Nothing says Halloween like a freshly carved pumpkin lit up, by people’s doors and windows. If you happen to be taking part in this tradition this year, be mindful of your furry friend lurking by whilst you carve away your colourful squash. It goes without saying to keep all sharp and dangerous objects out of the way of your canine, but what about the pumpkin itself?
In short, yes your dog can eat pumpkin flesh. Pumpkins are actually found in a lot of dog food, and may even be an ingredient in the food or treats they already eat! You may need to be careful with which part of the pumpkin they eat however, here’s our guide to if dogs can eat pumpkin!
Can Dogs Eat Raw Pumpkin?
It’s always good to check with your vet before offering your dog a new food, but often pumpkin flesh is ok for your dog to eat and you may find they enjoy it. Try to avoid the prickly stalk from the pumpkin as this could cause irritation in your dog’s mouth and may be harmful when ingested. It’s also advised to remove the skin of the pumpkin as it can act as a choking hazard and if ingested there’s a serious risk of gut obstruction.
If you do decide to feed your dog pumpkin flesh, do bake it first, or offer a pumpkin puree – unsweetened. Feeding raw pumpkin can be very hard to swallow and digest.
Dogs At Halloween
As we draw closer to Halloween, it’s good to know what activities your dog can and can’t partake in, especially as there’s a lot more activity we do around this time! Pumpkin carving and trick or treating sound fun and inviting for us humans, but what about our dogs?
Trick or Treating is fun for the little people in our life, and gets us out of the house often for a walk around neighbouring houses and streets. Try taking your dog along with you if you can. It’s likely you will have visitors knocking on your door, destressing your dog whilst you’re out, so taking your pooch along with you also means it’s likely they’ll enjoy the walk and escape the anxiety of lots of doorbell ringing where nobody is home to answer!
You could even dress your dog up in fancy dress or add something to their lead to celebrate the season with you. We have a fun range of Halloween costumes this year which you should definitely check out if you're looking to dress your dog up this Halloween! Be mindful some dogs do not like being dressed up and be wary of adding anything that makes a noise which could scare or irritate your dog.
You can find our best Halloween treats & toys here, so even if you don’t leave your home, your dog can join in on the festivities safely and anxiety free for you, knowing all the toys and treats you provide as dog safe and dog friendly.
Dog Trick Or Treat
Don’t forget to keep your colourful and sweet trick or treat sweets out of reach of your dog as often these treats to us, are poisonous to our dogs. Why not make some dog treats or bake your own doggy cakes so your pup gets an extra special treat too! There may even be events around your area where you can take your dog to dog friendly ‘trick or treat’ events, where the dogs sniff out their very own treats! This may be something you adopt in your own home, or simply provide them with a snuffle mat they can enjoy!
However you’re spending this Halloween, we hope it’s filled with fun and lots of doggy safe adventures!