Just like us, pets can easily overheat and become dehydrated with outdoor activity in the summer. Hot humid days can turn your usual walk into a tongue-lolling drain that may be difficult to recover from. Even without activity, simply being left out in a hot backyard can quickly lead to heat exhaustion. Poor air quality days from forest fires or trapped city smog can quickly compound the issue since your dog cools themselves by panting, so if they can’t catch their breath, they can get into trouble fast.
You can help keep your dog comfortable during hot weather in a number of ways:
- Keep them indoors during peak midday heat and try to get their exercise in during early mornings or evenings with cooler temps
- Add ice to their water bowl throughout the day
- Invest in a cooling mat or cooling towel they can wear around their neck
- Serve them frozen treats as snacks, such as Pupsicles or throw a marrow bone or a Kong filled with peanut butter and treats into the freezer overnight.
Along with exposure to the elements while spending time outdoors, summertime introduces various other vulnerabilities to our furry companions. Both urban and natural settings present numerous opportunities for digestive upset such as drinking contaminated water, eating irritating vegetation, exposure to chemicals, contact with feces and so on. You can help boost your dog’s immune health by including probiotics in their diet. Small amounts of soured Kombucha in their food or water is a great way to introduce some beneficial bacteria into their diets to help regulate digestion and ward off some of the nasty stuff they are constantly coming into contact with.
This Pupsicle Dog Treat is an ideal recipe for both it’s cooling and digestive benefits. The bone broth and pumpkin are soothing and nourishing, the papaya is filled with digestive enzymes, and the Kombucha vinegar packs a nutritive, probiotic punch. Best of all, it’s super easy to make!
Ingredients for Frozen Dog Treats
- 1/4 cup (soured) Kombucha vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken bone broth
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/4 cup papaya chunks
Directions
- In a blender, purée fruit chunks, pumpkin, and broth until smooth. Add in Kombucha vinegar and stir in on a slow setting. Pour into an ice cube tray or another mold. Makes approximately 1 ice cube tray of Pupsicles.
- Please serve to your pet while supervised to avoid the risk of choking. This is best enjoyed outdoors or on a towel for easy cleanup!
For other variations, try other flavours such as watermelon, blueberry, yogurt, peanut butter, banana, or whatever your dog may prefer. These are dog treats your dog will love!
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