Pumpkin being fed to dogs

At the animal rescue centre where I volunteer, they add pumpkin to the tinned dog food, I asked why & was told that it helps aid digestion, has anyone here heard of this or even do it?

Pumpkin is a great remedy for the runs, or for constipation. It is fiber-rich. It doesn't seem to have any side effects, other than increasing stool volume, and most dogs will eat it. It's usually cheap. I don't understand why a rescue is using tinned foods, but that's another matter.

My dog is raw fed. Her first meal is a "wet" one with her supplements and vitamins, plus approx 40-50g raw meat and lots of vegetables. Her second meal is a half chicken back/carcass/turkey neck - whatever I get out of the freezer/

I buy pumpkin, chunk it, steam blanch it and open freeze, and she has a handful in with her first meal. It is good for constipation - which she never has, or for the running trots, which she does not have. But it is good as apart from fibre has vitamins.

But this is fresh pumpkin, not tinned stuff. And she also likes it raw without having been blanched.

But then she is, as I said, raw fed, and what she eats suits her. Might not suit other dogs though.

The dogs have dry food aswell.

They use tins of pumpkin, I've never seen it before, I've never seen pumpkins other than at Halloween.

Pumpkin is a regular vegetable here in Israel - never seen any canned! Just fresh. It is the only vegetable I peel if I am cooking it for me although I do scrub the peel and scrungle it in the processor for Pereg.

I also cut out the stringy bits and seeds and she has then raw. Also very good for gastrointestinal health. And very yum yum so she says.

Pumpkin is steamed as a vegetable - also steamed then used as a Tunisian salad with garlic - it is not known for Thanksgiving pumpkin pie - well we do not celebrate Thanksgiving so pumpkin pie is not really known here!

We never see it until end of October. Or I would try it on jake

I use it quite frequently for my 3 dogs! I add it to their kibble at meal time. They love it and I love that its so good for them. Be sure if you are using canned pumpkin that you stick to 100% pumpkin.. no added sugar or spices.

It is supposed to be good for dogs that are prone to copraphagia.

What is that? btw I take my dog to Lancing beach occasionally in the summer.