When the weather hots up, it’s really important to keep our dogs cool and hydrated.
Dogs pant to get rid of excess body heat, and when they pant, they also lose water. We need to make sure our dogs are replacing the lost fluids, so they don’t become dehydrated.
Ensure your dog has access to water in every room, and keep the water fresh and topped up. It’s completely safe to add ice cubes to your dog’s water bowl, and it may even encourage them to drink. <link to bowls>
Frozen dog treats are a tasty way to encourage your dog to stay hydrated in hot weather while also preventing them from wolfing down too much water in one go.
Can a dog drink too much water?
Yes. If a dog rapidly drinks too much water in one go, they can suffer from water intoxication. While the problem mainly occurs in dogs who have swallowed too much water while swimming or retrieving balls in water, it can also happen if your dog drinks a lot of water to cool down.
When the weather is hot, it’s best to refrain from exercise for your dog and opt for mental stimulation, and low intensity shaded walks if temperatures allow.
If your dog is panting after exercise and needs to cool down, then offer water in moderation and encourage them to relax in a shaded or air-conditioned area to help bring their temperature down. You can also wet your dog with water to help them cool off.
If your dog shows symptoms of overheating, such as excessive panting, drooling, or difficulty breathing, then seek immediate veterinary advice.
How do you know if your dog is dehydrated?
Loss of skin elasticity, dry gums, lethargy, and a dry nose are all potential signs that your dog is becoming dehydrated.
A simple test you can do yourself to test your dog’s hydration levels is to pinch the skin on your dog’s neck and let go. Then, watch to see how quickly your dog’s skin springs back into place. A well-hydrated dog’s skin will almost instantly fall back to its original position.
7 easy frozen dog treat recipes
Frozen dog treats help keep your dog hydrated while also preventing them from swallowing too much water at once.
Using enrichment feeders to freeze your dog treats can also incorporate some mental stimulation which will also help entertain your dog when they’re unable to enjoy their usual daily exercise.
We all know that British weather is highly unpredictable, so we recommend making up a batch of frozen dog treats in advance so that you’re prepared when the weather takes a turn for the better!
You can use a Kong, Lickimat, or an ice cube mold for all of our delicious British summer dog treats.
Pawberry Coulis
Whip up some pawberry coulis to drizzle atop your dog’s ice cream and delicious dessert treats.
Ingredients: Berries of your choice, strawberries or blueberries are our favourites, coconut oil
Method:
Dice your strawberries and stew slowly on the stove with a teaspoon of coconut oil
Add water as needed
Leave to cool
Pawfect strawberries and cream
What better British summer treat than some strawberries and cream?
Ingredients: Strawberries and plain yoghurt
Method:
Fill a Kong, Lickimat, or ice cube molds with chopped-up strawberries and plain yoghurt and simply put them in the freezer.
Drizzle with pawberry coulis for an extra treat.
Pooch Pimms - a refreshing puppy fruit cup
Swap out your traditional alcoholic Pimms for chicken broth, and this is a delightful summer treat your dog is going to love!
Ingredients: Low sodium chicken broth, strawberries, apples, blueberries, and cucumber.
Method:
Prepare low sodium chicken broth and leave to cool
Dice up strawberries, apple, and cucumber, removing the seeds and core from the apple
Pour your stock onto a Lickimat or into an ice cube mold and sprinkle your fruit inside for a delicious puppy fruit cup.
Pupton Mess
A spin on the traditional Eton Mess to get your pup’s mouth-watering.
Ingredients: Plain yoghurt, Strawberries, and Crushed dog biscuits
Method:
Wash and chop your strawberries
Crush your dog biscuits
Mix your yoghurt, strawberries, and crushed biscuit in a bowl
Pour your mixture into a Kong, Lickimat, or mold
Drizzle with Pawberry Coulis and freeze
If you’d like to take it up a notch and add doggy meringues, then check out this recipe.
Healthy Dog Ice Cream
What summer’s day is complete without ice cream? Your dog can also indulge in some homemade healthy ice cream to cool off with this easy recipe.
Ingredients: Plain Yoghurt, mashed banana, xylitol-free peanut butter.
Method:
Chop a ripe banana and add to your blender
Add peanut butter and plain yoghurt
Blitz and until smooth
Pour into your Kong, Lickimat, or mold and freeze
Fetch your pawberry coulis and some crushed dog biscuits for toppings and serve.
Summer Berry Pudding
Berries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and they’re deliciously juicy too. This simple pup-friendly summer berry recipe is sure to keep your dog hydrated on a warm summer’s day.
Ingredients: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cream cheese
Method:
Wash your fruits and toss them in the blender with a healthy dollop of cream cheese
Blitz until relatively smooth
Fill your Kong, Lickimat, or mold and freeze
Homemade Apple Pupsicles
These homemade ice lollies for dogs will keep your pup busy for a while. Of course, once your dog has devoured their pupsicle, they’ve still got a chew to enjoy.
Ingredients: low sodium chicken stock, apple, and a dog chew
Method:
Remove the core and seeds from your apple and chop into bitesize pieces
Pour your chicken stock and a handful of chopped apple into your ice lolly mold (or slow feeder)
Add a dog chew as your ice lolly stick
Freeze
We hope you’ll have fun trying out our summer frozen dog treat recipes. Tag us and share your dog’s tucking in over on Facebook and Instagram.