The outdoor mercury is rising, and Fido is probably feeling the heat. The entire family - both human and furry- are probably spending a great deal of time indoors soaking up the air conditioning to stay cool. However, on a hot day, there are a few summer treats to keep your dog cool.
3 Fun and Safe Summer Treats to Cool Your Pooch
It’s fun to make treats for your dog but remember there are a few ingredients that you should avoid in your summer recipes. Do not use any form of artificial sweetener such as xylitol. Avoid raisins, chocolate, and grapes too.
1. Fruit Freezes
Your dog can safely enjoy berries such as blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. For this recipe, you’ll need a cup of berries (pick your dog’s favorites), a quarter of a cup of water, and two tablespoons of natural peanut butter.
- Take the time to wash and clean the fruit before you puree the fruit and water in a blender.
- Fill an ice cube tray with the fruit puree. Only fill each cube mold ¾ of the way full.
- Using a spoon, a tiny bit of peanut butter on top of the berries.
- Freeze the berries and peanut butter.
- Give a cup to your pup to help cool him off and provide a refreshing and yummy treat.
2. Cantaloupe Yogurt
When buying the yogurt to making these summertime treats to keep your dog cool, remember to purchase only sugar-free plain yogurt.
- Dice up a juicy cantaloupe.
- Remove all the seeds and ring. You’ll need two cups of melon.
- Freeze the diced cantaloupe. When it feels hard and frozen, place the chunks into a blender with two tablespoons of yogurt. Blend it to create a smooth mixture.
- Fill an ice cube tray with the melon and yogurt mixture.
- Freeze it until hard.
- Give your dog a cube of the mixture for a cooling treat. You can also add it to the dog’s kibble.
3. Frozen Chickenstock
This summer treat might not sound very good to humans, but your dog is sure to love it. The meat-flavored treats are made using low salt chick stock cubes, water, and simple, fresh parsley.
- Dissolve a chickenstock cube in two cups of warm water
- Chop parsley very fine
- Stir the parsley into the chickenstock
- Pour the chickenstock and parsley into an ice cube tray and freeze until completely frozen.
- Pop out one of the frozen chickenstock and parley treats from the ice tray to give to your dog any time the canine needs a cool-down on a hot day.
You can add the frozen cubes to the dog’s water bowl to cool off the water and give the dog a tasty beverage. Also, many dogs do not drink sufficient water to stay hydrated on a hot day, so the chickenstock cubes will entice your dog to hydrate when necessary.
All of the above recipes will make a great summertime treat to keep your dog cool on a hot day.