Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin? Safe Amounts, Pie Filling, Seeds and Jack-o'-Lanterns
Pumpkin is everywhere from Halloween to Thanksgiving, and it is one of the few seasonal foods you can share with most dogs. The catch is that "pumpkin" covers everything from plain purée to spiced pie filling and a week-old jack-o'-lantern going soft on the doorstep. Here is what is safe, what is not and how much to offer.
The short answer
Yes, most healthy dogs can eat plain, cooked pumpkin in small amounts. Canned pumpkin with a single ingredient (100% pumpkin) is the easiest option. Pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin desserts and pumpkin spice drinks are not suitable, and neither are carved pumpkins that have been sitting out.
Pumpkin products compared
| Pumpkin product | OK for dogs? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Canned pumpkin, ingredients: 100% pumpkin | Yes, in small amounts | Plain, cooked and easy to portion |
| Fresh pumpkin, cooked plain (boiled, steamed or roasted with nothing added) | Yes, in small amounts | Same as canned once the skin and seeds are removed |
| Raw pumpkin flesh | Not ideal | Not toxic, but hard to digest and may upset the stomach |
| Rind, stem and leaves | No | Tough and hard to digest; pieces can cause choking or a blockage |
| Plain roasted seeds, unsalted | A few at most | High in fat; shells are hard to digest, so shelled or ground is better |
| Pumpkin pie filling or pie mix | No | Added sugar and spices such as nutmeg; check sugar-free versions for xylitol |
| Pumpkin pie, bread, muffins | No | Fat, sugar and spices; may contain raisins, chocolate, nuts or xylitol |
| Pumpkin spice lattes and syrups | No | Caffeine, sugar, dairy and whipped cream; sugar-free syrups may contain xylitol |
| Carved or decorative pumpkins left out | No | They go soft and mouldy; mould can produce toxins that cause tremors |
In the supermarket, "pumpkin purée" and "pumpkin pie mix" (or "pie filling") often sit side by side in near-identical cans. Read the ingredients list: you want one ingredient and nothing else.
How much pumpkin can a dog have?
Pumpkin is a treat or a food topper, not a meal. As a rough starting point:
- Small dogs: about a teaspoon mixed into food
- Medium dogs: about two teaspoons to a tablespoon
- Large dogs: about one to two tablespoons
Start at the low end, because sudden extra fibre can cause loose stools or wind. Like all extras, pumpkin should stay within the general guide of no more than about 10% of daily calories from treats. If you would like to give it every day, or your dog has diabetes, kidney disease, a sensitive stomach or a prescription diet, ask your vet first.
Once opened, canned pumpkin keeps for only a few days in the fridge. Freezing spoonfuls in an ice cube tray gives you ready-made portions, and a frozen cube makes a good lick-mat topping.
Pumpkin for diarrhoea or constipation
Some vets suggest a little plain pumpkin for a dog with mildly soft stools, because the fibre can help firm things up. It is not a treatment for the underlying cause, though. Call your vet rather than relying on pumpkin if:
- Diarrhoea lasts more than a day or so, or keeps coming back
- There is blood in the stool, or it is black and tarry
- Your dog is also vomiting, off food, lethargic or has a painful belly
- Your dog is a puppy, elderly or has an ongoing health condition
- Your dog is straining with little or nothing coming out, which can be a sign of a blockage rather than simple constipation
Halloween pumpkins and jack-o'-lanterns
Carved and decorative pumpkins bring two problems:
- Mould: after a few days a carved pumpkin goes soft and mouldy. Mouldy food can contain toxins that cause vomiting, agitation, tremors and seizures in dogs. If your dog eats any mouldy pumpkin, call your vet or a poison line straight away, even if your dog seems fine.
- Size and toughness: chunks of rind or the stem can cause choking or get stuck in the gut, particularly in dogs that gulp.
Put carved pumpkins where your dog cannot reach them, use LED lights instead of candles, and throw them away once they start to soften. Our Halloween pet safety guide covers the candy bowl, costumes and the doorbell.
Pumpkin seeds
A few plain, roasted, unsalted seeds are not harmful to most dogs, but they are high in fat and the shells are hard to digest. Shelled or ground seeds are better, and in small numbers. Seeds roasted with salt, garlic, onion powder, butter or spice mixes should not be shared.
Pumpkin bakes and pumpkin spice
Pumpkin bread, muffins and pie are rich in fat and sugar, and recipes often include raisins, chocolate chips, macadamia nuts or, in sugar-free versions, xylitol. Raisins can injure a dog's kidneys and xylitol can cause a dangerous drop in blood sugar. Large amounts of nutmeg can also cause signs such as vomiting, agitation and a fast heart rate. A pumpkin spice latte adds caffeine and whipped cream to the list. Keep all of these out of reach. If your dog gets into a bake or a drink, check the ingredients and call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (+1 888-426-4435).
What about cats?
Plain cooked or canned pumpkin is also safe for most cats in tiny amounts, around half a teaspoon to a teaspoon. Many cats are not interested. If a cat is straining in the litter tray, do not reach for pumpkin: straining can be a urinary blockage, especially in male cats, which is an emergency. Call your vet the same day.
Thanksgiving and leftovers
If you are cooking pumpkin from scratch for Thanksgiving on 26 November, set aside a little plain flesh before you add sugar, butter or spice. That, with a few pieces of plain turkey breast and green beans, makes a safe holiday plate. See our Thanksgiving pet safety guide for what to keep off the plate, and Christmas foods that are toxic to dogs for the next round of holiday cooking.