Butternut squash for dogs
As we’re fast approaching Halloween, this popular sweet-tasting autumn vegetable can be seen everywhere, from corner shops to superstores. As well as making a great addition to our meals, dogs love butternut squash, too. Let’s look in more depth at how dogs can eat butternut squash.
Benefits of butternut squash for dogs
Butternut squash is full of vitamins and antioxidants that help maintain your dog’s health:
- Fibre: Great for digestion, maintaining a healthy weight, and calming upset stomachs
- Vitamin A: One of the most important vitamins for your dog’s health, it’s essential for boosting their immune system, improving vision, preventing hair loss and skin conditions, and promoting strong muscles
- Vitamin C: Fantastic for supporting the immune system, boosting healing, helping the body to absorb iron, and strengthening the joints
- Beta-carotene: A powerful antioxidant that fights inflammation, helping to manage a range of conditions such as hip dysplasia and heart disease
- Phosphorus: Works alongside calcium to help strengthen your dog’s bones
- Magnesium: Helps your dog to absorb other important vitamins and minerals
- Potassium: Supports your dog’s brain function and muscle performance
Can dogs eat raw butternut squash or only cooked ones?
No, we strongly recommend you don’t feed raw butternut squash to your dog. Butternut squash, in its raw form, is hard and fibrous, making it difficult for your dog to chew and digest. Eating raw butternut squash could cause stomach problems/pains, and may cause your dog to vomit or have diarrhoea.
Cooking it isbest way to feed your dog butternut squash as it’s tastier and easier for them to chew and digest.
If your dog has allergies or underlying health issues, please consult your vet before feeding them something new.
Tips on how to prepare butternut squash for your dog
Before feeding butternut squash to your canine friend, it’s important to know how to prepare it correctly:
- Thoroughly wash the skin
- Peel the skin and remove the guts and seeds entirely
- Decide on how you’ll cook it: boil/steam or bake/roast/microwave (you can cook the butternut squash in its skin and scoop out the flesh after)
- Cook without oils or seasonings (onion and garlic can be toxic to dogs)
- Leave the cooked butternut squash to cool before serving
If your budget can stretch, organic butternut squash from a local producer is best, as it’s grown without pesticides and artificial preservatives. Or, if you have an outdoor space, you may want to consider growing your own.
How to cook butternut squash for dogs? Try these simple recipes.
There are numerous ways you can cook butternut squash to feed to your dog, including boiling, steaming and baking. Follow the below detailed recipes and give all methods a try to see which one suits your dog and you best.
Boiling:
- Wash the butternut squash to remove any dirt
- Fill a pan with water and place on the hub to boil
- Cut off the stem of the squash and slice it in half
- Using a spoon or your hands, remove the seeds and the guts
- Cut the 2 halves of the butternut squash into thick slices
- Place the slices (with skin on) into the pan of boiling water
- Lower the hob’s temperature so the water is at a gentle simmer
- Simmer the squash until it’s soft, about 15-20 minutes
- Leave to cool, and then scoop the flesh from the skin.Mash the flesh with a fork or puree with a food processor
- Wash the butternut squash to remove any dirt
Steaming:
- Wash the butternut squash to remove any dirt and cut off its stem
- Using a peeler, remove the skin and slice the squash in half
- Remove the seeds and the guts with either a spoon or your hands
- Cut the 2 halves of the butternut squash into 20 inch cubes
- Add the pieces to the steamer or steamer basket on top of a pan of boiling water
- Steam until the squash is soft, which usually takes about 25 minutes on a medium setting (steamer) or a low boil (pan)
- Remove from butternut squash and leave it to cool. Mash the flesh with a fork or puree with a food processor
Roasting or baking:
- Pre-set the oven to 180°C
- Wash the butternut squash to remove any dirt and cut off its stem
- Slice it in half and remove the seeds and the guts with a spoon or your hands
- Cut the 2 halves of the squash into thick slices and place on a baking tray
- Roast in the oven until the skin is soft – usually takes 45 minutes
- Once the butternut squash is cooled enough to be handled, scope the flesh from the skin. Mash the flesh with a fork or puree with a food processor or cut up into small pieces and feed it as a healthy treat/snack
Can dogs eat the skin of a butternut squash? Should I peel it before feeding it to my dog?
No, dogs can’t eat the skin of a butternut squash as it’s hard, which makes it difficult for them to chew and digest. Butternut squash skin can be a choking hazard and may cause blockages in the gut if eaten in sufficient quantities.
So, if you want to give butternut squash to your dog, peel it before cooking, or cook it in its skin and scoop out the flesh.
Can dogs eat butternut squash guts and/or seeds?
Butternut squash seeds are edible and aren’t toxic to dogs, so don’t worry if they snuffle one up from the floor occasionally. But butternut squash seeds have the potential to irritate your dog’s throat and cause blockages in the digestive system if eaten regularly. We recommend scoping out the guts and seeds before cooking butternut squash to reduce the chance of them accidentally being eaten.
Butternut squash seeds are just as nutritious as the flesh, so if you want to give them to your dog, you may want to consider baking and blending the seeds into a fine powder, which you can use as a tasty topper for your dog’s raw food.
Can my dog eat frozen butternut squash?
In autumn, butternut squash are plentiful, but if it’s out of season, you can buy frozen butternut squash. It’s safe to feed this to your dog as long as it’s cooked. Before buying frozen butternut squash, check the ingredients to ensure that seasonings haven’t been added, paying attention to salt, onion, and garlic.
Is butternut squash good for dogs with diarrhoea?
Yes, it’s believed that feeding butternut squash can help manage a dog’s diarrhoea. This is because the fibre in the squash absorbs water inside the colon – acting like a sponge and removing excess water, helping to maintain a normal consistency.If your dog suffers from episodes of diarrhoea, find more useful advice in our guide to dog diarrhoea.
Can I add butternut squash to my dog’s raw food?
is designed to nutritionally provide everything your dog needs to live a healthy, happy, and active life. However, you can add cooked mashed or pureed butternut squash for a taste boost.
How much butternut squash can you give your dog?
There’s no definite rule on how butternut squash dogs can eat, but as with most things, feeding in moderation is advised. It’s recommended that they can be fed 1 or 2 teaspoons a day. However, this will depend on the size of your dog. So, a smaller dog may need less, and a larger dog could safely eat more.
Butternut squash is highly nutritious and is safe for dogs to eat, so they can enjoy it in their meals or give it as a treat without upsetting their stomachs. But, as it’s super rich in vitamin A, feeding your dog a lot of butternut squash could lead to them developing hypervitaminosis, a build-up of vitamin A in the body.
Symptoms of hypervitaminosis include:
- Bone deformity
- Excessive bone growth on the elbows and spine
- Nausea
- Weight loss
- Weakness
- Peeling skin
Butternut squash can also be mixed with other vegetables, like carrots, swede, and turnip. Not sure what vegetables you can feed to your dog? Find out what other vegetables can dogs eat.
