Can I share my ice cream with my dog?

As the summer months roll on, the great British public’s enthusiasm for a lovely picnic shows no sign of abating whatever the weather, and dog lovers will want to include their four-legged friends in their fun outings. As you tuck into the ice cream van’s finest offerings, you may be wondering if you can buy one for your pooch too.

As tempting as it might be to share with your pal, you should remember that dogs, more than humans, have lactose intolerance, which makes ice cream difficult for them to digest. And an upset tummy can spoil anyone’s picnic, and all that sugar is no good for doggies either – too much of it can lead to obesity and other associated health problems.

That does not mean that you can’t share a tasty treat with your pooch though. Here are some easy to make, doggy-friendly, ‘ice cream’ recipes for your dog (and for you).

Using low fat plain yoghurt as your base, try out these tasty combinations:

Banana and Strawberry Twist ice cream:

1. Mash a medium tub of ripe strawberries into a pulp
2. Mash 2 ripe bananas with the back of a fork.
3. Gently swirl both pulps into a large (300ml) tub of yoghurt
4. Pour into funky shaped ice cube trays, or a madeleine baking dish
5. Freeze overnight and enjoy

‘Snickers’ ice cream:

1. Mix 200 grams of carob chips into a 300ml tub of natural yoghurt
2. Stir in 2 tbsps. of honey
3. Stir in 4 tbsps. of smooth peanut butter
4. Freeze overnight in your chosen container

Lucozade lollies

1. Dilute some Lucozade or any other sports drink with water (1:4 ratio)
2. Pour into popsicle moulds or ice cube trays
3. Freeze for a few hours until firm

These are just some of the seasonal, healthy, and refreshing treats you can offer your canine friend whilst you are hanging out in the hot sun. If you want to learn more about canine nutrition, download our Canine Nutrition Diploma course and start cooking up a storm!