Welcome to the “Dog Days of Summer”…how are you and your pets holding up? If you’re like the rest of us, you’re probably finding yourself in a constant search for places to cool off and icy cold treats to eat. And what could be better on these blistering days of summer than a delicious ice cream treat?
Did you know that July 21 is “National Ice Cream Day”? And, while we never want to leave our doggos out, ice cream made for humans just isn’t the best thing for our pooches. For starters, according to the American Kennel Club, most dogs aren’t equipped to digest cow’s milk in even moderate amounts. Feeding your dog too much milk can cause bloating, diarrhea, constipation and other digestive distress.
Also, many ice creams made for humans contain ingredients that are downright harmful to dogs. Chocolate can be toxic to dogs, as can Xylitol, a sugar replacement often found in lower-calorie ice creams.
The good news is that it’s ridiculously easy to make ice cream for your dog that is, not only good for him, but also rather tasty! (Yeah, go ahead and try it yourself–all of these recipes are human-tested and dog approved!) You’ll notice that all of the recipes below contain yogurt, which is considered better and easier for dogs to digest, since it is fermented and contains less lactose..
So, without further ado, here are three dog ice cream recipes that are sure to knock your dog’s socks off!
“Frosty Paws” Taste-A-Like Ice Cream (adapted from Food With Feeling)
⅓ Cup of peanut butter
(Note: PLEASE make sure the peanut butter doesn’t contain Xylitol, which can be deadly to dogs. The more natural the peanut butter, the better.)
16 oz of plain yogurt
1 ripe banana
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or popsicle molds and freeze for several hours until hard.
Carob Chip Ice Cream (adapted from The Dogington Post)
⅓ Cup Carob Chips
12 oz plain yogurt
1 tablespoon of honey
Mix ingredients in a bowl or blender until combined and then freeze in ice cube trays for perfectly portioned ice cream treats
Pumpkin Peanut Butter Doggie Ice Cream (adapted from Fake Ginger)
32 oz plain, whole milk yogurt
½ cup pureed pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling–too much sugar!)
2 tablespoons of all natural peanut butter–no sugar added (see above note about Xylitol)
2 tablespoons honey
In a large mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, peanut butter, and honey (Fake Ginger recommends slightly warming honey and peanut butter to make them easier to blend). Fold in yogurt. Freeze in portioned containers for several hours. Enjoy!
If you have children at home, get them involved in making ice cream for your favorite four-legged family members. Using a recipe is a great lesson in reading, math, and a lesson in healthy eating that extends to our pets. Enjoy these treats and be sure to tag Dog Friendly San Antonio with photos of your dogs enjoying their frosty treats this summer!
Where Can You Buy Dog Ice Cream?
Looking to buy some dog ice cream instead of making it at home? Word on the street is that you can buy some at these stores:
- Target
- Petco
- Petsmart
- Walmart
Find more doggone good ideas for your pup below
