By Emily Schultze
With the heat of the summer fast approaching, people and animals alike are making their plans for staying cool. While jumping into the pool or lounging in front of the fan are always good strategies, there are a few other ways to combat that summer sun. Popsicles are an easy and tasty treat to help keep your dog refreshed!
Not only are popsicles simple to make, they are also very customizable for each individual dog's needs. The only tool you need to start is a traditional ice cube tray or a silicone mold. After that, you will just have to decide what kind of popsicle you want to make!
Sweet Treats
Even though sugar is not good for dogs, there are certain kinds of fruit that are perfectly safe! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, apples and pineapples are all examples of fruit that dogs can eat.
What you'll need:
Water
Orange (1/4 cup juice to 1 cup water)
dog-friendly fruit
Directions:
Mix water and orange juice
Pour into your ice cube tray or silicone mold, leave some space for the fruit
Chop fruit into a size that will fit your mold or tray
Place fruit in mold or tray
Place in freezer overnight or for several hours
You can also liquify your fruit or fruits of choice in a blender and pour that mixture into your tray or mold to freeze overnight. If you want to make a more creamy popsicle, blend some bananas or peanut butter. Then put some small dollops of your mixture into trays to freeze. These also work well as hot weather training treats!
Savory Treats
If you are leaning more towards the savory side, there are still many options available. You can add things such as broth without salt, dog-friendly vegetables, and unseasoned cooked meat to the tray or silicone mold.
What you'll need:
Low sodium chick stock
Vegetables such as peas, carrots and cucumbers
Directions:
Pour chicken stock into your mold or ice tray, leaving a bit of space
Chop your vegetables into the size appropriate for your mold
Add the veggies to the mold or tray
Place in freezer for a couple hours or leave overnight
Interactive Treats
You can also take your doggy popsicles to the next level by making them an interactive treat. You can get a larger silicone mold of your choice then place water-safe toys or other items inside. Then fill with water and put on a cookie sheet before putting it in the freezer. The next day, take the treat out of the mold and then your dog will have a toy that can keep them occupied for hours. However, it is probably a good idea to have them play outside, because the popsicle can get a bit messy!
If you want more ideas for recipes to try out, you should check out these articles at dogingtonpost.com and rover.com.
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References: WholeDogJournal, Dogster
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