Pumpkin, dried and ground. That's the entire ingredients list.

It's the one people reach for when things at the other end aren't quite right. Pumpkin is unusually high in soluble fibre, and this powder runs at 24.3% crude fibre.

Why soluble fibre helps in both directions. This is the bit that confuses people, because pumpkin gets suggested for loose stools and for constipation, and those sound like opposites. Soluble fibre forms a gel with water. Where there's too much water in the gut it soaks it up and firms things. Where things are too dry and slow it holds moisture in and adds bulk. Same fibre, two jobs, which is why it turns up in both conversations.

The other reason it's popular is fibre and anal glands. Firmer, better-formed stools do more on the way past, and that's the thinking behind reaching for a high-fibre topper.

It's also handy across a food change. Switching a dog from one food to another, or on to raw, is the classic point where things go loose for a few days, and a fibre topper is a common way to smooth it out.

Two ways to use it. Sprinkled onto moist food is the straightforward one, and it needs to be moist food rather than dry kibble so it isn't just dust sitting on top. The other way, which is on the label and which more people should know about, is to mix it with an equal measure of water to make a paste. That's handy for a fussy dog, for hiding a tablet, and it goes into a lickimat or a stuffed toy beautifully if you want to make something of it.

It's dried rather than tinned, so it lives in the cupboard rather than the fridge and nothing gets thrown away half used. A 400ml pot holds 180g of powder, which goes a very long way next to a tin of purée because you aren't paying to ship or store the water.

It's made in the UK, by a North Yorkshire producer, with the feed establishment approval number printed on the pot.

Why We Love It

One ingredient. 100% pumpkin, nothing else
24.3% crude fibre.
Soluble fibre, which is why it's used for loose stools and for sluggish ones
A common choice for owners thinking about anal glands
Useful across a food change, when things often go loose for a few days
Mixes with water into a paste, so it works on a lickimat or for hiding a tablet
Dried rather than tinned, so it keeps in the cupboard and nothing gets wasted
Made in the UK, in North Yorkshire
From Dougie's, whose raw food we already stock

How much to give, and how long a pot lasts

The feeding guide for adult dogs, as printed on the pot:

Your dog	Per day	Roughly how long a 400ml pot lasts	About
2 to 10kg	½ to 1 teaspoon	3 to 5 months	4p to 9p a day
10 to 25kg	1 to 2 teaspoons	6 weeks to 3 months	9p to 17p a day
25kg and over	2 teaspoons	About 6 weeks	About 17p a day

A 400ml pot holds roughly 80 teaspoons. Figures are approximate, since a heaped spoon and a level one aren't the same thing.

How to give it. Sprinkle it onto moist food, or mix it with an equal measure of water to make a paste. The paste is the better option if you feed dry food, if your dog is picky, or if you want to put it on a lickimat.

Start at the lower end and build. Fibre is best introduced gradually. Within each weight band, begin at the smaller amount and work up over a few days rather than starting at the top.

More is not better. Too much fibre too quickly can loosen things rather than firm them. If that happens, ease off rather than pushing on.

Give it a couple of days. Fibre works with the next meal or two, not within the hour.

When to see a vet instead. Loose stools that carry on beyond a day or two, or come with blood, vomiting, lethargy or a dog who's off their food, need looking at rather than managing with fibre. Same for a dog who's genuinely constipated rather than just a bit slow.