With the heat bearing down on us and the summer in the front windshield, there’ll be plenty of reasons to let the tongue hang loose. Jaunts to the dog park. Evening playdates. Long walks on the (dog-friendly) beach.
Keeping cool, in any occasion, is pivotal. While the best thing you can do is keep a travel bowl handy and stay alerted to the closest water source, one of our favorite things to do is maintain a steady rotation of frozen treats. Done right (and done healthily), frozen treats can help hydrate your dog and regulate their internal temperature, giving them something yummy to look forward to in the process.
What you’ll need:
- Personal sized blender
- Silicone ice cube or treat molds
- Zipper freezer bags or plastic wrap
- Knife and cutting board
- ½ cup measuring cup
Peanut Butter and Banana Pupsicle
Ingredients:
- 1 – 5.3 oz container of plain non-fat Greek yogurt (we used Chobani)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter*
- 1 medium sized ripe banana
- Splash of unflavored oat milk, or other non-dairy milk or water (we used Simply)*
Additional information:
- Approximate calories of entire PB/Banana recipe: ~935 kcal ME.
- This treat is not low in fat. If your dog has a medical condition that requires a low-fat diet (such as pancreatitis or protein-losing enteropathy), please avoid these treats.
- Be sure there is no xylitol in any ingredients that you use. Many varieties of peanut butter and non-dairy milks use artificial sweetener, so please be careful to read all of the ingredients. Xylitol ingestion by dogs can lead to hypoglycemia, seizures, and severe liver damage.
- Remember that your dog should only have 10% of his daily calories dedicated to treats.We recommend using molds that are small enough that your pup could not accidentally injure themselves if they get too excited and swallow the treat whole
Directions:
- Add entire container of yogurt to a personal sized blender
- Add banana in pieces to the blender
- Add peanut butter to the blender
- Add enough non-dairy milk or water to the blender to ensure adequate mixing (will vary depending on the blender)
- Pulse or blend until smooth
- Pour mixture into ice cube or treat molds, place inside zipper freezer bag or cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer, be sure molds are laying flat
- Freeze for at least 4-6 hours or until firm
- Allow to thaw slightly (until slightly soft around edges) before feeding to allow for easier removal
- Serve
Strawberry Banana Pupsicle
Ingredients:
- 1 – 5.3 oz container of plain non-fat Greek yogurt (we used Chobani)
- ½ - ¾ cup quartered strawberries
- 1 medium sized ripe banana
- Splash of unflavored oat milk, or other non-dairy milk or water (we used Simply)*
Additional information:
- Approximate calories of entire Strawberry/Banana recipe: ~235 kcal ME
- Be sure there is no xylitol in any ingredients that you use. Many varieties of peanut butter and non-dairy milks use artificial sweetener, so please be careful to read all of the ingredients. Xylitol ingestion by dogs can lead to hypoglycemia, seizures, and severe liver damage.
- Remember that your dog should only have 10% of his daily calories dedicated to treats.
Directions:
- Remove stems, then slice or quarter strawberries
- Add entire container of yogurt to a personal sized blender
- Add banana in pieces to the blender, then add strawberries to the blender
- Add enough non-dairy milk or water to the blender to ensure adequate mixing (will vary depending on the blender)
- Pulse or blend until smooth
- Pour mixture into ice cube or treat molds, place inside zipper freezer bag or cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer, be sure molds are laying flat
- Freeze for at least 4-6 hours or until firm
- Allow to thaw slightly (until slightly soft around edges) before feeding to allow for easier removal
- We recommend using molds that are small enough that your pup could not accidentally injure themselves if they get too excited and swallow the treat whole
