Weruva Pumpkin Patch Up! - chewy.com Product Review

Pumpkin season is here! This month we received Weruva's  Pumpkin Patch Up! food supplement from chewy.com.

The product is just pumpkin puree in convenient, shelf-stable packets. There are only two ingredients: pumpkin and water (for processing). The simplicity of this product is refreshing, since so many dog foods and supplements contain a multitude of mysterious ingredients.

The benefits of feeding pumpkin

Each box of Pumpkin Patch Up! has 12 packets inside, and there are two sizes of packets available: 1.05 oz and 2.80 oz. Each packet is meant to be a single serving, and can be fed daily and even with each meal. When your pup has a mild case of tummy trouble, it is so convenient to open a packet of Pumpkin Patch Up! for each meal instead of opening a big can of pumpkin puree and then having to refrigerate or figure out what to do with any leftovers.

I think the pumpkin puree in the packet looks a little bit brownish, unlike the pretty, bright orange I get when I puree fresh pumpkins at home. However, there is a great variety of pumpkin flesh colors, so that could be a contributing factor.

Of course, Chewy thought it was delicious and did not care at all about aesthetics.

I like the convenience and simplicity of the product, but I do wish that it was made in the US. Our box says it is a product of Thailand. Chewy is happy to eat pumpkin (or anything) at any time!

Disclaimer: We received free boxes of Weruva Pumpkin Patch Up! from chewy.com for review purposes as part of the chewy.com Blogger Program. We did not receive any monetary compensation for this post, and all opinions shared above are our own.

Happy Halloween!

Growing Veggies for Your Dog, Part 3: Advanced Vegetables

Some vegetables require much more work than others, from carefully prepping the soil, to rigorously controlling weeds, to waiting very patiently for the things to grow. While they may not actually be that difficult to grow, the following vegetables have long growing periods until they can be harvested (which leaves lots of time for things to go wrong), and require some extra care to flourish.

1. Carrots
Carrots are one of Chewy's favorite foods. When he was a puppy, the vet said to give him baby carrots as treats because they are low in calories. He has been munching and crunching on them ever since! In addition to being low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins, giving your dog a large, raw carrot to chew supposedly helps clean their teeth.

There are many varieties of carrots, with different thicknesses, lengths, and colors. You can even purchase seeds to grow a rainbow-colored crop!

A forked carrot

Carrots can be a little finicky - as a root vegetable, they like sandy, loose soil that is free of rocks and clumps. Rocks in the soil will cause forked carrots. Carrot seeds are tiny, so they may be a bit difficult to sow. They take a few weeks to germinate, and once they start growing, they need to be thinned out so that each carrot has enough space to develop. Weeds need to be carefully removed to avoid competition for nutrients and to prevent unshapely roots. Carrots prefer evenly moist soil, and a drastic change from dry to wet will cause split carrots.

Carrots take about 60-80 days to mature, but they can be pulled earlier for little carrots. When our crop of carrots is pretty much matured, I let Chewy go in and pick his own. He shakes the dirt off, munches on the root, shreds the carrot top, and then goes back for more!

Carrot for me!

2. Potatoes
Potato plants are grown from "seed potatoes," which are just chunks of potato. The plants grow from the eyes of the potatoes. You are SUPPOSED to buy certified, disease-free seed potatoes because any disease present in the plant one year will be carried over to the next year's growth, but last year I just used organic potatoes from the grocery store, and they still did pretty well.

Potatoes grow via tubers underground, so they need loose, fertile soil. Every few weeks, soil needs to be hilled up around the base of the plant to support the stem and to prevent sunlight from turning the top potatoes green. Green potatoes are poisonous! Also, there are quite a few insect pests that may damage potato plants and decrease yield.

You can dig up a few small potatoes to eat before your potato crop has fully matured.

Potatoes should be cooked before feeding to your dog - you can bake, steam, boil, etc.

3. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potato plants are vines grown from slips, which are sprouts that grow out of sweet potatoes. You can purchase them or grow your own (there are various methods to do so). Growing your own slips takes a couple weeks, so it is best to start early.

Since they are a vining crop, they need quite a bit of space to spread out and grow. It is the tubers that we harvest, so they need loose, rich soil. To make the plant concentrate its energy on forming a few nicely sized sweet potatoes instead of a bunch of tiny ones, the vines need to be pulled up periodically to break off the roots that formed along the stems.

It takes a long growing season for sweet potatoes to mature - about 3+ months. The sweet potatoes must be dug up carefully because they get scratched and bruised easily. For long-term storage, they need to be cured at 80°F and 90% humidity for 2 weeks.

Sweet potatoes should be cooked before feeding to your dog. Or, you can slice them and dehydrate them for thick + chewy OR thin + crunchy treats.

4. Pumpkin/Winter squash
Pumpkins and other winter squashes grow on vines that need warm, fertile soil. The vines can grow very long and take up a lot of space, so many people like to grow them along the edge of their garden. They take a long time to mature, need regular watering throughout the growing season, and are harvested in the fall. They need pollinators such as bees to set fruit, and may require special attention to grow nice and round.

There are a couple of insect pests that attack winter squash vines, and powdery mildew may grow on the leaves and weaken plants.

After harvest, winter squash needs to cure for 2 weeks in the sun to toughen the skin for storage.

Small sugar pumpkin

Winter squash should also be cooked before feeding to your dog. You can roast, steam or boil, and even add some puree into homemade dog treats.


Stay tuned for container planting...

Back to intermediate vegetables
Back to easy vegetables

Steamed Acorn Squash for Dogs

Autumn has brought colorful leaves and cooler weather, which Chewy thoroughly enjoys...

...but Autumn also means lots of winter squash is available! The supermarkets, farm stands and garden centers are teeming with all kinds of squash, from acorn, to butternut, to miniature & giant pumpkins. Chewy would like to eat them ALL.

The most notable health benefit of winter squash for pups is the high soluble fiber content, which promotes good digestion. Winter squash is also high in Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium, among other nutrients.

Cooking winter squash makes it more digestible for dogs (and humans). STEAMING winter squash is easy, relatively fast, and can preserve more nutrients than other methods, such as boiling or roasting.

All you need is some kind of steaming apparatus that will keep your food out of the water that's producing the steam, while still allowing steam to reach the food. There are all sorts of gadgets available on the market for steaming food, from pots with special inserts, to steamer baskets, to fancy steam ovens. If you don't have one of those, you can make a makeshift steamer using a pot with a lid: simply place a heat-safe plate on top of a small wire rack or even atop a few crumpled up balls of aluminum foil (don't use a non-stick pot for these- it'll scuff up the coating!).

I used acorn squash here, but the same principles can pretty much be applied to any kind of edible winter squash.

Waiting is the worst part for a Chewy

After steaming, you might see some spots of white goo on the surface. It is nothing to worry about- just some starch rising up and getting cooked.


Steamed Acorn Squash for Dogs

Step 1: Get your steaming equipment going so that it will be steamy by the time your squash is prepped.

If using a pot (with a lid), you want the water level to be high enough to not dry out during cooking, but low enough to not come in contact with your squash.

Step 2: Wash the squash, scrubbing gently with a veggie brush to remove dirt and other impurities.

Step 3: Use a sharp, sturdy knife to chop the squash in half. Cutting to one side of the hard stem will make it easier.

Step 4: Using a metal spoon and a some muscle, scrape out the seeds and stringy bits. Discard them or save the seeds to roast for human consumption. If your steaming pot is small, you might need to cut the squash into quarters to fit.

Step 5: Steam on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until squash is easily poked with a fork and appears somewhat translucent.

Step 6: Scoop out the flesh of the squash and discard the skin. Let cool completely before serving. Serve small chunks or purée (use a food processor or blender).

Gimme gimme gimme

Squash purée

Store leftovers in the refrigerator, or use the squash purée to whip up some doggy treats!

As with all other treats, feed steamed winter squash with moderation, in addition to a healthy, balanced doggy diet.

Tasty Tuesday: Pumpkin Applesauce Dog Treats

Fall is a season for pumpkins and apples, so I made Chewy some treats combining the two. They are pretty easy to make: just mix everything together, form cookies, and pop into the oven. My recipe:

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Mix together the following until combined into a dough:

  1 cup whole wheat flour

  1 egg

  1 tbsp coconut oil

  1 tbsp flax seed

  1/2 tsp cinnamon

  1/4 cup sugar-free applesauce

  1/4 cup pumpkin puree

  1/4 cup oats

Form 1 tbsp balls of dough, and flatten onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350° until the edges are lightly golden brown, about 12-15 min.

Watching over doggie cookies is a very important job.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on a wire rack. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for no more than a couple days. Store in the refrigerator or freezer to maintain freshness.

Makes 18 tbsp-sized chewy cookies, but you can adjust size + baking time to your liking.

Cookie? Don't mind if I do!

I always find it difficult to tell if whole wheat cookies are "golden brown" because the dough is brown to begin with, so after they have cooled a little bit, I lift them up to see if the bottom is a bit more brown than the top, or if they are firm to the touch.

Also, this dough is rather sticky, so I wouldn't recommend using cookie cutters.

Fruitables Skinny Minis Watermelon Flavor Review

A while back, we won a bag of Fruitables skinny minis Watermelon treats from Lindsay at ThatMutt.com. Thanks, Lindsay!

Happy Chewy with his Fruitables

These watermelon flavor treats are flower-shaped, mini-sized, soft, and chewy. They are free of gluten, wheat, corn, soy and artificial flavors/colors, and are made in the USA. At just 2 1/2 calories apiece, they are great for pups who need to watch their caloric intake.

Big paw, tiny treat

They come in a convenient zipper pouch, and you get a big whiff of watermelon + pumpkin smell when you open the bag. Pumpkin is the first ingredient in this and many other Fruitables products because of its health benefits and palatability. The high fiber and low fat content of pumpkin makes it a great ingredient for weight management, and the presence of soluble and insoluble fibers can help soothe both diarrhea and constipation. 

Om nom nom...

Despite the small size, Chewy still chews each individual piece before swallowing, without generating crumbs! They are rather fragrant, and would be great for playing Find the Treat. Their size and non-crumblyness are perfect for stuffing a treat-dispensing toy.

More, please?

These treats were motivating enough to get Chewy to climb into a box and lie down in it. He simply followed a trail of treats while I blocked the side (so he'd actually have to step into the box to reach the treats, because Chewy is a pro cheater).

However, they weren't motivating enough to get him out of the box. He was a bit hesitant about how to step out, and he wasn't going to try just for some itty bitty treats.

Comfy cozy. I'll stay here, thanks.

They were definitely drool-worthy, though.

Overall, we give Fruitables Skinny Minis Watermelon Flavor treats 3 1/2 paws up. Chewy thought they were yummy, and I liked that they were healthy, low-calorie, and not messy. However, they were not the most motivating treats, which can be a problem during training sessions with a stubborn pup.

3 1/2 paws up for Fruitables Skinny Minis Watermelon Flavor

Disclaimer: We won these treats in a giveaway and were not asked to write a review. We did not receive any compensation for this post, and all opinions expressed are our own.