As the temperature rises, it’s important to keep our service dogs hydrated and healthy. Dogs are more susceptible to heatstroke than humans, and dehydration can be a serious issue. Even just a small change in hydration can have big effects on a dog. In this blog post, we’ll explore one easy trick for keeping your dog hydrated without water during the hot summer months.
When perusing the local second hand bookstore, I ran across a book from the 1960’s that had this great recipe in it. Make some “Jigglers”, kind of like gummy worms, but for dogs. They are super simple to make and easy to carry. Just put them in a plastic baggie or in their own pocket of your treat pouch.
Gelatin is good for skin and joints. Be aware that it is made from animal products.
Jelly Water “Jigglers”
Materials:
8 inch by 8 inch glass or metal pan or silicon candie molds
small plastic baggie or treat pouch
Ingredients:
1.5-2 tablespoons plain gelatin (no-name works great) avoid the sugar-free options as they may contain Xylitol (toxic to dogs)
2 cups refrigerated liquid (homemade or commercially made low/no salt meat or vegetable broth that your dog likes, coconut water)
Optional: half cup of baby food, plain pumpkin or natural yogurt, finely minced meat, or pulverized soft meat treats for flavour (like Rollover etc)
Method:
In a big bowl, pour 1 cup of the cold liquid over a packet of gelatin crystals and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Bring the other 1 cup of liquid to a boil, turn it off, then stir into the gelatin.
Stir well and make sure all crystals are dissolved. Make sure to get the edges of the bowl.
Pour the mixture into the pan or candy molds and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
You can stir in a maximum of a 1/2 cup of other food stuffs before putting the pan into the refrigerator to set. This will give it more flavour and food value.
Once firm, you can pop them out of the mold or cut contents of pan into long pieces (worms) or cubes. Place in bag for storage.
Store in the fridge for up to a few days. Do not freeze as it changes the texture of the jello.
