Dog Food Treats

Our family includes a wonderful dog, who is unfortunately allergic to EVERYTHING. Yes, just about everything. We know for sure that he can't eat any grains, poultry, dairy, or eggs. We keep him on a very strict diet of fish and sweet potatoes! With the exception of his allergies, he is the best dog for our family! He fits in perfectly with our active, athletic family and he is always up for an adventure with us. We just have to be sure that we plan in advance to have foods and treats that he can eat, too.

We live in central Florida, where it's hot, hot, hot and humid - all year round! We don't mind, but sometimes it gets to be a bit much for our pup. When I was grocery shopping, I saw some frozen dog treats and thought, "Wow, he'd love those!" But of course, reading the ingredients label made it clear that he couldn't have them. I started thinking, how can I create a treat for our dog on hot days that incorporates food he already has. I decided to just make frozen treats with the food that he already has. In just a few easy steps, I created a cool treat for our dog that he loves and that I know is safe for him to eat.

This requires a quality food processor, as dry dog food can be very hard.

1. Place about a 1/2 cup of dry dog food into the food processor.
2. Add about a 1/2 cup of water.
3. Blend in food processor until a creamy texture is achieved, adding more water, as necessary.

We use Taste of the Wild Dog Food, Pacific Stream Canine Formula, since our pup seems to do well on it. Any dry dog food would work, though. You could also use a wet food, but then you'd need much less of the water.

Step 2 is as simple as it sounds. Scoop or spoon the dog food/water mixture into an ice cube tray. Place filled trays into the freezer and allow to freeze for at least 3 hours.

When the dog treats are fully frozen, take them out of the ice cube trays. Take the treats outside and let your dog enjoy them!

We put a few in a bowl while we're playing or doing yard work outside on hot days. Our dog really seems to enjoy having a cool treat on a hot day! We feel good knowing that we won't have an allergy flare-up later in the day and that the frozen treats are helping to keep our dog from overheating.

We didn't have to buy any special ingredients or spend any extra money. Our dog is happy and so are we. Win, win!