4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream Recipe

This is super easy and takes about 20-25 minutes to make (not counting cooling and freezing time).
I threw it together yesterday in between doing laundry and cleaning up the breakfast mess in the kitchen.

Easy 4 Ingredient K9 Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (can substitute butternut squash, too).  Should be about 2 cups when cooked.
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (can substitute sunflower butter if your dog is allergic to peanut)
• 2-3 Tbsp. Low Sodium chicken or beef broth (can substitute water if you don't have broth)
• 2 containers plain greek yogurt (can also use vanilla, but plain is best and is less likely to contain toxic artificial sweeteners)

plain greek yogurt

steamed and lightly mashed sweet potato

natural peanut butter.

Directions:

1. If you have a saucepan with a steamer bowl, fill pan enough to steam veggies.  This is usually a couple of inches of water.  Set it on the stove and turn it on. If you don't have a steamer, you can also boil the veggies for a few minutes to soften.
2. Meanwhile, cut the sweet potato into small chunks, about 1/2 inch (or smaller if you want them to steam faster) and add to the steamer.
3. Steam chunks for about 10-15 minutes, or until pretty soft (but not totally mushy).
4. After the sweet potatoes are steamed, lightly mash them.  You don't want to puree them, you want there to still be very small chunks.
5. Let them cool.  This can take around 20 minutes (this time doesn't count against the time it takes to make the ice cream, since you can leave the sweet potatoes and go attend to something else while they cool).
6. In a medium bowl, mix the two containers of greek yogurt, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.  Add in the broth or water to thin it slightly.
7. Scoop into single serve size containers and freeze.  This makes a pretty good amount so make sure you have plenty of small containers.  I got a bunch at my local dollar store. It does take several hours to freeze and these should be only an occasional treat.

Depending on the size of your containers (and dogs!) you can get anywhere between 2-10 servings.

I would advise to use smaller containers - OR use one large container (takes longer to freeze) and then scoop out a tablespoon or two at a time for your pups.  Mine don't eat the containers, so this is a handy way to serve the ice cream.  Two of them pick up the containers and carry them out into the yard to enjoy.

a few of the containers ready for their lids and to be frozen.

Does your dog have allergies? This recipe is easy to change up and add substitutions!  I recently disocvered one of my dogs is allergic to chicken, so I can't use chicken broth.

Now, I made a version of the ice cream with 1 container greek yogurt, 1 very ripe banana, 1/2 cup peanut butter (substitute sunflower butter if allergic), and 2 cups of mashed steamed veggies (I usually use sweet potato, butternut squash, or pumpkin) but have also used beets, apples, or a mixture!  This one I just mix, pour into small containers, and freeze!

Obesity in Canines - Is Your Dog Overweight?

Obesity in dogs is a topic close to my heart.  In October 2015, we adopted an obese 5yr old beagle named Otis, and I started researching how to safely help him lose weight.

A dog is considered overweight if she weighs 10-20% above her ideal body weight.  A dog weighing more than 20% above his ideal body weight is considered obese.

There are a lot of risks to the health of an overweight or obese dog, just like with people.  Obese dogs are more likely to experience musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular problems, breathing problems, exercise and heat intolerance, and diseases like heart disease and diabetes.


My vet recommended that I switch Otis to a low calorie/low fat food.  She recommended Science Diet Perfect Weight, which she has fed to her own dogs.  Since most dogs can benefit from a lower fat diet, I decided that both my newly adopted beagle and my basset/beagle mix could eat the same food.  My basset needs to have grain free, though, or she suffers from nasty gastrointestinal upset.    Science Diet Perfect Weight is only 291 calories* per cup and is one of the lowest calorie foods on the market, but it contains corn, which I don't feed to my basset.

We have tried many different brands with differing levels of protein/fat/calories and different protein sources.  It even got to the point that I created a spreadsheet to keep track of the different brands and their related info, including price shopping at a couple of different stores, like www.chewy.com, www.amazon.com, and www.petsmart.com.  I read reviews from multiple sites, but relied heavily on www.dogfoodadvisor.com because I like their breakdown of each food's nutritional pros and cons.  They also have a dog food calculator that can help you figure out a baseline or general idea for how much food your dog actually needs based on activity level and weight goals.  Remember to take into account any extra treats you give, which will reduce how much food your dog needs overall.  I like rotation feeding to help change up their meals because Remy (my basset) gets bored after a few weeks to a month and starts refusing food, but also to help with if I have to change foods due to a recall or supplier shortage.

Otis lost eight pounds in eight months with a combination of increased activity (more walks, which he loves) and reducing the amount of his food and feeding a lower calorie food. This is considered a healthy weight loss.  It's slow enough that his body didn't go through severe changes but quick enough that could see that the change in food and additional exercise were actually working.

Some of the foods we had pretty good success with are:

• Earthborn Holistic Grain Free Weight Control, which has only 325 calories per cup and contains 25% protein and a mere 7% fat.  The main protein is Chicken Meal,  it comes in as large as 28 pound bags, and generally retails for about $2.11 per pound.  Chicken meal actually contains 300% more protein than regular chicken meat.  It's rated 4 stars on DFA (Dog Food Advisor).
• Another chicken meal based food is Whole Earth Farms Grain Free Healthy Weight.  This food has 29% protein, and slightly more fat at 15%.  There are 321 calories per cup, and a 25 pound bags runs around $1.62 per pound with a 4 star rating at DFA.  This was one of the most affordable brands we tried, and he did lose weight on it.
• Beef might be what your dog prefers, and Merrick makes a low calorie food called Grain Free Healthy Weight.  This food earned a 4.5 star rating from DFA, comes in a 25 pound bag at  around $2.16 per pound, and contains 32% protein, only 8% fat, and 360 calories per cup.   Neither of my dogs have lost on this, but I think it's because it's higher calorie than most of the other brands that they eat.
• The only non-grain free food we tried was Fromm Gold  Weight Control.  They do also make a grain free version with fish as the protein called Gold Coast, but their regular version has no corn, wheat, or soy so we tried it.  The main protein is turkey liver and duck, and it contains 25% protein with 10% fat, and 241 calories per cup.  It's rated 4 stars on DFA, and runs about $1.53 per pound for a 33lb bag,  This was the best value as far as cost, but my basset had some issues with it and developed a yeast infection.  
• Otis had some of the best results on Solid Gold Holistic Fit & Fabulous, which has fish/pollock as the main protein. Remy, my basset, was not a fan of the fish and refused to eat it except if she was starving.  Otis dug in with gusto.  It is not rated in DFA, but has 26% protein and only 7% fat.  It contains 330 calories per cup, comes in a  24 pound bag and costs about $2.33 per pound.

There are other foods that made my list of possibilities but that we have not yet tried (or ruled out for various reasons):

• Wellness Core Reduced Fat Grain Free, made with Turkey, and containing 33% protein, 12% fat, and 360 calories per cup. It has a five star rating from DFA and it costs about $2.26 per pound for a 26 pound bag.  I ultimately decided not to try it because of the higher calories combined with the 12% fat.  It has the same calories as the Merrick, but Merrick is lower in fat.
• Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Grain Free Healthy Weight has 4 stars from DFA and costs about $2.08 per pound for a 24 pound bag.  It was 26% protein and only 8% fat with 394 calories per cup and the main protein being Salmon.  I opted against this for my dogs because Remy doesn't seem to care for fish and the calories were way too high.  This might be better for larger dogs who have higher caloric needs. 8/30/16 Edit: Since this was posted, we have adopted a third dog, an eight year old beagle/chihuahua mix, who turned out to possibly be allergic to chicken.  Despite the very high calories, I am transitioning all of my dogs over to this food (because it's salmon and not whitefish) and reducing the amount of kibble I feed them.  Adding water and fresh veggies (steamed green beans, raw carrots, raw celery, etc) help them feel full while they adjust to less kibble.
• Nulo Freestyle Adult Trim Grain Free has Cod as the main protein.  I really want to have my dogs try this but haven't because Remy doesn't seem to care for seafood. It has 4.5 stars from DFA, 30% protein and only 7-9% fat with 368 calories per cup. At $2.62 per pound for 24 pounds, it was a bit more expensive than I was comfortable spending for a food that Remy probably won't eat.  If your dog doesn't mind fish and you are comfortable with the price, this might be a great one to try.
• The last that I considered but haven't tried yet is Annamaet Grain Free Lean.  With 5 stars from DFA, 350 calories per cup, 33% protein and only 9% fat, this is a contender for trial in our house.  It runs about $2.34-$2.87 per pound for a 30 pound bag and has Chicken, Duck, and Herring as the protein.  It's much more expensive than the others as well.

To help prevent Otis from feeling like he was being starved, we gradually reduced the amount of kibble he was getting, and added warm water to his kibble to help fill his stomach.  We also supplemented with raw or steamed vegetables as treats instead of nutrition-empty biscuits.  He really enjoys steamed sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and carrots.  He eats raw green pepper and celery, too.  He likes raw or steamed apples, and loves bananas.  Once or twice a day, I give him one of my three-ingredient canine cookies, as they are high in fiber and help keep his digestive system running smoothly.

Unfortunately, as the weather got too hot, I got lazy and stopped walking him except on weekend mornings, as we have fenced yard.  He doesn't cope well with heat and humidity and has breathing issues, and I don't like going to work looking and smelling like a sweaty mess.  Once the weather cools, we will be walking more.  He's gained most of the weight back, but he's also getting a few more treats to help with the addition of a new dog.  They are almost out of their current food, so I am switching again as part of our rotation to one of the lower-fat and lower calorie foods.

Don't just reduce the amount of normal food. This is because over time, your dog will not get the right nutrition.  Lower fat/calorie foods are formulated to make sure that your dog gets the nutrition he needs, to help him lose weight safely and in a healthy way.  Just reducing the amount of regular calorie food will cause some weight loss, but it's not healthy weight loss.  It's like with people, if you just eat less overall of your higher-fat diet, of course you will lose weight.  But, you have to make healthy changes to lower-fat/higher fiber and protein foods so you stay full and get enough vitamins and minerals from your food.

Aside from lowering the fat and calorie intake, your dog will need to increase his activity more.  This means more exercise.  This can be daily walks, runs, chasing a ball or laser pointer, or pretty much anything that gets your dog moving.  While you will need to monitor and possible reduce activity if you live in an area with hot (and especially humid) summers, you can still get some exercise in playing indoors if you have room. You can also try to take walks in the early morning or late evening hours.  When the weather is cold, walking is also more challenging, but your pup (and her feet) can handle it as long as it's not very icy or below freezing.  You do need to take into account your dog's age and overall fitness and medical needs.  For example, a dog prone to tearing cruciates (knee ligaments) would not be a good candidate for running but could most likely handle a good long walk.  Always check with your vet if you aren't sure!

*Calories in dog food are actually measured in kilocalories, or kcal.  You may see labels that reference kCal/ME, which is a way of measuring the metabolic energy.  For the sake of simplicity in my own research and blog, I do not convert the kCals to calories, but simply refer to them as calories.

Sources:
petMD
VCA Hospitals

Heat Stroke: Would You Recognize It? (Prevention & Treatment)

You've probably heard not to leave your dog in the car, and even heard of the many stories of owners who have done that and had their dogs die.  Sometimes, the dogs are rescued in time.  You should never leave your dog in the car, even if you leave the windows down or leave the car running with the A/C on, or you're parked in the shade.    There have been several reports of citizens or police rescuing dogs left in hot cars, and these dogs survived, but many don't.
Pensacola Florida, July 1, 2016
Wrentham, Massachusetts, June 27, 2016
Merriam, Kansas, July 11, 2016

If you can't take your dogs with you into every store or place you plan to visit, then leave your dog at home!

In addition to being careful about not leaving your dog in a car, there are other dangers to dogs related to heat.

Some areas are very humid, particularly in the southeast and mid-atlantic regions of the US.  Humidity affects pets just like it does humans, and can lead to heat stroke.  When dogs pant, it helps to remove moisture from their lungs to help take heat away from their body.  When humidity is too high, dogs aren't able to effectively remove the moisture and heat.

Exercise is very important, but on hot/humid days, limit or reduce the amount of exercise and also try to limit it to the early morning or late evening hours, when it is cooler.  Not only will both you and Rover enjoy your walk or game much more, but it will help reduce the chances of your dog overheating.  If you walk on pavement, be aware that if it's too hot for you to put the back of your hand on the pavement for seven full seconds, it's too hot for your dog to walk on.

Fans can help, but they aren't ideal because a dog sweats through his feet!  While the breeze will feel good to your dog, it may not actually cool him off much.  That being said, when we are outside I do have an outdoor fan running and my dogs do like to lay in front of it - often with their feet towards it.  There's nothing wrong with using a fan, but don't count on it to be enough to keep your dog cool by itself.

When your dogs are outside, make sure they have water and shade.  If possible, think about putting ice cubes in their water.  I like to use cubes made from frozen broth as well, because the flavor helps encourage my dogs to drink more.  Shade from tarps, trees, awnings, or open air tents are the best because they allow air flow.  Dog houses actually trap the heat and won't do anything to cool your dog.   Water loving dogs may love to run through a sprinkler (you can make a soft one using a pool noodle!) or in a plastic wading pool filled with cool water.

mesh sun shade

open air flow tent

basset in plastic pool

dog cooling off in pool

frozen kong

Give cool treats such as broth ice cubes in their water, or freeze mashed bananas and peanut butter in their kong.  You can try plain greek yogurt, peanut butter, and a fruit like blueberries, bananas, apples, etc frozen in a kong as well.  You can also freeze green beans and carrots and give them as a low calorie cold treat.  Frosty Paws are a nice cold treat, too.   I also help my puppes keep cool by making puppy popsicles, and I also freeze the 3 Ingredient Canine Cookies and give them to my pups frozen - they stay soft even when frozen!

puppy popsicles 

3 ingredient canine cookies

Have a plan for power outages because they do happen and sometimes it's more than for just a couple of hours.  It's just important to make sure your dog stays comfortable as it is for you.  Your plans may include having a list of pet-friendly hotel/motels outside of your immediate area (maybe the next town over), a list of friends or relatives in various nearby areas that would be willing to let you and your pet stay with them, at least two dog boarders in different nearby areas (within maybe 15 miles or so) where you would be comfortable leaving your pet as long as the boarder has power (and have your dog registered with them and preferably stay in a non-emergent situation so you will know you your dog does with boarding).  Also, consider contacting your vet when you lose power - they may have power (and likely a backup generator) and be able to board your dog.

Know the signs of canine heat stroke. I wasn't aware of all of these before writing this blog.
Signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are:

• heavy/excessive panting
• glazed eyes
• difficulty breathing
• excessive thirst
• lethargy
• fever (over 103 degrees)
• excessive drooling
• dizziness
• lack of coordination or falling
• dark red or purple tongue
• seizure
• vomiting, including vomiting blood
• paid heart rate
• irregular heartbeat
• unconciousness
• less urine than usual or not urinating

If you think your dog is suffering from heat stroke, move your dog into the shade or if possible, and air conditioned area.  Apply ice packs or cold/frozen towels to her body, and let her drink small amounts of water or lick ice cubes.  My beagle easily overheats and most of the time, doesn't want to drink water.  I use a small syringe from the local pharmacy to squirt a little bit of water in his mouth to help him cool down and hydrate. Run cool (but not cold) water over his body. Call your vet right away if you suspect heat stroke, as your dog may need urgent medical attention including IV fluids!

Some breeds are more susceptible to heat stroke, including those with very heavy coats such as alaskan malamute, husky, sheepdog, irish wolfhound, samoyed, st. benard, newfie, and akitas.  Also,  dogs with pushed in faces such as pug, bulldog (french and english), boston terrier, boxer, chow chow, pekingeses are at an increased risk of heat stroke.  Any overweight or obese dog of almost any breed is also at an increased risk.

Sources:
Humane Society
ASPCA
PetMD
iHeartDogs