July 2015 - French Bulldogs by Bullmarket

Frozen Kefir pops for dogs make a great summertime treat! These treats aren’t just a tasty way to keep dogs cooled off – they’re also loaded with beneficial ingredients that are good for your dogs.

Kefir repopulates beneficial gut flora. It naturally aids digestion, and helps strengthen digestive health in dogs with food allergies. Kefir can also help alleviate stool eating. An added benefit is Kefir has been studied for its ability to increase milk production in animals (all my nursing girls get a daily bowl of Kefir with Manuka Honey). For dogs with an overgrowth of candida yeast (foot licking, ear shaking, and yeasty facial folds), Kefir can help to fight a yeast overgrowth.

Parsley, Mint and Dill are tummy soothing herbs with loads of added benefits for dogs. Dill, like garlic (but without the dangerous side effects), has been studied for its ability to prevent bacterial overgrowth. Parsley is loaded with vitamins, and the flavonoids in parsley function as antioxidants and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In studies, extracts from parsley help to increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood. Spearmint or Peppermint has been used for thousands of years to soothe stomachs and freshen breath. In addition, it has been studied for its effectiveness in relieving seasonal allergy symptoms, and as an anti-inflammatory.

Cinnamon fights bacterial infections, freshens breath, and can help alleviate type 2 diabetes.

Manuka Honey is rich in natural antibiotic capability, as well as helping to soothe digestion, repair inflamed tissue, and it adds a subtle sweetness to the tart tang of Kefir.

Fresh summertime fruits give added flavor to frozen treats, along with extra vitamins and fiber.

Ingredients:

Large tub plain kefir
1 TBSP Manuka or other honey
1/4 TSP Cinnamon
1 small bunch each fresh parsley & mint
1 Mashed Bananas
or
1/2 cup hulled chopped Strawberries
or
1/2 cup washed blueberries
or
1/2 cup chopped mango

Directions:

Mix Kefir, honey, cinnamon, herbs and fruit of choice. Beat well on high, by hand or with hand mixer.

Freeze for at least four hours, in your choice of:

Popsicle containers (try using a beef stick or cookie as a substitute popsicle stick), small individual yogurt containers, or silicon molds. I used silicon bone molds, for individual treats.