National Dog Day is August 26th! And it’s also the dog days of summer. This season is long, hot, and simply begging for a nice, icy treat to help you and your pup cool off together.
You’ve likely seen dog-friendly ice creams hitting the stands at pet stores, groceries, and even a speciality creamery or two. But you can create your own healthy, dog- and human-approved warm-weather treats at home and on the cheap.
The best part? These ideas are about as low-waste as you can get, meaning you can bypass the landfill entirely. The even best-er part? Sharing these sweet treats with your canine bestie!
The Classic Pup-sicle
Mash up a fresh banana in a small- or medium-sized bowl. Mix in a spoonful of peanut butter, and mash together until combined. Spoon your nutty banana concoction into a reusable popsicle mold, ice tray, or a cleaned-out ice cream container (or the plastic cup you grabbed from a restaurant when you forgot your reusable water bottle.) Let freeze, press the pup-sicles out of the molds, and then let the licking commence!
Mini Medallions
For an even simpler treat, you can simply freeze a banana as-is and chop into medallions. Sometimes, chopping a frozen banana can get a little dicey; you can also slice the banana beforehand and freeze spread out on a nonstick tray or a slice of parchment paper. Yes, using parchment paper would mean this recipe isn’t quite zero waste, but you can always reuse that parchment piece for a human-friendly baking project later the same day – perhaps banana bread?
If you and your pup aren’t quite feeling bananas over bananas, that’s okay – you can also make frozen medallions out of cucumbers! They’re canine-friendly, chock-full of vitamins, and refreshingly hydrating on a warm day.
Festive Frozen Fruit Salad
There are a number of fan-favorite fruits that are vet-approved for dogs in moderation: watermelon, pineapple, strawberries, apples, blueberries, and peaches! Just be sure to make your home a choking-free zone by chopping the fruits into bite-size chunks and removing any seeds, pits, or rinds. You can serve your pup a mini fruit salad at room temp, or pop the bites into the freezer for an extra special cool-down.
A Word on Safety…
We all know that chocolate is toxic for dogs, but did you know that raisins (and their pre-dehydrated counterpart, the grape), cherries, avocados, citrus fruits, and sugary dried fruits can all be dangerous for canines? You can learn more about foods to avoid here. Fruit can be a fun bonding agent for you and your canine companion, but even the non-toxic varieties should still be saved for special occasions and served up in moderation, due to their high sugar content.
And remember: just because a piece of human food is dog-safe, doesn’t mean it’s also cat-safe. Cats have different dietary needs and restrictions than dogs. If you’re looking to slice up some fruit the whole menagerie can enjoy, we recommend a little bit of cantaloupe or a few blueberries.
Does your dog have any favorite warm-weather treats or traditions? We’d love to hear about them! Send us your dog stories at LAStormwater@LACity.org.
