The Great Pumpkin Pill Treat Your Dog Will Love!
November and fall is all things pumpkin so it’s fitting that I share with you my pumpkin pill treat recipe. This is a very adjustable recipe, so you can change the ingredient amounts based on how much pill treat dough you need for the week.. Since Thanksgiving is over, grocery stores have lots of great sale prices for canned pumpkin so now is a great time to pick up a couple extra cans for your pantry to have on hand to make the pumpkin pill treat any time. Please make sure it is not pumpkin pie filling you are buying. You want to buy the canned pure pumpkin puree. Double check the ingredients list just to make sure that there's nothing else listed besides pumpkin.
Pumpkin is really a healthy addition to your dog's diet. The thing to be aware of would be if your dog has a sensitivity to pumpkin. If your dog has never had pumpkin before you can test it by giving them a little bit one day, and then a little bit the next day, and see if they have any stomach upset from adding it. Most dogs are just fine with pumpkin. Pumpkin adds vitamins, minerals, and fiber to their diet and is a great treat option or topping for their food. Pumpkin is known to be a helpful addition when a dog is experiencing an upset stomach.
Pumpkin has healthy benefits for a dog so I was excited to develop this pill treat recipe as an option for Ruby. The pumpkin pill treats are so easy use for hiding the pills. Your dog will love the taste and this is a pill treat that will stay soft in the refrigerator all week long. You can make the treat smaller or bigger depending on the size of your dog and the size of the pill you need to give your dog. The pumpkin pill tree is a great one to try with your dog. If you are enjoying these different recipes and if you would like to have them all in one place, check out my Homemade Pill Treats book on Amazon. It’s filled with homemade pill treats recipes with lots of tips and tricks to help your dog take their pills.
I use a gluten free oat flour but you can use whatever flour you want. Add four tablespoons of oat flour to a bowl. Next, add one tablespoon of plain gelatin. If you can't find these ingredients in your grocery store, I have put links here to amazon. Mix together the dry ingredients. Next add six tablespoons of the canned pumpkin and mix it into the dry ingredients. The pumpkin itself is enough liquid that you won’t need any additional liquid for the dough. If the dough is too dry or crumbly you can always add a little bit more pumpkin if it needs it. Once the ingredients are all mixed together, refrigerate the pumpkin treat dough for 10 to 30 minutes. This helps the dough become more solid to form the pill treat shape. If you are not planning on forming the dough into the pill treat shape, just make sure the dough ball is in an airtight container in the fridge. You can pinch off what you need throughout the week. This is a great option if your dog takes different size pills throughout the day or if you just don’t have time to form the individual treats.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. The dough should be more solid. To create the pill treat shapes, pinch enough dough for your size dog and their pill and roll it between the palms of your hands to create a little dough ball. Next, press one finger into the dough ball to create a small hole for the pill. I do this by pressing my finger into the dough ball and then forming the dough around my finger. To see how I create the dough ball, click on my video below to watch me make the dough, form the pill treats, and to meet Ruby!
Continue to create the pill treat shape until all of the dough is gone. Place the pill treats into an airtight container that will go in the refrigerator. When it’s time for your dog’s medicine, place the pill in the treat and then you can just pinch the dough closed around the pill to make sure it’s covered. The pill should be placed into the pill treat at the time you are giving the medication.
I’m not an animal expert. I’m just a dog owner of a dog with epilepsy sharing the tips and tricks that have worked with my dog Ruby. If you have questions please check with your veterinarian for what is best for your dog and your dog’s medical and nutritional needs. Join me for my next blog and check out my video below to continue to learn with me as I learn with Ruby!
Makes: about 15
4 tablespoons oat flour
1 tablespoon beef gelatin
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1. Mix the flour, gelatin, and pumpkin in a bowl. This will form a dough-like consistency.
2. Pick up and knead the dough in your hands to ensure all ingredients are mixed well together.
3. Pinch off a quarter size piece at a time and roll into a ball in the palm of your hands. Form the ball around your pointer finger to create the hole for the pill.