Keep your dog cool in the heatwave with this simple healthy ice lolly recipe

While the current heatwave won’t be hitting the highs we saw last month it’s still set to be scorching for the next few days.

We might be excited for BBQs, picnics and park hang outs but spare a thought for our poochie pals in their thick furry onesies!

Dogs can’t cool themselves down as easily as we can and they don’t sweat either, so with the mercury hitting the low to mid 30s, they need all the help they can get from their loving owners.

Offering up small amounts of cool water and giving them a shady spot indoors to stay chilled is a must. But serving up some ice lolly treats is another 'pawsome' way to keep them occupied as they cool down (who doesn’t love a lolly?!).

They’re really simple to make and you can switch up the ingredients to cater for your dog’s taste. Just make sure you don’t include cherries or grapes in the mix as they may cause severe liver damage and kidney failure.

OK!’s cuisine queen (and dog owner) Victoria Gray shows how to whiz up a cool treat for your pet pooch in a matter of minutes (with additional time allowed for the lollies to freeze too of course). You’ve got this licked!

Ingredients (Makes four)

1 small apple

1 large carrot

500ml water

4 dog treat sticks

Method

1. Remove the core and any pips from the apple and chop the apple into small pieces.

2. Grate the carrot and chop into small pieces.

3. Blend the apple and carrot with a hand-held blender until smooth

4. Add some water (around 500 ml) and mix.

5. Pour the mixture into plastic cups and place in the freezer for an hour until they are partially frozen.

6. Remove from the freezer and add a treat stick to the centre of each to create a stick for the ice lolly.

7. Replace in the freezer for another couple of hours until they are completely frozen.

8. Remove the ice lolly from the plastic cup before giving them to your dog.

These lollies should only be given as an occasional treat along side a well balanced diet.

Dogs cool themselves from the bottom up so to keep them cool in hot weather. Battersea Dogs Home recommend that you place them on top of a cool wet towel or cooling mat (in the breeze of a fan if you have one) and pour cool water over their feet, as well as the ears and head. Never use ice or very cold water as this can cause shock.

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