DIY Treats for a Day at the Park with Felix and Fido

by Lisa Beaty Bishop

Dog Treats

Who doesn’t love spending a day at the park with their favorite furry friend? Whether you plan to lounge on a picnic blanket or run around playing fetch, you’ll want to pack a few supplies. Blankets, your favorite pop up kennel, and water are all very important, but you don’t want to forget treats for your pet! We’ve compiled 5 great DIY recipes for dog treats, plus a couple of bonus tips for anyone with an adventurous cat that loves to explore the outdoors as well.

Edible Apple Kong

If you have a dog that loves keeping his mouth busy, chances are you are familiar with Kong toys and treat holders. The rubber toys are great for keeping around the house, but all too easy to leave behind in the park. Instead of taking the chance of leaving behind the pricey toy, try making a fully edible Kong yourself! dog treat peanut butter filled apple kong

dog treat peanut butter filled apple kong

Simply core an organic Granny Smith apple and fill it with organic peanut butter.

You may be thinking... those "simple" ingredients sound incredibly specific - but when it comes to our pets, safer is always better!

Organically grown apples have not been exposed to pesticides which remain present on the skin and flesh of the apple.

Granny Smith apples are specified because they have the lowest sugar levels and have the added benefit of helping to clean the teeth and freshen the breath.

Organic peanut butter contains less sugar than its non-organic counterpart and does not contain the popular sweetener, xylitol which is extremely dangerous to all pets - even in small quantities!

Photo Credit: Pretty Fluffy

Frozen Peanut Butter Banana Treats

If you plan on bringing a cooler, these frozen bites are a great treat for your dog on a hot summer day. This Moments With Mandy recipe, contains ingredients dogs love, along with some great healthy additions, like coconut oil. Feeding your dog coconut oil can help with digestion, give them a shinier coat, and even help prevent infections, but start slowly as too much coconut oil too quickly can cause tummy troubles.

These treats will melt if left out in the sun, so make sure you pack them in a plastic bag and keep them in the cooler.

Sweet Potato Chews

Keep your dog busy with the ever-popular, simple sweet potato chews. Your pup will love the taste of this treat and will benefit from vitamins B6 and C, beta carotene and manganese sweet potatoes offer. Convenience is also a plus with these chews since they keep well at room temperature - a great choice when you are packing light and leaving the cooler at home.

No Flea Dog Biscuits

While this treat may have one of the longest ingredient lists of all of the treats we’ve included, it’s still a very simple recipe that improves your pet’s coat, has a taste he will love and can supplement your flea prevention efforts.

This treat works its double duty of delighting your dog's taste buds and helping to keep fleas at bay with a special all-natural ingredient... brewer's yeast. While there are conflicting opinions on the actual flea repellant properties of brewer's yeast, there is no argument that it is full of B vitamins which are good for skin, coat, and carbohydrate metabolism.

Also, be sure to use true brewer’s yeast - not baker's yeast which can make your pet sick. Brewer's yeast can be found in the nutritional sections of grocery stores or at your local nutritional store. It is also available online.

Frozen toys

frozen dog treats Two pugs enjoying ice ring with toys frozen into it.

Photo Credit: Purple Patch DIY

For those extra hot days, nothing beats a frozen toy mold! You can really play around with the shape of the mold and what you put it in, but the idea is to freeze toys and treats into a cube made of water and a bit of no sodium chicken broth for flavor.
Use a pan that gives the final product a bit of texture, such as a bundt cake mold. Toss in a few rubber toys or maybe a dental chew and let your dog slurp away at the ice mold.

Cat Treats

While taking cats to the park is not as common as taking dogs, the practice of including feline friends on outings is becoming increasingly popular. It is pretty important to have some yummy treats with you when on an adventure with your cat.

Salmon Bite

You’ll only need 3 ingredients for this recipe:

10 oz canned salmon (undrained)

1 egg (beaten)

2 cups whole wheat flour

Oh yes... and small cookie cutter

You can whip them up in no time and store them in an airtight container for up to two weeks. You can toss a few of these into a baggie and bring them along with you and your cat for a day outdoors.

Chewy Cat Treats

There are some cats that should not eat treats with fish of any kind. This is not as uncommon as you might think, even so, it can be difficult to find treat recipes for cats without tuna or salmon. This post at Joy The Baker may take a bit more time than the Salmon Bites; however, there are no fish products and... what a delightful photo post!

BONUS: So simple treat dispensing cat toy

All you’ll need for this is an old tennis ball and some small treats. This video will show you how to make a fun toy that will make your cat work for the treats, keeping your kitty happy and entertained.