Fun PUP-cicle Recipes for the Summer!!

Dogs are people too and they should have some goodies for the summer holidays too! We have been graced with some insanely hot weather and nothing cools you off like an ice cold treat from the freezer.

via Giphy.com

As I was sitting under the shade of our oak tree out back, my Akita mix Knightly eyed the double scoop of raspberry cheesecake gelato I was eating. He quietly begged with his cute little brown eyes until I told him to knock it off. With a sad doggy sigh, he stood up and flopped down so I could see how disappointed he was.

Hello, my name is Knightly and will eat literally anything in front of me!

Then it hit me… Why shouldn’t he have his own tasty snacks? When I was a wee one I always used to make special dishes for my pets. Lately Knightly has been spoiled with my random creations so often he runs to the freezer now whenever someone opens it. Check it out Steem, I’m sharing a few of my dog-friendly “pupsicles!”

THE MATERIALS

Making frozen dog treats is pretty straight forward. You will just need a mold of some kind to pour your mixture into. I recommend using silicone ice tray or candy molds; it's easier to remove the treats from. You also want to make sure you choose a size large enough so your dog won’t choke. Knightly is one of those dogs that tries to swallow his treats in one bite, so usually I make his pupsicles quite bulky to force him to actually chew.

See, no need to get fancy. Any old tray will do.

If you want to make a more realistic traditional popsicle, please don’t use a stick. Instead opt for an edible “stick” by using a thin rolled up rawhide chew, carrot sticks sliced from a whole carrot or even raw pasta.

For nearly all these recipes you will be using some sort of homemade broth made from beef or chicken. Bone broth made from scratch is best. I do not advise using store-bought broths as they usually contain way too much salt and fat and sometimes the preservatives could upset your dog’s health.

RECIPE #1: CHICKEN CHILLERS

1 pound or less of raw chicken feet
1-2 large chicken thighs or breasts (with the bone)
6 cups of water
Ice tray (s) of your choice
Crockpot (optional)

1. add water to pot along with the chicken feet, thighs or breasts
2. heat the chicken for at least 3-4 hours on a medium-low heat *
3. when meat is sliding off the bone, it is ready
4. strain out the bones and chicken feet; you may have to tear the meat off the bones so that they are in small chunks
5. allow the broth to cool for 30 minutes—broth may congeal as it cools… this is normal
6. stir the mixture and begin pouring it into the molds
7. freeze overnight
8. *ALTERNATIVELY, you can use a crock pot to make broth; simply add ingredients and set pot on “high” for 4 hours.

RECIPE #2 PEANUT BUTTER PIPE BOMBS

2-3 large whole carrots
1 butter knife
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 sharp knife
Plastic wrap or aluminum foil
1 apple corer or corkscrew (optional)

I know what you're thinking... purple carrots exist?

1. Clean and rinse your carrots, then chop of the green stalk and about ¼ inch of the skinny tip
2. Using your sharp knife, bore a hole into the center of one end of the thick end of each carrot; the goal is to make the center hollow and large enough for your pinky to be inserted into the hole.
   a. *you could use the corer or the corkscrew for this *
3. Warm the peanut butter in the microwave (about 10 seconds or less) to soften it so it’s a little runny
4. With the butter knife, scrape the peanut butter into the hollow opening until the carrots are completely filled.
5. Smear any leftover peanut butter all over the outside of each carrot
6. Wrap the individual carrots in plastic or aluminum foil
7. Allow to freeze overnight

RECIPE #3 COOKIE CRUMBLE [not actual cookies]

1 cup of your dog’s favorite crunchy treats (crushed into chunks)
1/4 shredded Beggin Strips
2-3 ice trays/molds
3 cups of beef bone broth; I recommend this one just don’t add onions they are toxic to dogs and leave out seasonings
A crock pot

1. After making your bone broth, crush up 1 cup’s worth of your dog’s favorite dry treats and shred the Beggin Strips—set them aside
2. Add a few chunks of crushed treats and Beggin Strips to each section
3. Pour the broth into the ice trays/molds; be careful NOT to overfill each section
4. Place in the freezer over night

RECIPE #4 YOU’RE THE WURST POPS

It looks gross but you pooch will love it!

½ pound of chicken liver (or beef)
2 cups of water
1-2 Ice Pop trays
Clothes pin for your nose because liver smells like a rotting corpse making love to a garbage dump!

1. Fill a small pot with the water and heat to a boil
2. Rinse the livers in a strainer to wash off excess blood
3. Carefully add liver to boiling water and reduced heat to medium; boil for 20 minutes
4. Remove livers and allow the water to cool down
5. Chop liver into small bite-sized pieces
6. Add a few pieces of liver to each section of ice pop tray; when water is cool pour it over the liver and fill about 75% way up
7. Add thin raw hide for a stick

These are just a few ideas you can whip together. You can get crazy and put whatever your dog likes. If you aren’t sure if a particular food item is safe, you can always call your veterinarian.

Stay cool out there Steem!