Benefits of Canned Pumpkin???

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EMSChins

EMSChins

Hendryx Chinchillas
Joined
Jun 12, 2010
Messages
1,243
Location
Cincinnati Area
I have read multiple threads where various forum members recommend using pure or organic canned pumpkin to supplemental syringe feedings such as ground up pellets, CC, EFL or a combination of any of those.

I am wondering if besides adding pallatibility to the syringe feeding, does the canned pumpkin have any specific benefits or drawbacks to it??? Is it just used to help the chin eat better because it adds flavor?

For example, vitamin benefits, does it help with either constipation or diarrhea? Are there any contraindications for using it?
 
Pumpkin is a strange but useful tool, it not only can help firm up loose poo but it can also help loosen poo during constipation, the high water content and the high fiber make this happen, the fiber to absorb water and help tighten loose poo and the water content and fiber to help constipation.
 
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I thought that I had heard of it used both for constipation and for diarrhea, hence the confusion on my part and my attempt to clear it up. I didn't know if it was actually true of if it is something that everyone just throws out there as a fix for everything???
 
To tweak what Dawn said a little...

If the animal is constipated (dehydrated) the fiber will pull water into the colon and prevent water from being absorbed to help move things along.

If the animal has diarrhea, the fiber helps bulk things up.

It's really the fiber that's the important thing, as the water is usually absorbed from the colon, unless there is something pulling the water back in. So you could use things other than canned pumpkin, green beans are the first thing that come to mind. But the pumpkin does have the added bonus of being able to be sucked up in a syringe.
 
Totally makes sense! Thanks for clearing up my confusion. It appears it does more than add flavor and make the feeding more pallatible>
 
Are green beans safe for chins? Does pumpkin work as a binding agent? Sorry for the odd questions. I was thinking of green beans as far as if they were mushed up and added to crushed pellets... or used in chin cookies... or as treatment for constipation... or whatever. Now I am confusing myself...
 
Sycamore Chins said:
To tweak what Dawn said a little...

If the animal is constipated (dehydrated) the fiber will pull water into the colon and prevent water from being absorbed to help move things along.

If the animal has diarrhea, the fiber helps bulk things up.

It's really the fiber that's the important thing, as the water is usually absorbed from the colon, unless there is something pulling the water back in. So you could use things other than canned pumpkin, green beans are the first thing that come to mind. But the pumpkin does have the added bonus of being able to be sucked up in a syringe.
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YAY, you fixed my blather!:laughitup:
 
in addition to the palability and health benefits, i like the way the canned pumpkin makes the mixtures "smoother" and easier to draw thru the syringe.

and lillybabe i would NOT use green beans. the only other food i would use if you can not get the canned pumpkin is the baby food squash.
 
Lillybabe said:
Are green beans safe for chins? Does pumpkin work as a binding agent? Sorry for the odd questions. I was thinking of green beans as far as if they were mushed up and added to crushed pellets... or used in chin cookies... or as treatment for constipation... or whatever. Now I am confusing myself...
Click to expand...

It's a binding agent for when you have to hand feed your chin. If you just mix crushed pellets and water, it'll get stuck in a syringe easily and be very difficult to feed. A little pumpkin helps everything pass through more smoothly, both in the syringe and in the chinchilla's gut.

I wish I knew about adding pumpkin a month ago when I was hand-feeding. My ceiling is stained brown because of food from the syringe shooting up, haha.
 
My ceiling is stained brown because of food from the syringe shooting up, haha.
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i can not tell you how many shirts i ruined because of that reason! even with the pumpkin. sometimes it would just get stuck and then air pressure builds up and than it squirts out all over!!
 
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