Halloween is a great time to be with family, and your dog can be a part of the festivities as well. Human candy isn’t always the ideal treat for your dog, so consider creating some easy Halloween dog treats at home.
Frozen treats are simple to create and can be made utilizing dog friendly components, for example, plain pumpkin, banana, blueberries, carrot and plain unsweetened yogurt. Halloween shaped molds can also be used to create pumpkins, ghosts, bones or other fun designs.
It is the most important thing to use safe ingredients and feed in small quantities. The homemade treats should be given as an occasional treat and should not be a substitute for your dog’s complete and balanced dog food.
Frozen treats are not necessarily safe for dogs.
With the right ingredients and serving size, frozen dog treats can be a healthy option for many dogs.
However, not all human frozen desserts are OK for dogs. Ingredients in ice cream, chocolate dessert and sugar-free products and sweet toppings can be harmful.
Don’t eat human desserts with chocolate, a lot of sugar, raisins, grapes or xylitol.
When it comes to homemade goodies, simplicity is the key.
1. Halloween Treats with Frozen Pumpkin.
Pumpkin is a favorite in homemade doggy treats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain pumpkin puree
A small quantity of water
Blend the pumpkin and water together until smooth.
Pour into small Halloween shaped silicone molds.
Freeze until firm.
Feed your dog a treat at a time.
Do not use pumpkin pie filling, but rather plain pumpkin puree.
2. Frozen Pumpkin and Yogurt Bites.
Creamy frozen treats made with plain yogurt can be given to your dog if it can handle the dairy.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of plain pumpkin puree
- 6 ounces plain unsweetened yogurt
Combine ingredients and pour into small molds.
Freeze until solid.
Look for yogurt that isn’t loaded with added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Not all dogs are able to tolerate dairy. If your dog gets gas, diarrhea, vomits or reacts in any unusual way, stop giving the treat.
3. Frozen Banana Bites
Bananas can be used to make a naturally sweet dog snack.
Cut into small chunks and freeze ripe bananas.
Can also smash banana and put small amounts into Halloween molds.
DON’T use bananas as treats as they are already sweet and caloric.
4. Frozen Blueberry Treats
If you need a quick frozen snack, blueberries are a good choice for that!
Rinse and trim off any spoiled berries.
Add some blueberries to a small mold and water.
Freeze until firm.
Blueberries can also be frozen in plain pumpkin.
NEVER add sugar, syrup, chocolate or whipped cream.
5. Frozen Carrot Bites
Carrots make a great crunchy snack.
Wash the carrot and cut it into small pieces.
Small chunks can be frozen straight up, or cooked carrot can be blended with a bit of water which can then be frozen in molds.
No salt, butter, garlic, onion or seasoning to be added.
Make sure the pieces are an appropriate size for your dog.
6. Apple & Pumpkin Bites
Apple and pumpkin can be a quick and easy treat at home.
Rinse the apple with water.
Remove the core and all the seeds.
Slice up the apple and combine with plain pumpkin puree.
Pour into small moulds and freeze.
Do not feed your dog apple seeds or the hard core.
7. Try out these Frozen Peanut Butter Pumpkin Treats!
Many dogs will eat peanut butter, but read the label carefully.
Do not use xylitol-containing peanut butter.
Use a small portion of peanut butter in plain pumpkin puree and freeze in small molds.
Don’t use items with chocolate or excessive amounts of sugar and salt.
If peanut butter is new to your dog’s diet, use a little at first.
8. Smooth and frozen sweet potato bites!
Cooked sweet potato can also be used for a homemade treat (plain).
Cook sweet potato until soft, then set aside to cool.
Take off skin and mash the inside.
If necessary add small amounts of water and then put a small quantity into molds.
Freeze until firm.
Do not put butter, sugar, salt or spices in the food.
9. Use frozen watermelon as a dog treat.Make frozen watermelon dog treats.
Occasionally give it to your dog as a treat in the form of seedless watermelon.
Cut off the rind and all seeds.
Slice watermelon into chunks or mash it with water.
Freeze in molds, small amounts at a time.
Note that watermelon is sugary on its own, so only serve a small portion.
NEVER GIVE watermelon rind or seeds to dogs.
Here are some fun Halloween Shapes for Frozen Treats!
Candy and frosting aren’t necessary to make frozen treats look spooky.
Try using:
- Pumpkin molds
- Ghost molds
- Bone shapes
- Bat shapes
- Small circles
- Halloween-themed silicone trays
Small molds are generally easier to use and are smaller in size.
Don’t mould large or hard to chew molds.
Your dog should never eat the following foods:These are the foods that should not be fed to a dog:
There are several foods that have the potential to be poisonous to dogs when brought into the house on Halloween.
Do not use:
- Chocolate
- Cocoa
- Xylitol
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Macadamia nuts
- Onion
- Garlic
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Caffeinated drinks
- Excess salt
- Large amounts of sugar
Xylitol is particularly of significance. A sweetener that can be harmful to a dog’s health.
Read the label before you use foods that are packaged.
A dog can eat between 1 and 2 frozen treats at a time.Dogs can have 1 to 2 frozen treats at a time.
The proper dosage is dependent on the physical size, age, activity, health and normal diet of your dog.
When trying a new recipe, begin with a small amount of that food.
Treats should only comprise a portion of your dog’s calorie intake.
Too many frozen snacks can lead to weight gain or upset stomach.
May need more or less than a small dog.
Discuss with your veterinarian what treats and portions are appropriate for your dog if your dog is overweight or has a medical condition.
Can you give your puppy some of these frozen Halloween treats?
Small amounts of appropriate food may be given to puppies but it’s best that the primary diet consists of complete and balanced puppy food.
Give puppies extremely small portions of frozen food.
Be sure to supervise your puppy, particularly during the consumption of firm or frozen treats.
If your puppy has any of the symptoms listed below that you are concerned about, call your veterinarian: vomiting, multiple bouts of diarrhea, weakness, decreased appetite.
Avoid giving home-made lures to treat a sick puppy.
How to Store Frozen Dog Treats
Place homemade frozen treats in a clean, freezer-safe container or a freezer bag.
Write the preparation date on the container.
Keep it small batch to keep treats fresh and easier to handle.
Avoid keeping frozen treats at room temperature for extended periods of time.
Discard treats when they look or smell different or are contaminated.
What happens if your dog eats some Halloween candy?
If your dog eats chocolate, and other candy contains Xylitol, or raisins or another food that may be harmful, call a vet or animal poison service right away.
Don’t wait for symptoms to seek help.
Have the candy container or ingredient label handy. It can assist your veterinarian with determining what your dog ate.
Avoid inducing vomiting of your dog unless instructed to by a professional veterinarian.
Final Thoughts
If your dog is like many, they don’t want to miss out on all the Halloween fun, but frozen Halloween dog snacks are a great way to let your pup participate without all the sweets. Making a simple frozen treat is easy with pumpkin, banana, blueberries, carrots, apple, sweet potato and a few picky peanut butter.
Do not use chocolate, xylitol, grapes, raisins, onion, garlic, too much sugar or other harmful foods.
The small molds are fun to use with no candy involved – they are shaped like…you guessed it…Halloween.
Use a small portion when giving a new recipe to your dog and remember, treats are a small part of their diet.
Before giving your dog new treats that you’ve made at home, consult your veterinarian if your dog suffers from food allergies, gastrointestinal issues, or other health problems.
Frozen Halloween treats can be a fun, occasional treat to your dog, with the right ingredients, portion size and storage instruction.
