Alongside plenty of clean, fresh water, these fun, tempting treats not only help keep your pet cool and hydrated – they also provide lots of entertainment! Remember, just like any treat, chews or toys, it’s always best to supervise your pets when giving them their frozen goodies, to keep your four-legged friends safe!
With all treats, it’s important not to give too many as sudden changes in diets can lead to stomach upsets – and remember that they all add to your pet’s daily calories, so you might need to cut out some food from their usual diet.
A treat for all pets to enjoy!
1. Ice 'n' easy
Perfect for all pets, this simple hack will provide your pet with a cool, refreshing drink all day long!
What you’ll need:
- A bowl of water – we told you it was easy!
Grab a bowl, fill it three-quarters full with water and place in the freezer overnight. Put it beside your pet’s regular water bowl, and as the ice melts, they’ll have a second bowl of cool water to enjoy during the day!
Hydrating summer snacks for doggies
2. Banana-berry frosties
A simply delicious, lickable treat to keep you doggy as cool as ice.
What you’ll need:
- Mashed banana
- Chopped berries
- Water (optional)
- Ice cube tray
Mix together the mashed bananas and chopped berries to make a puree. Take an ice cube tray and fill each cube with the puree mix. You might want to add some water into the mix to reduce the calories in each cube – especially if your dog is a small breed or on a weight loss plan. Place in a freezer overnight and you’ll be left with an ice cool snack!
3. Chicken pupsicles
A delicious doggy popsicle that your pooch won’t be able to resist!
What you’ll need:
- Chopped, cooked chicken
- Pureed or mashed fruit (apple or banana work well)
- Your dog’s normal food
- Water
- Bone-shaped dog biscuits
- Popsicle mould
Mix the cooked, chopped chicken with some pureed fruit, some of your dog’s normal food and a little bit of water. Pour the mixture into the popsicle moulds, and push a bone-shaped dog biscuit in the top to use as a handle. Put them in the freezer overnight to create delicious pupsicles for your pampered pooch!
4. Peanut butter chilly time
A fun and simple treat for your dog’s puzzle feeder to keep them cool and entertained on a hot summer’s day.
What you’ll need:
- Peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t contain xylitol, as it’s toxic for doggies!)
- Your pup’s favourite puzzle toy
Take a spoon of peanut butter (only a small one because it’s high in calories!), and scoop it inside your dog’s favourite puzzle toy. You can add some soaked dog biscuits in the top for an extra challenge! Pop it in the freezer and by morning your pooch with have a fun treat to keep them cool.
Tasty snacks for feline friends
5. Moggie morsels
Keep your cat happy and hydrated by making frozen patties with their favourite wet food!
What you’ll need:
- Your cats normal wet food
- Catnip (optional)
Scoop your cat’s favourite wet food into an ice cube tray, and place in the freezer overnight. Encourage your cat to engage in their cool treat, by adding a sprinkle of catnip on top as an extra treat! This is a great treat for cats that are on a weight loss plan as you can use this fun and tasty snack as part of their food allowance.
6. Tuna-tastic freeze-pops
There’s no denying that kitties love their tuna. These tasty, cool tuna freeze-pops will provide endless fun for your furry friend!
What you’ll need:
- A tin of tuna in spring water (not brine or oil)
- Ice cube tray
- Bowl
Pour the fresh spring water from a tin of tuna into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once frozen, pop the ice cubes in a shallow bowl of water, and watch your cat play with the frozen fishy cubes! You could even try using a fishy shaped ice cube tray for extra entertainment!
Don’t forget, the calories your cat gains when they eat a can of tuna eaten is the equivalent of a human eating 35 chicken nuggets! It’s a good idea to make the tray of ice treats last for a few weeks.
Yummy cooling treats for small pets
7. Veg-tastic
Frozen veggies make for a cheap and simple tasty treat for your small, furry friends!
What you’ll need:
- Chunks of carrot, broccoli or banana
Simply cut your veggie of choice as you normally would for your small pet, but instead pop it into the freezer first. Once frozen, place it in your small pet’s home and watch them cool down as they munch away! This treat is also great for doggies who need to watch their weight.
8. Green smoothie
Your veggie-loving small pet won’t able to resist this yummy, refreshing pet-safe smoothie.
What you’ll need:
- Kale
- Watermelon
- Ice cubes
Whizz up some kale, watermelon and ice cubes until it turns into a slushie. Pour into a bowl and share with your furry friends! Why not get creative with other pet-safe fruits and veggies? Use your pets’ favourite veggies for an extra tasty treat!
Take a look at our information about keeping your dog, cat, guinea pig or rabbit cool.