You shouldn't be the only one to enjoy summer; your pet friend should have something to cool off too! Lucky for both of you, making a nice treat is super easy, cheap and healthy!
Sure, you can buy some of these pre-made, but it's a lot more fun to make it yourself, especially because you can have full control over which ingredients to use. This way, you know your pup won't ingest any unwanted preservatives, and soon you’ll know everything your pet likes the most, to make it extra yummy for them.
Oh, and to make your life a lot easier, there’s a very useful list of fruits and veggies you can and cannot give your puppy at the end of this article. For added health benefits, try to use organic fruits and veggies!
Before We Begin
Be sure to check with a veterinarian to know if your dog has any allergies to any of these ingredients, but just to be safe, start giving small doses of these treats and wait for a reaction before letting them ready freely.
Meaty Frozen Treats
This is pretty basic one. Your four-legged friend is probably staring at you with those big, adorable eyes from a distance while you prepare that Sunday barbecue anyway, so just take whatever is left of the hamburgers and put it in ice cube trays with a little water. Let it freeze for a couple of hours and serve your dog homemade frozen meaty treats. Their patience will be rewarded. Just be mindful of the seasoning!
Peanut Butter Banana Frosty Paws
We all know dogs love peanut butter - and why shouldn't they? But I bet they don't know you can use it to make frozen treats, and that's where you, the human, comes in. In any medium sized bowl, combine:
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 3 cups of lowfat plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 small jar of banana baby food.
Whisk it nicely and pour the mixture into an ice tray (preferably paw or bone shaped for extra cuteness) and let it freeze for about 3 hours. Your dog will be wagging with joy from these homemade frosty paws treats!
Frozen Yogurt
Yogurt is as good for your pet’s digestive tracks as it is for yours! It's especially effective if they're feeling gassy. If you're dog can't handle dairy though, just mix it with water to help them out. By the way, you can totally buy these pre-made, but come on, it's way too easy to make. Plus, you can easily customize it by adding different herbs that are safe for dogs.
Yogurt Melts
If you find that your pet loves frozen yogurt, here's a cool alternative with a twist: get Greek yogurt and poor little drops onto foil or wax paper before putting it in the freezer. You can do it plain or mix it in a blender with fruits that your pup loves! You can make a lot at once and serve in small portions. Check out the list in the end of this article to see what fruits are good for dogs!
Sliced Frozen Apple
Another one of the those “too easy to be true” kind of treat: the sliced frozen apple doggie treat. Simply slice apples with a knife into small chunks, put them into an ice cube tray, and pour low-sodium chicken broth over them. You can also mix the chicken broth with a little water. Put the tray in the freezer and wait until it’s frozen. That's it. You can also try other fruits! Again, there's a list of fruits you can give your dog with no problem just below, keep scrolling!
Frozen Tuna
This one is pretty obvious, and it's easy to assume your cat would like it just as much. It's also very easy to experiment with! We recommend blending small chunks of tuna with herbs like parsley, oregano, basil, or rosemary (which are all safe for dogs) before putting into an ice cube tray and freezing it.
Frozen Veggies
There's a ton of veggies your dog can eat safely - and oh man, do they love them! Pick any of the veggies from our safe-to-eat list, throw it on the freezer and take it out after a few hours (or just leave it there overnight). Frozen veggies are natural and your dog can keep busy by chewing on it for a long time. Check out the list below for some veggies to try this with! If you get your organic veggies from a local farmer’s market, even better! They won’t have the harmful chemicals that commercially grown produce does.
What if You Don’t Have Time to Make Treats?
Use ice cubes. Yeah. Just normal ice cubes. It's cheating, but I'm pretty sure your pet won't mind.
Fruits and Veggies That Should Be Okay
- Apples - Remove the seeds and the core first.
- Bananas - In moderation, because of their high sugar content.
- Watermelon - Just remove the seeds and ring to avoid choking.
- Strawberries - Like bananas, it’s very good but high in sugar, so give them only as a special as a treat.
- Oranges - Remove the peal first. It isn’t toxic, but since it’s rough, it can give their intestines a hard time.
- Blueberries - Go for it. It’s healthy for both of you, actually.
- Carrots - Very good for their teeth!
- Pineapple - For obvious reasons, remove the exterior prickly part first, but then, it’s all good.
- Broccoli - In very small quantities, as it can become toxic.
- Cucumbers - Great if your pup is on a diet, as they’re full of vitamins but low on carb or fats.
- Celery - Good for their health and their breath.
- Pears - Remove the seeds and cut them into bite sized pieces.
- Potatoes - Plain baked potatoes or mashed potatoes are golden, as long as there are no additives (butter, milk or harmful seasonings).
- Peaches - Always remove the seed, and avoid canned peaches (the preservatives are harmful).
- Sweet potatoes - Just like normal potatoes, remove the peel and give them to your pup cooked and unseasoned.
- Raspberries - Fine in moderation.
- Mango - Great for their health, but as usual, remove the pit first.
Herbs That Should Be Okay
Always go for a small sprinkle, just to add an extra flavor, never too much.
- Oregano - Oil of oregano is more concentrated, so stick to the herb itself as seasoning.
- Rosemary - Proven to be great for dogs!
- Peppermint - Very good medicinal herb, but as usual (for humans too), in moderation.
- Basil - Safe, and most dogs love it.
- Parsley - Commonly used as breath freshener (not to be confused with “spring parsley” though, which is toxic to dogs and cats).
Fruits and Veggies That Are NOT Okay
Never feed your dogs any of these fruits or vegetables.
- Grapes - Never. Dangerous for any kind of dog of any age.
- Raisins - Same as grapes. Never ever give to your dog.
- Tomatoes - Requires a large quantity to make your dog sick, but since it contains a toxic substance, just ignore it for good.
- Avocados - Causes diarrhea and vomiting. Avoid completely.
- Mushrooms - A small percentage of mushrooms are considered toxic, but any of those can severely hurt your pup or even lead to death. Avoid to be safe.
- Onions - Causes all kinds of bad stuff. Keep it away from your pet.
- Cherries - Can lead to cyanide poisoning. Nope.
- Asparagus - Not actually harmful, but completely useless.
This list of safe and unsafe fruits and vegetables for dogs provided by the American Kennel Club.
We recommend using any of the fruits and veggies that are safe for dogs with moderation at first, to see how your pup reacts to them. If you have any doubts or see your dog reacting strangely to any of these (even if they are in the “should be ok” part), ask a vet!
Enjoy!
With these treats, your dog should be able to enjoy summer just as much as you do! Just be sure to give them in small portions - they will absolutely love them, but they really don't know when to stop, do they?
Be sure to share these tips with your pet-loving friends and check out our other awesome articles! Also, we encourage you to comment and share your own cool tips with us on Facebook or Twitter for summer treats!
