With the dog days of summer upon us, there aren’t many things more refreshing than cooling down with a popsicle. Dogs also love frozen treats, but many traditional popsicles — store‐bought or homemade — are either high in sugar or contain ingredients that are dangerous to dogs.

Ingredients to be mindful of avoiding when creating your own homemade dog popsicles include (but are not limited to) fruit juices (which are naturally high in sugar or are sweetened with artificial sweeteners like xylitol), grapes, raisins, and chocolate.

Homemade Dog Popsicle Ideas

All you’ll need is a blender, silicone trays or ice cube trays, and a few ingredients you likely already have around the house. Here are some ideas to try.

• Frozen fresh fruit. Simply freeze fresh fruit such as watermelon pieces.
• Pureed watermelon. Puree seedless watermelon in a blender and freeze in an ice cube tray.
• Peanut butter and banana. Mash or puree a banana and top with natural peanut butter (make sure it does not contain artificial sweeteners like xylitol) and freeze.
• Canned pumpkin. Freeze canned pumpkin into fun pet-inspired shapes.
• Greek yogurt. Mix unsweetened Greek yogurt with blueberries and freeze. 
• Broth. Freeze low-sodium or no-salt-added chicken or beef broth. Add in a freeze-dried liver treat or cooked carrot pieces.
• Smoothie. Blend together your favorite fruits with water or yogurt and freeze.

Be sure to avoid using popsicle sticks as they can be ingested and cause damage or blockage in your dog’s intestinal tract. 

This article contains recipe information that is considered suitable for pets. However, not all pets can tolerate different foods — it depends on their age, health history, and health conditions. It is important to consult with your veterinarian before feeding your pet any new foods or offering your pet any of the ingredients contained in this recipe.