Canned pumpkin

Draco

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I was wondering.. how much canned pumpkin is good for a cat? what's the ideal dosage and how often?

I discovered earlier that Cassie LOVES canned pumpkin.. while I was baking and noticed half the can gone with her head in it for more! I was thinking of feeding it to her as snacks (Monet wasn't fond of it)

and what's the best way to store opened canned pumpkins?
 
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Willowy

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I think the dosage for kitties is one teaspoon. Too much can cause problems, too! :lol3: You can freeze it in individual servings (put spoonfuls on wax paper and freeze on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, transfer the lumps to a plastic freezer bag). Or just make pumpkin muffins :D.
 

luvmyparker

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I freeze mine in ice cube trays and just take out 2 every few days. I give 2 tsp a day. (Roughly, since I don't actually measure). Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.
 
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Draco

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thanks for the responses! I am going to see if I can find a small can.
 

StefanZ

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To be complete, canned plain pumpkin is not as treat in first hand, but as a mild but fairly effective mover of bowels, in cases of constipation or if the cat is known to easy get constipation.  (and or lotsa hairs inside, I would reckon).

but it is of course very convenient the cat is beforehand used to canned pumpking, and likes it.

Thus, if you are giving it "just" as treat, use smaller portions than mentioned above.
 

ldg

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EXCELLENT point, Stefan! Yes, for treating hairballs, diarrhea, or constipation, the dose is one tablespoon a day. So as a treat, he's right - use less. I'm not sure it would hurt to use the typical dose - pumpkin is simply a very safe fiber that helps regulate water in the colon. But if not needed for hairballs or something, then using less just because they like it is probably a good idea. :)
 
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Draco

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thanks for that Stefan :) I was thinking of it more of a supplement than a treat. but it seems it really isn't necessary unless they have digestive or hairball issues.
 

otto

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One tablespoon a day, split between two or three meals.

Make sure you use pure pumpkin not pie filling. I buy the Farmers Market Organic brand because their cans are BPA free. I spoon out one tablespoon size portions into ice cube trays, freeze them, then put them in a freezer bag. Each night I take out one portion and keep it in a small glass container in the fridge to thaw for the next day. I mix it into the canned food with a little warm water. :)

My Jennie takes one tablespoon of pumpkin a day, every day. Whenever I try to cut back, her constipation issues return, so I just will keep her on it forever.

Welcome to TCS!
 
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rosiel

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Thank you so much otto! This is amazing! My Mathias gets soft stools and diarrhea without the pumpkin! I was worried about the constipation if I incorporate it to his regular diet every day, but you yourself use it AGAINST constipation, so that puts my mind at ease. I wonder why it is that some cats need pumpkin for healthy bowel movements?
 
 

otto

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You're welcome. I wonder that too, but have no explanation. Jennie is on a grain free fruit and veggie free low carb canned and raw diet. But since I rescued her when she was about 2 years old (she's 7 now) she has always had trouble with constipation. I know she was subsisting on whatever she could hunt and was raising a family on her own, so practically starving, when I found her. Or she found me. But I don't know how much that has to do with her trouble. My other two cats are on the same diet but do not need pumpkin.

What I do know is the pumpkin is safe, and it helps her. And it should help your Mathias with the opposite problem.

PS What are you feeding Mathias? Avoid foods with carrageenan as this can cause intestinal problems. Also, get him on a good probiotic. :)
 
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rosiel

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Hi again otto!

Jennie is very lucky now then after such a tough episode in her life! I live in the UK so I am not sure if you would be familiar with a couple of the brands I will be mentioning, but I'll describe them anyway! I've tried some of these on their own (like the raw food for instance) and it still gave him the runs! This set-up seems to be working so far!

Diet per day consists of:

1/3 Ziwipeak Air Dried Cuisine Lamb (Air Dried Raw)

1/4 Royal Canin Persian 32 (Dry Kibble)

1/3 Natural Instinct Raw Chicken and Lamb (Raw)

1/6 Lily's Kitchen Organic Kitten (Wet)

+1 tbsp pumpkin a day yay!

+80 mL additional water mixed with the wet and raw.

Supplements per day:

1 mL of Pro-Kolin probiotic/prebiotic paste

8 tablets of GIMPET Baby Tabs

1/4 tsp of Fortan Fortain Protein supplement

I found out Lily's Kitchen contains carageenan! But he has been having the runs before I got him into eating that. Do you have other prebiotics or probiotics that you can recommend? The one I am giving him right now (Pro-Kolin) is really for when they have diarrhea, and not so much for maintenance, although it does say in the pack that I can give it for as long as necessary!
 

coquinashuman

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I was told one teaspoon for kitens but was also told it is not an exact science and and a little more was ok. With so many people saying tablesppon i can only assume that is fine aswell.
 

emlliverpool

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I too give this to my cat I was unaware I could only give one tablespoon a day and that the pie filling is bad? I thought it was just pumpkin and water. I also give sweet potato to him and squash. It varies and I am the only one in the household that does it. He is an obsessive cleaner and likes to keep himself extremely clean, he is quiet the priss for being an indoor outdoor cat. Spoiled he is. Anyways I give it to him when I remember and he doesn't seem to have a problem anymore with hair balls. 
 

LTS3

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I too give this to my cat I was unaware I could only give one tablespoon a day and that the pie filling is bad? I thought it was just pumpkin and water.
Pumpkin pie filling can contain spices and other things. You want to use canned 100% pure pumpkin with nothing else added except for maybe water. Always check the ingredient label to be sure.

Alternatively, you can use Weruva's new Pumpkin Patch Up to provide fiber.
 

emlliverpool

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I just checked the pumpkin I was using. On the label it states pumpkin. So I am good. I was unaware they made pumpkin like this.
 

wolfpatch

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If you read the labels of many the higher quality dry cat foods, they contain pumpkin or, more often, sweet potatoes, a similar fiber. I really don't think there is much of a chance of over dosing here unless you are making a meal out of it. Pumpkin in it's self is not nutritionally sound as a feline diet but if you give more than a tablespoon...the body is really good about expelling things it doesn't need. Personally, I use pumpkin in my gruel when I am fostering kittens. Does a real good job at firming up the stools with out making them rock solid.
 
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