Tuesday Tips: Cool treats for your dog

Posted on May 5, 2009 by Andrea

Gimme something cool!

Summer time will soon be upon us bringing very hot and dry weather with it. One of the lessons we all know is to stay hydrated and one of the things we love are cool treats in the summer. Right? Frozen yogurt or ice cream, cool refreshing drinks. Well humans aren’t the only ones who can dig on cool treats, doggies love them too!

Dogs can only pant to help cool themselves and it’s really not all that effective. Just like people, some dogs handle hot weather better than others. I have a boxer and their squishy faces makes it harder for them to breath during extreme heat. They are also more susceptible to heat stroke. Because of this I make sure Rocky gets his outdoor exercise early in the morning and after the sun has gone down in the evenings. I also make sure to have plenty of cool treats for him in the summer.

Rocky’s Salmon Loaf

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Andrea

Salmon Loaf mix

I’m pretty lucky with the fact that my kid is a good eater. He loves mom’s cooking and will pretty much inhale whatever it is that I give him. Of course there are some exceptions and there are a few things he’s allergic too, but overall he’s pretty easy to please.

I try to make sure he gets a wide variety of food through the week and that includes fish. For Rocky, Fridays are known as “Fishie Fridays” and if you say “Fishie” to him, he knows exactly what you’re talking about.

Normally he gets a tin of sardines packed in spring water. All the health benefits fish provide for humans, also benefit dogs. Which for doggies, includes a healthy shiny coat.
I like to change it up every so often so that sardines aren’t the only fish Rocky gets exposed to. I started toying around with other ideas and finally decided I could make a fish loaf that included eggs and other items to provide a more rounded meal.

Rocky’s Veggie Mix

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Andrea

Cast of characters

My kid is like his mama in several ways. Cold and rainy days are best dealt with by staying snug indoors with plenty of blankets. Sleeping is by far one of the best activities ever and we love our veggies. Also like me, Rocky is picky about the way his veggies are prepared. And what veggies he likes.

Most raw feeders feed their dogs raw veggies. Rocky isn’t into raw veggies so much. I have discovered after much testing that slightly cooked veggies go down smoother. Also after much testing I have learned what he loves and what he doesn’t. I have finally come up with a veggie combo that he loves and serves as a good base. Sometimes I add stuff here and there but this recipe is the foundation and what goes into every veggie mix.

Dogs can’t digest whole veggies pieces very well. It either needs to be super finely chopped or mushed up. When I make this veggie mix, I go the mush method.

Rocky’s Cheeseburger

Posted on October 2, 2008 by Andrea

Beef, celery, carrots

Ground beef, carrots, and celery, that sounds like the start to maybe a meatloaf? Or some dirty rice? Not this time, this is the start to Rocky’s cheeseburger. Rocky gets to eat all kinds of stuff and sometimes I like to take it to that next step and make his meals a little more special. We had burgers the other night and I figured Rocky would like to have a cheeseburger too.

Rocky’s Cheeseburger

1/2 lb of lean ground beef

7 baby carrots

1/4 stalk of celery

1 TBSP of shredded cheddar

Sprinkle of garlic powder*

In a medium sized mixing bowl add the ground beef. Finely chop the celery and carrots* and add those to the ground beef. Add in the cheese and the garlic powder and combine. Shape into three patties. One patty becomes part of one meal.* Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top when serving.