Cold Dog Treats for Hot Temperatures

Written by: Nomi Berger, content writer for our newsletter

 

Like us, pets need proper protection from the heat and adequate shade from the sun. This year, take shelter from the swelter and turn each day into a holiday. Spread a sheet on the grass, fill a small wading pool or set up an umbrella on the balcony. Then, invite your pets to feast on their own, specially prepared doggie desserts.

Recipe One: Jewel-Toned Jello

1 pkg. cherry jello

1 chopped apple, banana and pear 

Mix jello as per instructions and stir in fruit. Pour into ice cube tray or small, individual moulds. Refrigerate until firm. Turn over onto plate and garnish with sliced strawberries. 

Recipe Two: Peanut Pupsicles

Peanut butter treats. Photo credit: Jennifer Yu from userealbutter.com

3 very ripe bananas

1 cup peanut butter

½ - ¾ cup wheat germ

½ cup unsalted peanuts finely chopped

Mix bananas and peanut butter. Add wheat germ to make dough. Form into one inch balls and roll in peanuts. Freeze on cookie sheets. Arrange on plate and garnish with frozen banana slices.

Recipe Three: Yummy Yogurt

½ cup blueberries

½ cup plain, low-fat yogurt

2 tsps. honey

Puree ingredients in blender or food processor. Pour into ice cube tray or small, individual moulds. Freeze at least 6 hours. Turn over onto plate and garnish with blueberries.

Recipe Four:  Cool Cupcakes

4 cups rice milk

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. honey or peanut butter

Place paper cupcake liners in muffin tins. Stir ingredients and pour into cups. Set tiny dog biscuit into center of each cup and freeze. Peel back paper liner and arrange on plate. Garnish with more tiny dog biscuits.

Two words of caution:

(1)   Ensure that your dogs aren’t allergic to any of the ingredients you’re using.

(2)   Serve cold treats on a hot day in moderation. Too much cold in their systems can reduce their core temperature.

Recipe Post: Kong Recipes

Do you own these dog toys and wonder what to stuff inside them? Kongs make a great training tool—from crate-training a new puppy or your newly adopted dog to keeping your dog busy when you are busy. Kongs are available at all major pet stores. Below is a list of my favourite Kong recipes, but the list of what you can stuff inside a Kong is virtually endless.

Healthy Treats for Weight-Watching Pooches

• Line the inside with a thin line of peanut butter or honey (adult dogs only). You will be surprised at how long your dog will work at this simple treat.
• Baby carrots are a super simple and quick treat. My dogs LOVE carrots—they love to crunch them up, and they come running whenever I get the bag out for myself.
• Use a thin line of peanut butter or honey and stuff in some breakfast kibble. When we first got our puppy, he ate so quickly that I would divide his breakfast into multiple Kongs, which slowed him down considerably.
• Alternatively, add dry kibble to the Kong and use a carrot or a cookie slightly larger than the opening to block the opening.
• Moisten kibble and stuff it into the Kong and freeze it for a couple of hours.

My Favourite Treats

One of my dogs' favourite treats is a combination of wet/sticky food and dry. We use one mashed banana mixed with a small container of plain, unsweetened yogurt* and a teaspoon of melted peanut butter. First, put a piece of kibble or a small cookie into the Kong to plug the hole and then fill the Kong with the banana mixture. Freeze for a couple of hours and eat! A frozen Kong can last two to three times longer than one that isn't and makes a great treat for your pooch when you head out the door in the morning. 

Our dogs love any Kong treat that starts with peanut butter—we often mix peanut butter, yogurt and pumpkin and stuff the mixture, similar to the technique above, and freeze. 

Another favourite is a bit of peanut butter followed by some kibble, then a bit more peanut butter finished off with a cookie at the end. 

As always, when feeding your dogs any human food, check to make sure that the food is safe for consumption by dogs first. Below is a list of foods that can be stuffed inside Kongs:

• Apples
• Applesauce
• Bananas
• Beef 
• Bread
• Broccoli (raw)
• Carrots
• Chicken Broth (without onion)
• Cheese
• Cheerios
• Clementines
• Dried Fruit (Bananas, apples)
• Eggs (cooked)
• Orange slices
• Honey
• Peanut butter
• Peaches
• Yogurt

*Ensure that your yogurt is plain and unsweetened since artificial sweeteners can be deadly for dogs.