10 Tips For Feeding Your Dog On A Hot Summer Day

It’s that time of the year again! The temperature soars and it’s time for warm barbecues and dips in the pool with your pup! This is a great time for you and your dog to soak in that vitamin D, with the temperature high and the sun beaming down. 

If you’re in California, we’re used to the heat and have some neat ideas on how to stay cool. 

But what about our dogs? 

No worries, we’re going to give you some great ideas for your dog to stay cool too!

Here are 10 tips for feeding your dog during those tropical days. 

1. Feed Your Pup In A Cool, Shady Area

Imagine this: It’s a beautiful summer day, and you decided it was a nice day to go out to eat at your favorite restaurant. The host at the restaurant brings you over to a table directly under the sun, with absolutely no shade, in 100-degree weather. You’re probably not going to want to eat out! The same goes for your pup.Make sure that you are feeding him in a cool area for him to relax and enjoy his delicious Cali Raw meal. 

2. Keep “Yin” Foods In Your Dog’s Diet 

In eastern medicine, it’s common to discuss the “yin” and “yang” of foods. Foods that yin tends to be more cooling, whereas foods that are “yang” tend to be warming. The “hot” and “cool” does not refer to the temperature of the food, but rather the energy that emits within the body after it is consumed. 

Yin foods to include into your dog’s diet consist of: 

• Cod
• Duck
• Eggs
• Rabbit
• Tofu 
• Turkey
• Yogurt
• Apple
• Cucumber
• Lettuce

Foods that are yin, tend to be more cooling and moistening for the body. 

Avoid “yang” foods in your dog’s diet

Foods that have more yang, tend to have more warm and drying energies. This includes foods: 

• Chicken
• Lamb
• Trout 
• Venison 
• Squash 
• Sweet potato

Foods that have neutral energy to feed your dog

Foods that have neutral energy are great to feed your pup all year long. These are foods that do not have a predominately “yin” or “yang” energy in them. 

Here are some foods to consider:  

• Kidney beans, red beans, broad beans, green beans, etc., 
• Beef and beef liver
• Chicken eggs
• Lentil
• Pork
• Quail
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Mackerel 

3. Watch Your Dog’s Appetite

It’s quite normal if your dog doesn’t want to eat in the obscenely hot weather. If this is the case, make sure that you are aware of how much he’s eating and adjust his daily portion accordingly. 

If your dog is not eating at all, this isn’t normal. This can be an indicator that he may be nauseous or that there’s something more serious going on.Take your pup to the vet if you notice he has no appetite at all. 

4. Don’t Feed Him When Your Dog Is Too Hot

If you just recently took him on a trip to the park where your dog ran like a mad-man with his best buds, make sure to avoid feeding him immediately after the walk. He’ll most likely refuse to eat, since the heat may just make him completely uninterested in food at all. Try to wait for an hour or two before attempting to feed. 

5. Cold Water

Always make sure that your pup is in constant access to fresh, cold water.

To keep the water cool, feel free to add in a few ice cubes into the water. Don’t be afraid to add lots of bowls around the house and in the garden. A general guideline of how much water a dog should drink is between ½ and 1 ounce of water per pound of your dog’s body weight a day. If your dog doesn’t have access to clean water, they can suffer from dehydration. 

Some signs of dehydration in a dog include: 

• Dry gums and tongue
• Rope-like saliva

Make sure your pup doesn’t drink too much water too quickly, as it may lead to vomiting.

6. Frozen Fruit Treats For Dogs

Your dog can beat the summer heat with a nice cold treat! 

Some easy ways to treat your dog with cool treats are throwing in a carrot in the freezer for your dog to enjoy. You can even give them some frozen fruits which offer some great vitamins. 

Here are some frozen fruits treats for dogs: 

• Chop up some seedless watermelons and freeze 
• Go ahead and throw a few strawberries or blueberries in the freezer
• Frozen bananas can make a great treat 
• Chill a carrot in the fridge and give it to your pup after it has frozen

We Recommend: 11 Natural Foods For Dogs 

7. DIY Frozen Dog Treats

There are other ways you can treat your dog to a cool treat. You can DIY frozen dog treats that’ll help them beat the heat. 

Homemade dog treats for summer: 

• Pour chicken or beef broth into ice cube trays
• Make pup-sicles by juicing your fruit or veggies and freezing them in ice trays

8. Whip Up Some Homemade Cold Treats

If you’re feeling a little fancy, here are some great DIY cold summer treat recipes for dogs that are easy to make, with ingredients you probably have at home. 

Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients: 

• 1 ripe banana
• 4 oz of plain yogurt (should be free of any added natural and artificial sweeteners) 
• 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (make sure it does not contain xylitol, as is extremely unsafe for them) 

Mix all the ingredients into either a blender or food processor. Then, pour the mixture into a few small containers or an ice cube tray. Then, freeze the mixture overnight. 

If you want to use other fruits, swap bananas for apples, carrots, or blueberries, depending on your pup’s preference. 

Cantaloupe Ice Cream

Ingredients: 

• Cantaloupe 
• Plain yogurt (no added natural/artificial sweeteners)

Just mix the cantaloupe into a blender or food processor and just freeze the concoction! You can either freeze for 2-4 hours or overnight. Then, add a bit of the plain yogurt and blend until combined. 

3-Ingredient Sweet n’ Savory Treats

Ingredients: 

• Chicken stock 
• Peanut butter (no xylitol) 
• Parsley leaves

In a bowl, mix together the parsley and the peanut butter. Pour chicken broth into an ice cube tray, filling each cube halfway full. Freeze the ice cube tray for about an hour or until set. Spoon the parsley and peanut butter mixture into the tray, and freeze until hard. 

9. Give Them A Bone 

Giving your dog a frozen bone marrow which s great because it fits in their barf diet. Bones also have other great benefits, such as mind exercise and teeth cleaning. You can easily add some bones when you order from Cali Raw and your dog will absolutely love it! 

10. Feed Them Cali Raw

Our formulas are shipped to you frozen and stored in the refrigerator for feeding time. Your dog will be enjoying a raw diet dog food meal and it’ll be more refreshing than cooked dog food or kibble! Not only that, but raw dog food will also give them so much more nutritious benefits too.