Can Dogs Eat Pumpkin Pie?

Dogs can only eat certain kinds of human food without getting sick, and it can be hard to know what kinds of food they can eat.

Can you give your dog a piece of pumpkin pie to enjoy, or do you need to take extra care that they don't snatch it off the counter?

Dogs should not eat pumpkin pie. Though pumpkin is perfectly safe for dogs to eat and is even healthy for them, ingredients such as nutmeg and other spices, sugar, and milk can be dangerous. Eating pumpkin pie can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

There are a few reasons why pumpkin pie is unsafe for dogs to eat, and there are also some pumpkin alternatives that you can use.

It is important that you know what happens to your dog if they eat pumpkin pie and whether you need to take them to the vet.

Dangerous Ingredients in Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin is actually very healthy for a dog to eat. Pumpkin has a lot of nutrients that are good for dogs to eat. Pumpkin also helps with a dog's stomach issues because of the fiber.

Many pet owners will feed a dog some pumpkin if they have an upset stomach or diarrhea.

Pumpkin is also filled with prebiotics, which support the bacteria in a dog's digestion. Though too much pumpkin can cause nutrient deficiencies, a little bit of pumpkin can be very good for a dog.

However, pumpkin is not the only ingredient in pumpkin pie, and many of the other ingredients can be harmful to a dog to eat, namely nutmeg (and other spices), sugar, and milk.

These ingredients will cause your dog to get sick, which is a miserable experience for both pets and pet owners.

Nutmeg is a common spice used in pumpkin pie. However, it can cause hallucinations in pets because of a toxin called myristicin, which is technically a narcotic.

A teaspoon or more of ground nutmeg can be dangerous for a dog to consume. Nutmeg poisoning can cause vomiting, seizures, high temperature, and death.

Giving a dog something with nutmeg mixed in is a bad idea.

Cinnamon and cloves, also common spices in pumpkin pie, are also unsafe to give to dogs.

Cinnamon can cause skin and stomach irritation, and cloves have an ingredient called eugenol that is toxic to dogs.

Dogs need some sugar for their body to break down and use. However, too much sugar is not good for a dog. It can cause an upset stomach, cavities, weight gain, changes in metabolism, and diabetes.

Many of these are the same effects that a lot of sugar can have on humans, though dogs have a lower tolerance for sugar than people. Dogs need to have the amount of sugar they eat limited so that they can stay healthy.

Milk and other kinds of dairy are also unhealthy for dogs. Dogs have a harder time breaking down lactose than humans do because they don't have as much lactase. As a result, dairy can cause diarrhea and other stomach issues in dogs.

These ingredients won't have much of an effect on your dog if they eat only a small amount. However, it is better safe than sorry, so avoid feeding your dog pumpkin pie.

What Happens When Your Dog Eats Pumpkin Pie?

If your dog snatches some pumpkin pie off the table when you aren't looking and you can't keep them from gobbling it down, don't panic.

Your dog will probably experience an upset stomach, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.

It won't be fun for your dog to feel sick, and you are going to have to spend time cleaning up the vomit and poop, which is never a fun way to spend an afternoon.

However, your dog will probably be fine within a few hours, and they likely won't experience any lasting effects.

If these symptoms last for more than two hours or your dog's symptoms are growing worse over time, that is when you should take them to the vet.

You also might want to take them to the vet if they have eaten a whole pumpkin pie, especially if your dog is a small breed such as a Bichon Frise or Pocket Beagle .

That amount of pumpkin pie can cause seizures, hallucinations, or increased heart rate.

Giving your dog a little bit of pumpkin pie will not kill them, but it can make them sick.

This is can make your dog feel bad, and it means you will have to clean up the messes that they make even if you don't need to take them to the vet.

However, if your dog accidentally eats some pumpkin pie, just remember that it isn't a big deal as long as they only eat a small amount.

For example, if you drop a piece of pumpkin pie on the floor and your dog eats it before you can pick it up, they will likely be okay. However, if you leave an entire pumpkin pie on the counter and your dog manages to eat most of it, they will likely get sick.

Canned Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Filling

So, pumpkin pie is unsafe for dogs to eat. However, you may wonder, since pumpkin is healthy for dogs to eat, can you give a dog canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling before you put it into the pie?

Will the filling make them sick, or can it be a tasty treat for your dog?

Canned pumpkin is usually just cooked and pureed pumpkin, so it is typically safe to give to a dog.

If there are any added sugars or spices, you shouldn't give them to a dog.

However, if the only ingredient is pumpkin, it is perfectly fine to give your dog a few scoops of it before you mix it in with the other ingredients and put it into a pie.

Pumpkin pie filling, on the other hand, usually comes with the spices and sugar already added.

This means that if you give it to your dog, they will be eating the sugar and spices that can make them sick.

There are some types of pumpkin pie filling that are just plain pumpkin and don't have any added sugar and spices. In that case, you can give some to your dog.

Cindy J.

Cindy is a prolific writer and online researcher who can't imagine life without dogs. There is scarcely a dog topic she has not researched or written about. Her love for dogs and helping dog parents is evident by the thousands of dogtemperament.com visitors who read her articles monthly. Most of all, each topic Cindy writes on helps forge a stronger bond and understanding between her and her happy Catahoula Leopard Dog Jossie.