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No, it’s not safe for dogs to eat pumpkin pie. Of course, a single spoon won’t cause any damage. However, pumpkin-flavored human food contains ingredients such as artificial sweeteners (xylitol), fat, sugar, nutmeg, and pumpkin. These can lead to severe health issues, including seizures, stomach pain, high blood pressure, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Pumpkin Pie
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caution

Caution: This food is generally considered risky by the veterinary community. Dogs should not eat this food and should be monitored for adverse effects.

Food Safety Exercise caution, avoid feeding
Nutritional Issues Fat from butter/oil, xylitol, sodium from salt, carbs from sugar
Potential Risks xylitol poisoning, nutmeg poisoning
Poisoning Symptoms Vomiting, stomach issues, diarrhea, seizures, high blood pressure
Every dog is different. For specific feeding guidelines, including quantities and beneficial foods that are best for your dog, please consult your vet.

How Much Pumpkin Pie Is Unsafe for Dogs?

Sure, a single bite from a pumpkin pie will be fine. However, feeding canned pumpkin pie filling or a slice of pumpkin pie to your dog might cause gastrointestinal trouble, especially in tiny dogs. Furthermore, if your pumpkin pie contains artificial sweeteners and nutmeg, it can be toxic for your canine companion and require a visit to the vet’s office.

What Makes Pumpkin Pie Unsafe?

While pumpkin puree on its own is fine for dogs, pumpkin pie contains various ingredients that are toxic for dogs. Typically, the main toxic ingredients inside pumpkin pie are nutmeg, salt, sugar, pumpkin spice, and xylitol (sugar-free pumpkin pie filling). Hence, it should be kept away from your dog.

Signs Your Dog Ate Too Pumpkin Pie

Signs that show your dog ate too much pumpkin pie containing nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or xylitol include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, hallucinations, seizures, and high blood pressure, to name a few. If these symptoms don’t improve over time, take your dog to the vet ASAP.

Common Pumpkin Pie Ingredients

Toxic seasonings-Allspice and nutmeg are included in pumpkin spice. Allspice is rich in eugenols, which can cause liver damage in your dog. On the other hand, nutmeg contains myristicin, which can cause seizures, hallucinations, and high blood pressure.

Sugar-Pumpkin pie is harmful to dogs due to its high sugar content. Excess sugar consumption can result in obesity.

Butter/fat-Saturated fats from butter in pumpkin pie filling and pie crust might affect your dog’s digestive tract, resulting in diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If your dog eats too much homemade pumpkin pie with nutmeg, it will experience diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. However, feeding it pumpkin pie made using filling from a can lead to xylitol poisoning.

  • No, canned, store-bought pumpkin pie filling is toxic for dogs. This is because it contains xylitol as an artificial sweetener. This chemical is highly dangerous for dogs.

  • Yes, pumpkin puree is okay for dogs as long as you don’t add other ingredients such as nutmeg, salt, and sugar.

About the Writer
Dan Greco , Dog Dad

Having been a dog dad for 5 years, I know how hard it is to make sure your dog gets the right nutrients and stays away from hazardous foods. With the help of a veterinarian who specializes in nutrition, I created this blog to help dog owners quickly access food information they need.

photo of vet holding a pup
About the Contributor
Dr. Hillary Wolfe , Veterinarian & Certified Food Therapist

Dr. Wolfe holds a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University and holds nutrition certifications from the NAVC and CIVT. Her business, Tula Veterinary Nutrition, hosts online courses that teach owners how to cook for their pet for optimal health and longevity. Follow her on Instagram at @doctorwolfe.dvm for dog nutrition tips, recipes and insights.