Did You Know There's Ice Cream Just for Dogs?

Surely you’ve been tempted more than once to share your ice cream with your dog. Even if it’s just to see that little cute face they make when they get a treat. Unfortunately for them, you may often decide not to share it with them to keep them from getting sick.

So, the good news is, you can make ice cream just for them using ingredients that are quite suitable for your animal. That way there’ll be a sweet treat for everyone to enjoy after a meal!

You may wonder how ice cream can be allowed for dogs? Wonder no more; the real problem with feeding ice cream to your dog is that most of the commercial versions out there contain a variety of ingredients that could be harmful to a dog.

Because your furry friend most likely wants to eat e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g you consume, you may often wonder when it’s a good idea to share your food and when it isn’t.

Ice cream for dogs

Ice cream for dogs is definitely a good idea as long as the frozen treat is specifically designed for the animal. Remember, the commercial desserts that humans eat are not healthy for pets (they’re not healthy for us either, but that belongs in a different blog).

If you share your store-bought ice cream with your dog, it may lead to diarrhea, vomiting and even an increase in their blood sugar levels. These symptoms may appear even if the dog eats a tiny spoonful. No, commercial ice cream isn’t a good idea due to the number of extra ingredients it contains.

On the contrary, ice cream that’s suitable for dogs won’t just delight their palate, but it’ll also be an excellent reward for them. A special treat to praise them for their excellent behavior or just as a refreshing all-natural treat during a hot summer day. It will for sure help them stay cool, entertained and joyful. Who could ask for anything more!

Ice cream recipes for dogs

In the end, the best option we dog-lovers have is to make special desserts just for our best furry friends. Some of these recipes are quite healthy and dogs can eat them without any health concerns. Do, however, mind the portions you give out.

Also, you should know that frozen foods may be too much in specific circumstances. Especially if they eat too much of it or too fast. Let them eat little by little and try to teach them to do so slowly, lick by lick. Here are some wonderful homemade recipes that your dog will surely love:

Frozen yogurt

Needless to say, the yogurt must be plain and contain no sugar or any other added ingredients. Be wary of fake yogurts, most commercial brands out there contain everything except yogurt. An authentic one should only contain whole milk and live bacterial cultures.

Making this treat is as simple as placing a jar of yogurt in the freezer. Let it freeze for at least two hours and then it’ll be ready to consume.

If you don’t want to feed so much yogurt to your dog (for whatever reason) you can dilute it with water (in equal parts) and process it in the blender. The freezing process remains the same. If your dog isn’t allergic to cinnamon then you may add a pinch of it to enhance the flavor.

Frozen fruit

Fruits are great for dogs, even though it seems to be a secret. In order to make a fruit ice cream, you’ll need some natural yogurt and the fruit of your choice that’s suitable for pets. For example, you can use apples, pears, strawberries, peaches, and blackberries.

You may use yogurt as it is or diluted with water. Further, cut the fruit into cubes or slices and mix it all well before freezing it.

Cookie ice cream

This one you can’t really share with your pet (unless you like dog cookies) which is what we recommend you use in this recipe. Stay away from commercial cookies and from any that contain preservatives or sugars. Cut the cookies into very small pieces and mix them with yogurt. Again, whether it’s whole or diluted, it’s up to you.

Chicken

Last, but not least, there’s nothing written in ice in regards to ice cream having to always be sweet. In fact, your dog will love this recipe because most dogs love chicken. So, all you need here is chicken broth and shredded or cubed chicken.

If it’s cooked then use only the meat and don’t include the bones. Let it cool down and then place it in the freezer for a couple of hours, at least.

As a final bonus, dogs love uncooked, frozen chicken feet. The best part is these are packed with collagen. This is an ingredient that provides strength to bones, ligaments, tendons, and also promotes the proper healing of wounds.

Finally, if you have any reservations about feeding frozen things to your dog (unlucky them) then at least fill their water container with cold water during hot days.