Tummy Tamer: Chicken, Rice & Pumpkin Recipe for Dogs

Chicken and rice for dogs!? Yes please, with some pumpkin on the side! We developed Tummy Tamer to be the go-to recipe for dogs experiencing diarrhea or an upset tummy. As such, we’ve kept it simple with chicken and rice as the main ingredients, and for some extra nutrition and tummy-soothing properties, we add pumpkin into the mix.

Is pumpkin good for dogs? Yes! And here’s why:

1. Pumpkin is good for dogs with diarrhea - or constipation.

Pumpkin can provide bulk and integrity to the stool, as it contains both soluble and insoluble fibres. Both can be highly beneficial for firming up stool, moving food through the digestive tract, regulating bowel movements, and acting as a prebiotic for the microbiome.

Insoluble fibre moves quickly through the digestive tract and can help provide bulk to the stool.

Soluble fibre can help firm up loose stool due to its ability to absorb water as it passes through the digestive system.

Pumpkin provides a rich source of both fibres, which together can help with constipation or diarrhea in dogs.

Learn more about the importance of fibre in your dog's diet here.

2. High in Beneficial Nutrients

Vitamin E, potassium, vitamin C, and magnesium are all found in pumpkin and are beneficial for the gut.

Vitamin E can help with digestive enzyme activity, which then increases the digestion of other nutrients!

Photo by Lorren & Loki

Potassium is an important electrolyte for the gut. In addition, it is involved in contractions of the muscles in the digestive system. This helps move food through the digestive system.

Vitamin C may aid in reducing the bad bacteria in the gut and promoting good bacteria.

Magnesium is another nutrient important for digestive enzyme function and may be beneficial for maintaining a healthy microbiome.

3. Feeds the microbiome in your dog’s gut

Pumpkin can act as a prebiotic due to its fibre content. The soluble fibres in pumpkin reach the microbiome and supports the growth of the beneficial bacteria. This is important when there are digestive issues as most digestive problems are a result, or can cause, dysbiosis. Dysbiosis occurs when there is an imbalance in the microbiome. The prebiotic fibres may help to restore the microbiome to balance.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

4. Improves digestion

Adding pumpkin to your dog’s food can help improve the digestion of other nutrients, which is especially important for diarrhea in dogs.

When your dog has diarrhea, it reduces the amount of digestion and absorption of nutrients because nutrients pass quickly through the digestive system and get expelled in diarrhea.

Pumpkin is considered to be highly digestible, and the soluble fibre content slows the movement of food through the digestive tract, which can increase the amount of time for digestion.

5. Pumpkin makes your dog’s food taste great

Pumpkin, alongside chicken and rice, is highly palatable - aka super tasty - for dogs. When your dog is experiencing diarrhea or an upset stomach, one of the top priorities is just getting them to eat something. That’s why we’ve aimed to keep this recipe highly palatable to encourage eating without further perpetuating any digestive problems.

And because this recipe is so tasty, some of our loyal companions also add it to their pups’ complete and balanced meals as a healthy meal topper or mix in — sore tummy or not.*

Our Tummy Tamer recipe continues to be a safe and great option for dogs experiencing digestive issues such as diarrhea and upset tummies. Now, with the healthy addition of pumpkin, you’ll feel good knowing that your pup is getting some extra nutrition when they’re under the weather, too.

*Note that our Tummy Tamer recipe is designed specifically as a temporary meal to help dogs through their digestive issues (that is, it is not a complete and balanced meal that you can feed your pup on a regular basis).

Click here to learn more about our fresh recipes for dogs .

Written by: Hannah Godfrey Animal Nutritionist BSc.H. | MSc. Animal Nutrition www.tomandsawyer.com