Dehydrated Powdered Pumpkin

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

My Cooper-star is sick :(

yesterday (wed) she vommited at 6.30 am, ate her breakfast as usual at 9am, vomited again mid afternoon, then ate dinner at 8pm. (vomiting is unusual for her)

Today (thur) she needed to poop at 6.45 am (she usually wakes up and poops at 8am), the end part was a bit runny. She ate breakfast at 9am, then needed to poop again at 10am. This time it was all puddingy

Tuesday afternoon I gave her some freeze dried raw medallions by Natures Variety and have since noticed they were expired. maybe this caused her sickness?

Of course, we have no pumpkin in the house, but I have to drive to town tonight (45 mins away) to fetch DH from work (hes been staying in town the last few nights) and can get some from the grocery store. but I know there is some dried, powdered stuff at the pet store. has anyone tried this? Thought it would be handy to have in, as Cooper never needs a whole can of pumpkin and will not eat it once its frozen.

Cooper seems to be ok - she has been sleeping alot, but I put that down to being tired from her 2 week visit from her Grandma. She will run and play when i take her outside. She has an appetite and is drinking water so Im not too concerned. I have some chicken and turkey backs in the freezer so they are defrosting, I will get what meat off I can and boil it for her, and boil the bones so she can drink the stock. Maybe pick up some chicken breast at the grocery store for her (we are vegetarian so dont have any at home)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Are the Nature's Variety medallions freeze-dried? I thought they were frozen raw ground patties. Maybe they have both?

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

they do do both. these were the freeze dried ones - I use them as treats

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Hmmm. Well, maybe it wasn't the medallions, then. I have no idea about freeze-dried foods and spoiling. Keep an eye on her just in case something else is brewing. Hope she continues to feel better.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Even frozen food shouldn't be harmful just because it's expired. It might not taste as good but no more likely to cause illness just because it's old I think.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Wouldn't it depend on how long since it had been in a frozen state?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think so. I think the flavor etc. may be off, freezer burn all sorts of stuff. Believe me since I have an "in only" freezer, I have, on those heroic occasions that I clean it out seen some unidentifiable things. But organisms should not be able to grow so if you put it in OK, it should come out OK or so I think.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Here you go:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/focus_on_freezing/index.asp

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Thanks, this is a good reference!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

where would you even get something like slippery elm bark? I've never heard of this...

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's on the web. Probably in natural food/health stores too.

Here's some info:

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/slippery-elm-000274.htm

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I hope Cooper feels better soon!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

you could always use the extra pumpkin to make a pie... or perhaps some sort of pureed soup.