Do Dogs Really Like Pumpkin?

Many of you have heard me recommend pumpkin for digestive issues, and this being October and all, I scooped up a couple of 15 lb pumpkins at Rosauers and brought them home. Not only can I whiz them up in the food processor and freeze them for use year-round, they can stand double duty for a few weeks as Home Decor! Nice! Very autumnal on my forest green carpet against the oak entertainment center. 2 big, orange, round pumpkins. Martha Stewart would be proud.
Got up the next morning, and Cody had ate an 8" hole into the side of one of the pumpkins. Do dogs like pumpkin? Mine do! So, that one's in the freezer now, but I used the other one to take a nice shot of Turbo and Cody by the pond.
How do I process the pumpkin? What do I do with it? I gut it and cut it into hand-size chunks, boil it til it's mostly soft, let it cool, peel the hide off and puree the peeled chunks through my food processor. I also puree the hide with about a cup of water added, and freeze this portion for pumpkin doggie treats. A tablespoon or so in their food helps add healthy fiber if they are "irregular"
For human consumption though, adding pumpkin in just about anything is good for us. It adds fiber to our diet, and can help stretch a recipe. Don't tell Dennis, but I stick pureed pumpkin in stews, meat loaf, muffins, and even hotcakes! He doesn't know!
So while the pumpkins are available, take advantage of the healthy benefits for both you and your lucky pup!
Pumpkin Ginger Treats

Ingredients:
2 Cups fresh pumpkin puree (you can use canned puree, just not the "pie filling")

1 Cup Rolled Oats

1 Cup Flour (your choice, Oat or Rice works if your dog is sensitive to Wheat)

1 Egg

1 tsp Powdered Ginger

1/4 Cup Honey

1/4 cup Sunflower oil

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 F.

Mix all ingredients together. If batter is too stiff, add a few drops of chicken broth or milk. If it's too drippy, add a bit more flour. Drop by the teaspoon on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Experiment with size, smaller treats = less baking time If you really want to go all Betty Crocker on this you can make little rosettes using a pastry bag.
You realize there is nothing in these dog treats that could prevent you from trying a bite! Remember, your pup will be very forgiving of most baking tragedies and eat most of your mistakes without complaint!