healthy, but I worry about her getting people food, especially when it’s fried or anything.
Thanks for reading this article! Glad you enjoyed it!
Katrina
Any time you introduce something new to your dog’s diet, even if it’s healthy, you need to do so in moderation to see how your dog reacts to the new dietary addition. Also, my personal opinion here is that you should consult your veterinarian before sharing human foods with your dog, even pumpkin.
Never allow your dog to eat a pumpkin’s stem or leaves, they are covered in tiny, sharp hairs which can cause irritation to your dog’s mouth and intestinal tract. Pumpkin is great for your dog’s health for a myriad of reasons. that said it’s important not to go overboard with pumpkin in your dog’s diet, as too much could become toxic.
Satz,
I didn’t read anywhere in my research that pumpkin can be toxic to dogs. If you direct me to your source, then I can include that in my article as a side note. I also have a very good relationship with her vet, we text each other anytime something seems to be wrong with Atlas. She had stated that pumpkin is great for dogs and didn’t mention any sort of toxic levels.
Also, since the pumpkin was purchased at the store and not picked, there were no leaves on it. It was the pulp and seeds she was enjoying.
Thanks!
Katrina
Hi Katrina,
Now this is actually something I knew already (although I had to find out the hard way, LOL)
I’ve always tended to think that whatever’s good for us humans will typically be okay for bully breeds, and any dog for that matter.
And pumpkin is about as good as gets in terms of food.
But unfortunately you learn the hard way that this simply isn’t true.
My own real experience of being around a bully breed, was when I was at university. The four of us who lived together also lived with “Hooch”, a beautiful, yet dopey Staffordshire.
Now Hooch would eat just about anything, and no matter how much we tried to steer him in the right direction with a nutrious diet, his inquisitive mind would soon cause issues with that sensitive stomach.
On one such occasion (when his “poo” was terrible, LOL, don’t worry I know it’s important for all of us, human or animal kingdom) we had to take him to the vets, who provided him with certain medication, but upon examination he mentioned that we needed to get more fibre into his.
He listed a variety of foods that were safe and that we could incorporate into Hooch’s meals.
Funnily enough, one of his suggestions happened to be pumpkin, which took us completely by surprise.
From that day forward however, a household with a love for pumpkin was born.
Sadly, Hooch is no longer with us, but he absolutely adored pumpkin, and it was certainly better for his gut and overall health than chewing on old tyres and bricks.
It also happens to be a food of choice that has stuck with me.
Thanks for the memories, Jeez, I haven’t thought about Hooch in quite a while now.
Atlas looks beautiful by the way,
Partha
Thank you Partha, I’m sorry that Hooch passed. I had a dog that passed earlier this year and I miss her as well. Dogs do like to get into things regardless of whether that source is good for them or not. I had a dog that ate aluminum once and she ended up passing from eating it because I didn’t know she had gotten into it. It was very painful for her for the days when I didn’t know what was wrong. When I found the remnants of aluminum in the yard, I called the vet and they had me bring her in, but she passed on the way. It was terrible.
Because of that experience, I’m always so weary of anything my dog starts chewing when I don’t know what it is or where it came from. Sometimes I jump up when we’re at other peoples houses wondering what’s in her mouth and I’ll start digging around as my friends look at me like I’m crazy. It’s usually a piece of cotton, or like this past weekend a sock she was chewing on. It is crazy though what they find and put in their mouths. Just like when my kids were starting to crawl, I was always looking at any little thing on the floor.
On another note, my vet had said that pumpkin is really good for dogs as well, that’s why I let her eat so much. She definitely enjoyed it and was munching happily on it. 🙂
Thanks for reading and I’m glad that it brought up some good memories of your old baby.
Katrina
Thanks for the article Katrina. I had no idea that dogs eat pumpkin. I have always heard that chocolate is bad for dogs. Cats seem to go bonkers when I cut into a cantaloupe. It turns out that the amino acids in the melon smell like meat to them. Anyway, I have had several cats chow down on some loupe.
Pumpkin is being promoted for treating doggie digestive disorders, When you purchase pet food it is important that they include minerals for your beloved pets. Pumpkin seems to fit the bill, Animals naturally try to eat lawn grass to supplement their diets or ease their bellies. It is good to take care of your dogs and cats. They are family. many blessings… Brian
Brian,
I didn’t know that cats love cantaloupe and that it smells like meat to them. I’ve had a lot of cats, but maybe it was because they always got in trouble for trying to get on my counters I never realized this. I am biased towards male cats since they seem to be very trainable, almost like a dog sometimes. The last male cat I had was a real hoot. He would fetch balls and all kinds of things. When he wanted to play, he’d grab one of his balls, bring it to me and spit it out right on my lap. We’d play fetch usually for a good 30 minutes before he got tired and took a nap.
He also almost barked at me when he wanted out. Never in the street, but on the deck which was on the second story. He was an odd cat, but one of the best I ever had.
There’s actually a long list of foods that dogs can’t have, I was kind of surprised at some of them. You can read the article here – https://akhurricanebullies.com/xylitol-is-harmful-for-dogs/
Some of the foods are also toxic for cats, but some in higher doses. I’ve been very wary of what I let Atlas get a hold of so I’ve been writing a lot about foods recently.
Glad you enjoyed this article! Thanks for reading!
Katrina