Pumpkin debate

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Harleychin

Harleychin

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
408
Location
St, Louis
OK Guys I have a rant and a question for you.I'm a member of another small forum and there's a person who's chin is having tooth problems and GI statis.
I suggested mixing probiotic with a little canned pumpkin to give inbetween antibiotic doses.The mod on the forum said pumpkin causes gas and they wouldn't use it but that yougurts OK and to let him have bananas like their vet suggested(the vet also told them that chins drool for all kinds of reasons)

My vets have always said pumpkin was fine and had fiber are they wrong?

So do you use pumpkin? Would you give you chins bananas and yougurt?

There is just so much misinformation out there. I'm curious about this.
Thanks
 
I would use pumpkin way before I would use bananas and yogurt. It can be used as a fiber suppliment.

Sounds like someone doesn't know what they're talking about if they're sayign to give yogurt and bananas..since chins can't process dairy products and bananas are sugary...

Mind PMing me a link to the forum?
 
I have used pumpkin and acidophilus before to mix in with crushed pellets and water (when I ran out of Critical Care). Pumpkin is a source of fiber, and antioxidants and 1 whole cup of pumpkin only has 2 grams of sugar.

I would never give bananas because of the sugar content (1 cup of bananas has a whopping 28 grams of sugar). I also would not give yogurt (1 cup of plain yogurt has 19 g of sugar and 14 g protein) when you can add plain probiotics without all the added dairy and sugar.

What forum is this?
 
I just read the thread. I see almond was also recommended for this chin who is going into stasis. A food item rich in fat is the worst thing you can give to a chin in stasis. Lipid-rich foods signal the stomach to slow down gastric emptying and thus, slowing down peristalsis in the intestines. Feeding fat-rich items will only cause things in the digestive tract to slow down even more. This is especially not good for a chin whose digestive tract has already gone into stasis.
 
aznmexaggie said:
I just read the thread. I see almond was also recommended for this chin who is going into stasis. A food item rich in fat is the worst thing you can give to a chin in stasis. Lipid-rich foods signal the stomach to slow down gastric emptying and thus, slowing down peristalsis in the intestines. Feeding fat-rich items will only cause things in the digestive tract to slow down even more. This is especially not good for a chin whose digestive tract has already gone into stasis.
Click to expand...

I was shocked when I read this too. I tried to join, but I guess they have to approve your membership before you can even join...not sure how long I'll last there going against that person...

Harleychin, maybe you could quote what Sumiko and I just said and reply...? Before that person follows that bad advice and does more harm than good to her chin...
 
I use pumpkin every single day for my one chin. Sometimes I alternate with Squash.
I dont use much, just enough to smooth out the ground mix of his pellet.
I would not use yogurt. In the beginning when he wouldnt eat the mix I did try the apple, pear, bananna baby food in small proportions (1 tsp for 2-3 days of mix) to sweeten it up and get him to eat it.
 
You would think that it would be best to keep whatever you are feeding a chin with a slow digestive system would need to be easily digested to keep things moving along. Where would someone get bananas and yogurt? That's so different from what I would even consider using! There's so many other options that would work so much better.

And a solid almond for a chin that could get a blockage at anytime from the slowing? Are you sure it wasn't for a chin with diarrhea?

This is just such a shame to hear. I don't think the pumpkin would be a bad thing to feed, it would be alright. With any chin with bloat or a similar problem should probably get some simethicone and maybe some digestive enzyme to help...
 
I also noticed that it was mentioned that foods that make humans gassy also will cause gas in chins. This is not completely true. Broccoli, beans, pumpkin and sweet potato were listed as causing gas. Humans can also get gas from eating whole wheat breads or brown rice. Eating hay would also make us extremely gassy. We get gassy when we eat excessive amounts of high fiber foods because we don't produce the enzymes to properly ingest them... that is why we are not herbivores. We eat small amounts of it in our diet, but we also eat meats or protein-rich foods. Chinchillas are hind-gut fermenters and rely on the bacterial colonies in their intestines to produce the enzymes that break down the fibers in their diet. Hay and pellets are rich in fiber, low in fat, and relatively low in proteins with a moderate amount of complex carbohydrates.

Even though they can digest fibrous foods well, not all high fiber foods are acceptable for a chinchilla as many vegetables and legumes have other compounds or nutrients in them which are not healthy or digestible. For example, in addition to fiber, beans are also very rich in protein and carbohydrates. Chins do best with foods comprised of long-strand fiber, relatively low in proteins and carbs, and much lower in fats.
 
Humans also get gassy because their intestinal tracts may not be populated with the proper amount of bacteria to digest certain foods and also some people may eat foods at the same time that digest at different rates causing gas. I haven't eaten meat in 16 years, my diet is extremely high in fiber because most of it is fresh vegetables and fruits. I haven't been very gassy...you can ask anyone, who has been around me for more than a few minutes. :p

Chins shouldn't be fed fresh veggies or fruits for the most part. But, pumpkin is usually strained pretty well in the forms that people use...it doesn't have the stringy cellulose in it that can cause the problems. Stick to pellets and hay and things so much more smoothly. LOL (I laughed because I thought of how smoothly the chins digestive systems must be running because of all the poopies I just vacuumed up a couple hours ago!)
 
If I have a chinny who is sick I usually give critical care with pumpkin added to it. They tend to go nuts over it and will eat more than if I was to just give critical care.

Jessica
 
I've been keeping an eye on the thread and the girl with the chin hasn't been back on since her last post so she hasn't seen all that stuff that the lady told her to do.Her appointment for x-rays is today so hopefully that vet will help her out in the right way.
If she comes back I will try to PM her.
 
So I just found this thread...about me and the poor info I was given. You guys are great. I'm so glad Sandy had the heart to PM me and get me good info!
 
well, I had bought a can of pumpkin to add a small amount to chin cookies. So it is good to hear that a little is ok to use.
 
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