Dog smoothies!

Everypup was just flipping over our Homemade Frosty Paws recipe, so we decided to come up with a few Doggie Smoothie recipes you can try.

You know what that means? You don't have to wait for a nice cool Summer treat to freeze, you can enjoy it right away :)

You know how much I love yogurt, and Mum and I also love the amazing health benefits of this super great food. For our smoothies we decided to use Kefir - it's kind of like yogurt on steroids.

We first heard about Kefir (pronounced KEE-fur) from our Auntie Bonnie, our vet. She recommended that I have some Kefir when I was down with a bout of mild gastroenteritis and had a real upset tummy. It really helped heal my tum, tum. So Kefir became something I have with my food on occasion to keep everything flowing nicely, if you know what I mean :)

Here's a little about Kefir (which, by the way, you can make at home!). Kefir is a cultured product with amazing health attributes (for dogs and humans). It contains several major strains of friendly bacteria not commonly found in yogurt, Lactobacillus Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter species, and Streptococcus species.

It also contains beneficial yeasts, such as Saccharomyces kefir and Torula kefir, which dominate, control and eliminate destructive pathogenic yeasts in the body. They do so by penetrating the mucosal lining where unhealthy yeast and bacteria reside, forming a virtual SWAT team that housecleans and strengthens the intestines. Hence, the body becomes more efficient in resisting such pathogens as E. coli and intestinal parasites.

So with that, here are a few dog smoothie recipes we thought you would enjoy as much as I do:

Fruit Smoothie - ingredients needed:

• 1 cup kefir - low-fat, plain, organic is best
• Splash of organic apple juice
• 2 small handfuls of fresh (organic is best) blueberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tbsp of organic peanut butter
• 1 orange slice (no seeds, K?), or 1 small pineapple slice, or a small chunk of watermelon (again, no seeds, K?)
• Topping: Sprinkle with a broken up organic doggie cookie, a couple of blueberries and a small spinach leaf.

Veggie Smoothie - ingredients needed:

• 1 cup kefir - low-fat, plain, organic is best
• A few oz. organic, unseasoned chicken stock
• 1/4 lightly steamed organic (large) carrot
• A small handful of lightly steamed green beans
• A dollop of canned (unseasoned) pumpkin
• Topping: Sprinkle with a broken up organic doggie cookie or a sprinkle of crushed flax seed and a small spinach leaf.

Protein Smoothie - ingredients needed:

• 1 cup kefir - low-fat, plain, organic is best
• A few oz. organic, unseasoned chicken stock
• A nice slice of cooked liver
• 1/4 Lightly steamed organic (large) carrot
• A small handful of lightly steamed green beans
• Topping: Sprinkle with crushed flax seed and a small spinach leaf.

Instructions:

Throw everything into a blender (except the sprinkles, add those after) and mix well. Serve immediately in a stainless steel dish, or chill for an hour in the fridge for a cooler treat. Refrigerate any small amount of leftovers and use within 24 hours.

Remember, you don't have to use all the ingredients, the basics are the Kefir, fruits, veggies or meats. Don't forget to check what foods are safe for us pups if you decide to vary the recipes. And as with all things - moderation is key, so start your pup out with a smaller portions to begin with (about 4 oz.). And enjoy your doggie smoothie!