Cool Treats for Hot Dogs
This summer has been hot! So next time your pooches do something wonderful, why not hand them a frosty cold treat rather than a room-temperature snack?
Slushes. Ice cream. Pupsicles. The options are wide open, provided you stick to foods that dogs can easily digest and stay away from items likely to make them sick. Not only will your dogs thank you, but you can also make these treats at home with just a few ingredients.
According to the American Kennel Club, dogs have no real need for fruits or vegetables as part of their diet, but giving it to them as an occasional treat or snack is fine. So before you clear out the produce bin in your refrigerator, become familiar with dog-friendly fruits and veggies.
The good stuff includes apples, bananas, blueberries, broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumbers, peaches, pumpkin, spinach, strawberries and watermelon. Truly off limits—avoid entirely—are avocado, cherries, grapes and onions. A few others need caution rather than a hard no: asparagus is tough for dogs to digest raw, tomatoes are fine in small ripe amounts but risky in their green, unripe form, and mushrooms are generally safe if plain and store-bought, but wild ones can be dangerous.
Easy Frozen Dog Treat
Jean, a pet advocate in Mission Viejo's Pinecrest neighborhood, says that she'll make a healthy concoction, spread it on a lick mat and then freeze it. The exact ingredients and proportions are changeable, especially if your pets aren't that picky.
If you prefer working from a recipe, here's one provided by Modern Dog Magazine that can be served fresh, semi-frozen or frozen:
Peanut Butter Pupsicles or Froyo
Ingredients
1 banana
1 large container (32 ounces) plain yogurt or unsweetened vanilla or banana yogurt, with no gelatine added
3 tbsp peanut butter (with no sugar, salt, aspartame or xylitol added) or use almond butter or hemp seed butter
2 tsp local honey
Combine ingredients in a blender, food processor or Magic Bullet. To make froyo (semi-frozen), freeze the banana for an hour or two before blending. For pupsicles (frozen), pour into ice cube trays, freeze and serve.
