How to Make Easy and Healthy Frozen Dog Treats
Bella at 8 months. Always in a perfect sit for a cool meat treat. It happens to be over 100 degrees when this was taken. The perfect snack for a hot day!
Frozen Treats for Teething Puppies
My sweet little six-month-old Shepherd mix just turned on me. But I know she doesn’t mean it. Wasn't it just yesterday when she was ten weeks old? Fragile, gentle, and always eager to please, with those floppy ears and big brown eyes lined in perfect black eyeliner. But infancy never lasts long with puppies.
My sweet baby Bella has been replaced by a rapidly growing adolescent, full of puppy spunk and what feels like teenage angst. The trifecta of barking, yapping, and chewing. It’s repetitive and constant, but not entirely her fault. I have a teething puppy on my hands.
Much like humans, puppies lose teeth for several months, off and on. It’s often painful and uncomfortable. Most puppies have their full set of adult teeth by approximately eight months. During this time, puppies want to chew to alleviate the pain and to loosen their baby teeth.
How to Help a Teething Puppy
These liver cubes will please any puppy or adult dog. They will keep your pup busy for (maybe) a few minutes. They are cheap, healthy, and very easy to make. Bella absolutely loves them.
Ice cubes are safe for puppies and dogs. My four-year-old Shepherd mix loves them, too.
There are endless variations to these treats! Shown here with carrots, sweet potatoes, egg shells and gizzards.
Organ Meat Is Good for Dogs
Of course, you could make these vegetarian. But why? Small amounts of organ meat is good for dogs! Liver, for example, has Vitamin A, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus, protein, B vitamins, and Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids—all of which are excellent for your dog! Chicken gizzards have protein, iron, minerals, vitamins C, E, and B, and they contain glucosamine which helps with arthritis problems. Your dog will love organ meats and get healthier in the process.
It is important to remember that organ meat should be fed in moderation. Too much liver is harmful to both dogs and humans, and you can actually cause an overdose of Vitamin A. The general feeding guideline for feeding liver is as follows:
- Small breed: twice a week
- Medium breed: four times a week
- Large breed: six times a week.
I feed all organ meats in moderation and plump my cubes mostly with sweet potatoes, organic eggs, and/or carrots. Each of my frozen liver cubes contains only a small amount of liver, so the above guideline can be increased. Use your own judgment here based on the size of your dog and the amount of liver used.
A word on organic: it is pretty important to at least consider buying organic organ meats. The organs, particularly the liver, process harmful toxins from the body. Do your dog a favor and make sure there are no hormones or antibiotics in his organ meat.
Carrot and Liver discs and cubes.
Sweet Potato and Chicken Liver Cubes shown here in two different shapes using ice cube trays and popsicle trays.
Change the Ingredients to Keep Your Dogs Interested!
You can use any combination of ingredients for these. There are many human foods that are beneficial to your dog’s health. Sweet potatoes, carrots, liver, and gizzards are just a few examples.
Use any type of molds. I make discs with old Tupperware dishes for outside fun. I use small cubes with ice trays for bedtime and the crate. I also use popsicle-sized ones for afternoon snacks.
My 4 year old shepherd mix, Zonix, gently taking his treat from my hand.
Recipe
| Prep time | Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
10 min | 20 min | 30 min | Makes 24–36 ice cubes (2–3 ice cube trays) |
Ingredients
- 4 cups Water
- 1 Sweet Potato
- 3/4 pound Organic Chicken Liver
Instructions
- Chop sweet potato into cubes. Place in a medium saucepan. Cover with at least one inch of water (the more water, the more ice cubes you'll make). Boil for 10–15 minutes until soft. Mash slightly with a potato masher.
- Carefully add liver to boiling water. Bring back to a boil. Turn off the heat. Cover. Let sit for five minutes.
- Remove the lid. Using the potato masher, mash liver potato mixture slightly. Remove from heat completely. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon chunks into ice cube trays. Be careful to place some chunks into each cube, filing each tray approximately halfway. Then, using a ladle, spoon the broth into the trays over the chunks. Carefully place in the freezer until solid. Then pop them out and go and play with your dog!
Sources
- The Daily Puppy
- Vet Info: The Benefits of Liver for Dogs
This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
© 2013 Robyn D Bera
Comments
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Robyn D Bera (author) from California on July 01, 2013:
I'm so glad your dogs liked the treats, GenieMom.
Genie Mom on July 01, 2013:
I just made these for my dogs and they love them.
Robyn D Bera (author) from California on June 30, 2013:
Great Doglover! Thanks for stopping by. I'm hope your dogs enjoy their treats!
DogLover on June 30, 2013:
What a great idea! My dogs are roasting in this heat and I was trying to find a cheap, simple way to cool them down. Looks like I've found it. I have all these ingredients at home and I will make them tonight!
Thelma Alberts from Germany on June 27, 2013:
This is a great idea for my dog Angus. I´m sure he will love it. Thanks for sharing. I´ll try this soon;-)
Emily Scott from Clovis CA on June 10, 2013:
Very nice enrichment idea. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to more of your hubs!
Robyn D Bera (author) from California on June 07, 2013:
They will LOVE them. We just hit 100 degrees here in California so I've been making lots of cubes, discs and popsicles! Thanks for stopping by.
sckeith on June 07, 2013:
Great idea. I can't wait to try this for my pups.
Robyn D Bera (author) from California on April 13, 2013:
Thank you thank you for your comment and feedback as I am new to Hubpages. Yes, my 4 year old dog loves them too. I make saucers in old Tupperware dishes and can get a couple tosses of Frisbee in before he starts chewing it up.
Mary Craig from New York on April 13, 2013:
What a great idea, not just for teething puppies but for all dogs that like to chew! Your Bella is adorable and your step-by-step photos are very useful.
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
