Amanda Teixeira
Sun and heat can quickly become a burden for dogs. With the right diet, you can support your dog on hot days. Read here how to feed your dog properly on hot days – with recipes for dog ice cream!
Dogs can get pretty sick of the heat. Therefore, here are 5 tips that are particularly important when it comes to dog nutrition on hot days.
The dog has to drink a lot
As with us humans, the most important thing for our four-legged friends is that they drink enough liquid on hot days. An always well-filled bowl with fresh, clean water should be ready in a shady spot. If you have a garden, you can set up a second watering hole for your dog there.
Even when it is very hot, the water should not be too cold, but rather lukewarm. If you are concerned that your dog is not drinking enough, you can soak his dry food in lukewarm water about 10 minutes before feeding. Some water can also be added to wet food or self-prepared rations.
Feed change before the holiday
It is not always logistically possible to take your dog’s favorite food with you on holiday. If you want to switch to dry food that is easy to transport during the holidays or to food that is also available at the holiday destination, you should start changing the food a few weeks before you travel.
A gradual changeover is recommended for sensitive dogs: First add a small proportion of the new food to the usual food (e.g. a quarter of the total ration). Increase the proportion every 2-3 days (e.g. to two, then three and finally four quarters of the total ration). If you don’t want to mix the various foods, you can also feed them in several portions throughout the day.
Storage of dog food
When temperatures are high, the correct storage and cooling of dog food is particularly important. With raw meat, you should make sure that the cold chain is not interrupted. BARF food should therefore only be bought from trustworthy retailers, especially in summer! Canned food must also be protected from the effects of heat. At temperatures above 32 °C not only nutrients are destroyed, the feed can go bad. Dry food should be stored as cool as possible in an airtight box and protected from moisture and moisture, otherwise there is a risk of mold forming.
Bowl hygiene
Great heat is the preferred climate for many bacteria and germs. So that the dog’s drinking and feeding places do not become the new favorite location of the unwelcome protozoa, the bowls must be cleaned thoroughly every day:
Stale drinking water should be replaced with fresh water every few hours.
Bowls made of stainless steel or ceramic are easier to clean and therefore usually more hygienic than plastic bowls.
If your dog does not (completely) eat his food, the leftovers of wet food and home-prepared food should either be discarded or kept in the refrigerator until the next meal.
Even when it is very hot, do not serve the food directly from the fridge, but at room temperature!
Not hungry in the heat?
Does your dog have little appetite when the temperature is high? He’s no different than a lot of people. Most dogs are less active during the day in the summer than in the cooler months, so energy expenditure also goes down. As long as your dog is maintaining his weight, there is nothing to worry about. It can be helpful to shift feeding to the early morning and evening hours when it is a bit cooler. Many dogs look forward to a refreshing smoothie or ice cream on hot days.
Recipes: Make ice cream for dogs yourself
Dogs are also happy about a fruity refreshment on hot days. We’ve tracked down some foolproof ice cream, frozen yogurt, and smoothie recipes for you.
1. Recipes for dog ice cream
For a creamy dog ice cream, low-fat curd cheese or cottage cheese and natural yoghurt for frozen yoghurt are best. But you can also make a pure fruit ice cream without any creamy components. The procedure is generally the same for all types of ice cream:
- Mix the quark, yoghurt or cottage cheese (depending on the recipe) with finely chopped fruit (pitted), liver sausage or honey (depending on the recipe). You can also puree the ingredients to create a smooth mass.
- Fill the mixture into small containers, for example into small yoghurt cups or ice cube molds, depending on the desired size. You can also use extra paw-shaped containers for the eye.
- You can use an ice cream spoon or a piece of straw as a handle.
- Then into the freezer – and done! Allow to thaw slightly before feeding.
Here are a few examples of dog ice cream recipes:
Frozen yogurt with strawberries
3 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
1-2 tablespoons chopped strawberries
a few dabs of honey
Liverwurst ice cream for dogs
3 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
1-2 tablespoons of dog liver sausage
Banana Ice Cream for Dogs
3 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
1-2 tablespoons soft banana
a few dabs of honey
Watermelon Ice Cream for Dogs
For this recipe you need 200 grams of watermelon. De-seed the melon, cut into small pieces and blend/puree until smooth. Then you can also mix in some dog treats. Freeze – Done!
In principle, you can use any non-toxic fruit for your dog ice cream that your dog likes. There are no limits to your imagination.
Recipes for smoothies for dogs
Even with fruity-fresh smoothies, there are no limits to your imagination. Peel apples, bananas, raspberries, melons & Co., core, cut into small pieces, add some water or fruit juice, put in the blender and the fruity vitamin bomb for humans and dogs is ready!
Here are a few examples of dog smoothie recipes:
Apple and carrot smoothie
a peeled, cored apple
a peeled carrot
1 teaspoon of honey
approx. 50 ml carrot juice (or alternatively still water)
1 teaspoon Barley Grass Powder (if desired): a nutrient-dense superfood for humans and dogs
Raspberry Banana Smoothie
half a soft banana
a peeled, cored apple
approx. 50 g raspberries
approx. 50 ml cloudy apple juice (or alternatively still water)
If the smoothies are too thick, add a little more water.
Extra tip: You can also refine ice cream and smoothies with some dog liver sausage. This works wonders if your dog doesn’t touch the pure fruit smoothie. As an additional vitamin bomb, you can also add the smoothie to the feed.