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My dog has diarrhea after eating pumpkin. Is it serious? What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 8 years old | 12 lbs

Can pumpkin cause loose stools if it’s given when a dog has normal stool? I was recommended to give it daily as my Dog had hard stool but it became normal. He had a dose of pumpkin yesterday and now his stool is loose. How long should I wait before taking him to the vet? Vet is closed until Monday but they’re aware of the issue. He’s been eating normal food. The loose stool was yesterday and today. I am concerned. Thank you!

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on January 31st, 2021

The short answer is...yes. Plain canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) can be used to add fiber to the diet, promote healthy stool and a healthy gut, but may cause loose stool if too much is given or if Romeo has an allergy to pumpkin. The rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds of body weight once or twice daily. Decrease the amount if the stool is soft. As long as he is behaving normally, he does not need to be seen by your veterinarian. What you can do at home is withhold food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet in small amounts until the stool is normal then transition slowly back to his regular diet. You can try the pumpkin again at a later date, but if he develops loose stools, then discontinue it and consider an alternative. Make sure he has plenty of fresh, clean water to drink at all times. Dehydration may cause firm stool. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting persistent diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed right away by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Claudia Fioravanti

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 11th, 2017

    It does sound like the right amount of fiber, each dog is an individual so the 2-3 tablespoons were probably too much for her. I would say as long as her feaces are not runny, the amount that you are giving her now it' s correct.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 11th, 2017

    The brands of food you are feeding her will have plenty of fiber and veggies in it, and she may not need the added greens and pumpkin. Given that she is having loose stools, I would not give her any greens and pumpkin, as too much fiber will cause this. The foods you are giving are high quality diets, I would not worry about giving her any more supplements.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 11th, 2017

    Yes, I would cut out the greens and pumpkin if she is having loose stools. Well formed stools is necessary for her anal sacs to be expressed, and the loose stools will not help that. Orijen is a great quality food, and it will be giving her more than enough veggies.

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