It’s Strawberry Ice Cream Day! We have an easy strawberry dog ice cream recipe for you to make today.
Why are strawberries good for dogs?
Strawberries are a low-caloric treat that is high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C. Does your dog need to lose weight? Substituting traditional dog treats with strawberries can help your dog reach their goal weight.
How to safely feed my dog strawberries?
Strawberries should have their stems removed and cut into small pieces to help prevent choking. Smaller dogs may benefit from having strawberries blended instead of tiny pieces. Other than removing stems and small pieces you don’t have to do anything else to strawberries to make them safe for dogs. You can also try our strawberry ice cream recipe below or one of our other strawberry ice cream recipes.
Easy Strawberry Dog Ice Cream
Ingredients:
1lb of strawberries (a standard tub size)
3 – 4c low/non-fat plain yogurt
Directions:
1. Wash and remove stems from the strawberries with a knife.
2. Use a potato masher or food processor to mash/purée the strawberries.
3. Mix together your strawberry mix with the yogurt. If you want less strawberry flavor per bite, add more yogurt.
4. Spoon your mixture into silicone, food-safe molds.
5. Place the molds in the freezer and let them sit in a freezer overnight to harder.
That’s it! Did you make this recipe? Let us know @WetNosesPetSitting We’d love to see your results.
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With the holidays approaching it’s important to choose the right toys for your dog when picking out presents. This information applies year-round (since do we really need a specific reason to buy our dogs toys?) but if a family member or friend buys your dog a toy it’s good to know if that toy is right for your dog or if you should keep it out of their toy bin.
Watch the video below to learn more or continue reading.
Most importantly, dog toys should be safe, fun, and durable.
Toys to Avoid
Thankfully most toys that are made for dogs don’t include these elements but some slip through the cracks.
Sharp
Pointy
Is a string – rubber bands, ribbons, etc.
Kids toys that contain small parts
Pantyhose
Anything that could be easily swallowed and digested
If you find your dog playing with any of these things, take them away immediately. If you suspect your dog has ingested the toy call your veterinarian immediately. Toys that are sharp, string and string-like, and choking hazards can all be fatal even if not apparent right away. Intestinal blockages typically require surgery and sharp objects can tear the esophagus, stomach, or digestive track.
Now, onto picking the right toy for your dog!
Size
Toys should be just big enough for your dog to carry, not small enough for them to swallow. A good rule of thumb is if it is smaller than their snout/muzzle – the protruding portion of an animal’s face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw length[1] – they can potentially swallow it.
Dog In Blue Shirt Running On Sand by Scopio from NounProject.com
Play-style
How rough is your dog with their toys? Are they gentle and carry them around like a baby doll or do they prefer to destroy them before they even hit the ground? If your dog is more gentle you may be able to get away with giving them soft toys with squeakers such as Fluff n Tuff that aren’t marketed as extremely durable. For dogs that like to be rough, toys like KONG or Tuffy Dog Toys may be a better option as they are made for rough play. By no means are those the only dog toy brands out there. Shop around to find ones that suit your dogs play-style and preferred material/texture.
Is it edible?
This might be a weird one but we feel it’s important to touch on it. Some pet owners consider various chews to be toys. While not technically a toy if you or someone else buys your dog a chew the same rule of size and play-style apply.
If your dog is given something like a bully stick, it is important to take it away from them once it becomes the same length as their snout/muzzle or smaller. If your dog is really rough and doesn’t like to take their time on chews, it’s important to take it away from them before they finish the whole thing and get a belly ache.
With the holiday season many pet stores still promote and sell rawhide. Rawhide can be dangerous. If you dog swallows a large enough piece it can cause an obstruction which may require surgery, just as if they ate some string. Rawhide should always be given with supervision, if at all. If you are considering purchasing rawhide for a friends pet or your own, consider a safer and more easily digestible alternative such a No-Hide.
The same rules apple. Smaller than the snout/muzzle – throw it out. Monitor consumption to avoid belly aches.
Material
The material you choose will depend on your dogs play-style. You know your dog best.
For high energy dogs, toys that are made of hard rubber, KONG or RuffDawg, toys that are marketed for active/rough on toys dogs. Tug toys, such as the Super Tug are great when you are engaging in supervised play with your dog. Rope toys can easily be shredded and swallow bits of the rope, especially if left unsupervised. Finding tug toys made out of hard rubber is a bit of a challenge but there are toys out there. Tennis balls can be a great toy. If your dog likes to eat the outsides of them then this material may not be the ideal one for your dog.
For lower energy dogs, soft and plush toys may be ideal for them. There are countless brands of soft toys. Be sure to take a look at the toy aisle next time you’re at the pet store. If you are worried about stuffing there are brands out there that make stuffing free toys such as Outward Hound. Even if your dog is low energy they may still like to play with toys that are designed for high energy dogs.
Bernese Dog With Ring In Mouth by Avel Shah from NounProject.com
Mental Stimulation
For high energy dogs or dogs that may be left alone part of the day, mental stimulation may be an important factor for you. Tennis balls are fun, but they don’t provide much enrichment and stimulation. Those pet parents looking for mentally stimulating toys should check out our blog on interactive puzzle games for cats and dogs.
Rotate Dog Toys
Okay this is a bit of cheating but it works! Why bother buying more toys when you already have the right toys for your dog? If your dog is getting tired of the same toys consider swapping them out for some other ones you have. Often times, pet owners keep all of their pets toys out at once. You should only keep around 4-5 toys out at a time and rotate between sets frequently. This keeps the novelty of the toys and keeps your dog excited. An added bonus is toys won’t wear out as fast and you save money by not having to buy new toys constantly.
You picked out a toy. Now what?
Test it out! Whenever you are giving your dog a new toy make sure to supervise them. This supervision ensures you know how your dog interacts with that toy.
Congratulations!
You have successfully picked out the right toys for your dog! It’s a bit of a challenge, we know, but the reward is worth it. Nothing beats watching a happy dog play.
Let us know what your dogs favorite toy is in the comments or @WetNosesPetSitting
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Looking for creative ways to celebrate National Pumpkin Day? Here are some fun, and healthy, dog treat recipes you can make to celebrate with your pup!
REMEMBER: When buying canned pumpkin, make sure it’s plain pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling contains spices that your dog shouldn’t have. If you feel more comfortable buying a brand that was made to be consumed by cats and dogs, here are a few brands:
Ingredients
16 oz. canned pumpkin (plain pumpkin– do not use pie filling)
½ banana
¾ cup flour
½ cup oatmeal
¼ – ½ cup water
¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt
Cupcake or muffin tin
Cupcake liners
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix oatmeal and flour together in a large bowl.
3. Add enough water to get the dough to form a ball. Add water slowly, too much will make it too sticky, not enough and it will crumble
4. Line cupcake tins. Take a chunk of dough and press into bottom of cupcake liner. Dough should go up sides a bit, about a 1/2″
5. Bake crust for 8 mins, until firm and slightly brown.
6. Carefully take crusts out of the tin, cool on the rack. When cool, remove liners.
7. Mix pumpkin, banana and half of the yogurt together
8. Fill each crust with pumpkin banana mixture
9. Freeze until firm. Serve Frozen
2. Banana Pumpkin Dog Treats
Ingredients
2 Large Bananas (spotted/brown are best)
3tblsp Xylitol-Free Peanut Butter
3tblsp Coconut Oil
Directions
1. Mix bananas in a stand mixer until they are broken down but not a purée. You can also use a hand mixer or a masher.
2. Slowly combine peanut butter and coconut oil until texture is smooth. A few chunks are ok!
3. Pour into your favorite silicone mold.
4. Freeze for 3-4 hours or until firm.
3. Cranberry Pumpkin Pie Bites
Ingredients
2c Whole Wheat Flour
1c Rolled Oats
1c Whole Fresh Cranberries (Frozen works, just make sure they’re thawed)
16oz Pumpkin
1½c Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable Stock
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. If the mixture is too dry you can add some more stock.
3. Roll into 1-1½in sized balls and place on a lined cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 50 minutes.
5. Let cool and serve!
What’s your favorite pumpkin dog treat recipe? Let us know in the comments below.
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These treats are great if you’re in a warmer area where even those fall temperatures still feel hot. A perfect way to keep your dog busy with a treat while helping them cool off.
Not into making treats yourself? Consider purchasing some from one of these vendors.
There are lots of different treats out there made for Halloween each year. Check out your local pet store for seasonal bakery biscuits. Ghosts, Frankenstein’s Monster, candy corn, and witch’s hats are all popular cookie shapes this time of year.
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Want to make you dog a fun sweet potato chew for Thanksgiving? Try out these one-ingredient treats.
Ingredients
2 Sweet Potatoes
Directions
Preheat oven to 250℉
Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
Slice the sweet potatoes no thinner than ¼in thick.
Arrange the sweet potato slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 2½ – 3 hours, making sure to flip halfway. You want your chews to be shrunken and dried out. It’s okay if some pieces have a different texture than others.
Let cool and store in an air-tight container.
You can also make these in an air fryer with a bit of chicken broth.
Air-Fried Sweet Potato Dog Chews
Ingredients
2 Sweet Potatoes
2c Low or No Sodium Chicken Broth
Directions
Slice the sweet potatoes no thinner than ¼in thick.
Place sweet potato slices into a container and pour over the chicken broth. Let marinate for 3 hours or overnight. Flip periodically to make sure they get evenly coated.
Place sweet potato slices onto your air fryer tray in a single layer.
Bake at 400℉ for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to 300℉ for 5 minutes. You may need to adjust cooking times based on how thick your sweet potato slices are.
Let cool and store in an air-tight container.
What about a dehydrator?
Have a dehydrator? Place your sweet potato slices on your dehydrator for 7 – 8 hours, or until dry.
On a roll with making chews? Check out these jerky treats for cats and dogs.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, peanut butter, coconut oil, and applesauce until smooth.
Add in the turmeric, cinnamon, and coconut flour.
Let ingredients rest for 10-15minutes. If your dough is too moist, let it sit for a bit longer.
Layout a piece of parchment paper and place the dough on top. Then place another piece of parchment on top of that dough. Roll the dough between the parchment paper sandwich until the dough is about 1/4” thick.
Place dough onto a cookie sheet and let chill for 20-30 minutes.
Remove the top layer of parchment paper, and then cut using cooking cutters. You can also use something like a spice container lid for smaller, circular treats.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the cookies are dry and hard. Check on treats at around 20 minutes as these can be finicky. Let cool completely.
3. Grain-Free Veggie Packed Dog Treats
Ingredients:
⅔c Pumpkin Puree
¼c Peanut Butter
½c Applesauce
3c Almond Flour
1c Carrots, peeled and shredded
1c Baby Spinach, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, peanut butter, and applesauce until well combined.
Add in the almond flour, ½c at a time.
Add spinach and carrots. Mix until incorporated.
Roll the dough into small balls OR use cookie cutters to make fun shapes. If using cookie cutters, allow dough to chill for at least one hour before cutting.
Place treats on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes or until treats turn golden brown on the edges.
4. Tuna Yum Yums
Designed with cats in mind, Tuna Yum Yums are great for smaller dogs too.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of non-fat milk
1/2 can of tuna
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or fish oil
1 beaten egg
Optional: a teaspoon of catnip, mint, or parsley
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place parchment paper on a cookie sheet
Mash or cut the tuna into small pieces, mix in the flour and milk
Pour in water and vegetable oil, then mix well
In a separate dish, beat the egg
Mix the beaten egg into the tuna mix
Mix well, until the mix becomes dough-like
Shape the dough into small balls, about the size of blueberries, and place on the baking sheet
Cook the dough for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Stick a toothpick in to check that the treat is fully cooked
Cool for an hour before feeding to your kitty and make sure not to overindulge them.
In a small bowl, melt carob chips and peanut butter together. You can do this in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds. Stir in between each burst until melted.
In a large bowl, mix popcorn, bacon, and the carob-peanut butter mixture.
Stir slowly until the popcorn is evenly coated.
Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or until firm.
Do you want even more treats? Check out these other great recipes:
Did you make any of our dog treat recipes? Tag us @WetNosesPetSitting or #WetNosesPetSitting.
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Your cat is sure to love these tasty tuna cat treats. With only 3 ingredients they’re a snap to put together.
Ingredients:
1 Tin of Tuna in Oil
1⁄4c Dry Nonfat Milk (This is instant milk/powdered milk, you could also use KMR Kitten Milk Replacer)
½c Wheat Germ
Sprinkle of catnip (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350℉
Mix tuna, milk, wheat germ, and catnip together in a bowl.
Roll the mixture into ½tsp-sized balls.
Place balls onto a greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Flatter with a fork to give them a crinkle-top look.
Bake for 15 minutes and let cool.
Store in an airtight container.
Did you try out these tasty tuna cat treats? Let us know in the comments or @WetNosesPetSitting or #WetNosesPetSitting. We’d love to see how they turned out for you!
Strawberries are packed full of fiber and vitamin C which make this three ingredient dog friendly ice cream even better! Using Greek or coconut yogurt also makes this recipe lactose-free as well as grain-free.
Let freeze for 2-4 hours or until solid before serving.
Did you like this recipe? Why not try this quick and easy popcorn recipe as well. Or try out this other strawberry recipe.
Strawberry and Apple Ice Cream
Apples provide an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, calcium, and phosphorus. They also contain natural sugars that can be a low-calorie sweet treat by themselves.
Ingredients:
8 Strawberries
1 Peeled, cored, and chopped apple
1-2tbsp Xylitol-free Peanut Butter
Water
Directions:
Purée strawberries in a blender.
Fill your choice of silicone mold about half-way with the strawberry purée.
Purée the chopped apple, peanut butter, and a splash of water in a clean blender.
Add the apple and peanut butter mixture on top of the strawberry purée.
Let chill in the freezer for an hour before serving.
When it gets hot outside we all like to cool down with a refreshing treat and dogs are no exception. Here are a few of our favorite ice cream recipes to try and home with your dog.
1.Dog Friendly Strawberry Ice Cream
A classic strawberry ice cream recipe – for dogs! If you can use local honey that’s even better.
I love this recipe because it really isn’t ice cream which is great if your pet is lactose intolerant. Plus it’s super versatile with what you can top it with. It’s a perfect base for a dog friendly ice cream sundae.
Humans love popcorn and while it isn’t the healthiest thing for dogs, almost every dog doesn’t mind a few pieces. Here’s a quick and easy Dog Friendly Bacon Peanut Butter Popcorn recipe that you can have as well!
In a small bowl, melt carob chips and peanut butter together. You can do this in the microwave in bursts of 30 seconds. Stir in between each burst until melted.
In a large bowl, mix popcorn, bacon, and the carob-peanut butter mixture.
Stir slowly until the popcorn is evenly coated.
Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or until firm.
Remember! Carob is NOT chocolate. Do not substitute carob for chocolate chips unless only humans will be eating this. Peanut butter that contains xylitol can be deadly to dogs. Always check the ingredients label before feeding peanut butter to your dog. Looking for a dog-safe peanut butter? Check out Green Coast Pet, Pawnut Butter.
Sweet Potato Dog Chews
