Six summer treats to beat the heat for your dogs

STOP! It is absolutely normal if your pooch decides to eat less. Summers mean less physical activity and hence less food intake. However, there are a number of treats that pet parents can make easily at home that may keep their pooch cool and also take the stress off their shoulders. Remember the golden word during summers is ‘frozen’.

Frozen chicken soup cubes: This is on the top of my list for most preferred items. Dogs love to play with ice and if the ice is flavoured with chicken, they devour it. Chick stock can be frozen in ice-trays along with some chicken pieces to get you frozen chicken cubes. These cubes can also be mixed with boiled rice and served as proper food.

Frozen fruit treats: Seasonal fruits like watermelon, muskmelon, apples, bananas, oranges and strawberries can make a great treat. The idea is to cut fruits into small pieces and freeze them together or separately. Do ensure that you remove all rinds, seeds and peels before feeding the treats to your dogs.

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Chaas cubes (buttermilk): Nothing beats the good old buttermilk during the summer season. Buttermilk both in ice form as a liquid is fantastic for dogs. Do ensure that you do not add any extra spices to the buttermilk. In case you do not know how to make it at home, you can purchase readymade buttermilk from the market. There are many brands that sell plain buttermilk.

Cheese pops: Before I proceed; please note that some dogs are lactose intolerant, so as a pet parent you need to ensure that your canine child does not fall in the ‘no-milk’ category. Cheese pops are both fun and healthy. Mix some chicken and chicken stock with cheese and freeze them. You pooch will love you for the awesome treat.

Yogurt mix: Unsweetened yogurt mixed with fruits can also make a great snack. Try mixing yogurt with strawberries and watermelon (without seeds) and serve them frozen to your canine child. This mixture is a good source of anti-oxidants.

Banana-Peanut buster mix: Mash banana and mix with all natural peanut butter. You can use this mixture as a stuffing for your dog’s kong toy or simply freeze it in ice-cube trays to make delicious peanut butter treats.

If you do want to make something sweet for your canine child; use honey. Honey in little quantities is good for dogs. Remember not to overdo anything, including the treats. For those you seek a treat for themselves, most of these treats can be consumed by humans…infact all of them.

Bon appétit!