Summer is the perfect time to whip up some homemade treats for your pup. A frozen treat is a great way for your dog to get extra healthy fruits and vegetables into their diet. Here are some healthy frozen treats to keep your pup cool all summer long.
Frozen Kong Treats
These treats are simple, fun and can keep your pup entertained for quite some time! You can use sweet potato and peanut butter, or you can combine any of the following dog-friendly foods for some variety: mashed banana, yogurt, and mashed carrots. Get creative!
Combine ½ a roasted sweet potato (just the inside, not the skin) with ¾ cup of peanut butter. Then, mix it up and scoop it into ice cube trays. If you don’t have ice cube trays, you could also put dollops of the mixture onto a cookie sheet or spread it into a pan. Once that’s all done, stick it into the freezer. Once the treats are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container and then pop a couple in your pup’s Kong toy!
Homemade Frosty Paws
These treats are a great way to help your pup cool down after summer activities — and they’re so simple to make.
Mash a banana and mix it with 32 oz. of low-fat, plain organic yogurt, 3 handfuls of fresh blueberries and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Feel free to add other fruit if you want, such as apple slices, just be careful to avoid seeds! Once it’s all mixed together, put the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze it for about 3 hours. Once the treats are frozen, run hot water over the underside of the trays, pop out the frosty paws and give one or two to your dog for a cool treat!
Icy Bones
These summer treats have only two ingredients because less is more, especially during summer.
Mix ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce with ½ cup of chicken stock or water. Spoon the mixture into a bone-shaped ice cube tray and serve once frozen. Voila!
Ice Lick
If you have multiple pups, this is a fun treat they can all share!
Fill a bucket with water or chicken/beef stock and add dog toys and treats to the mix. Some good options are carrots, peas, dog treats, a tennis ball, chew toys, dry dog food and peanut butter. Just remember, if it’s extremely hot outside, we recommend using water instead of stock or at least mixing the two equally. Some broth has really high sodium content, which can dehydrate your dog. Once you’re satisfied with your mixture, stick the bucket in the freezer until everything is frozen through. Then run some hot water on the outside and stick the ice lick on the grass where your pups can have at it.
Sources & Photo Credits: The Lean Green Bean, Raise a Green Dog, All Pet News, Good Dogs Co., Malibu Kitchen Blog, My Dog’s Breakfast, True Blue Me and You