This Hydrating DIY Dog Treat Is Easy to Make and Only Requires 2 Ingredients
The heat of summer is here and it's sweltering, but there are some clever ways to stay cool and enjoy a bit of outdoor time with your pup.
If you've got a day at the beach or the dog park planned and want a hydrating treat to keep your pet cool, this DIY recipe packs lots of hydrating power into just two ingredients.
SIGN UP to get "pawsitivity" delivered right to your inbox with inspiring & entertaining stories about our furry & feathered friends
Marissa Monteleone is a content creator on YouTube who shares cute clips of her three dogs on the channel @mydogsdope. She often shares quick and easy dog-friendly recipes as well as adorable everyday life moments with her pack, and this summer-ready ice pop she shared is specifically formulated to help your dog stay hydrated all season long.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Iy7gt63ntMs
To make these treats, you'll need ice molds, cucumbers and pure, unsweetened coconut water. Monteleone also uses a small blender to mix the ingredients, but you could make these treats by just chopping the cucumbers up into tiny pieces and freezing them in the coconut water.
"These are an excellent, hydrating, low-calorie treat because they are made up of mostly water," she says in the video, "not to mention they help combat stinky breath."
For Monteleone's method, simply cut the cucumber into slices, add them to a blender, pour in your unsweetened coconut water and blend until smooth.
"Coconut water is not only hydrating, but nutrient-rich," she says. "Make sure there are no added sugars, artificial flavors or preservatives. It should just be pure coconut water. Cucumbers are also packed with vitamins and minerals, and great for a natural crunch that can help clean teeth and fight bad odor bacteria in the mouth."
Pour that mixture right into your ice molds (Monteleone's are shaped like dog paws, of course), then freeze for a few hours until they're mostly solid. Now you're ready to treat your dogs on a hot summer day, although Monteleone also reminds us all to give our dogs treats in moderation.
Related: This DIY Cooling Treat for Dogs Is Hydrating, Easy to Make and Perfect for Summer
How Do Cucumbers Fight Stinky Breath?
Did you know cucumbers help fight bad breath bacteria? It turns out a lot of the odor-fighting properties are due to cucumbers being mostly made of water. Dehydration is a huge culprit when it comes to bad breath, and because cucumbers are so hydrating, they help fight the growth of such bacteria. (PS: This works for humans too!)
The phytochemicals, flavonoids and tannins found in cucumbers also help fight off odor-causing bacteria. It's the combination of hydrating water content and the mouth crunch too, which stimulates saliva, which does most of the hard work.
If your dog is thirsty (and maybe a little stinky), give them this easy-to-make summer treat, and see if it helps. Either way, they'll cool off and love their new refreshing treat.
Related: This Golden Retriever's Bento Box Lunch Is the Perfect Summer Picnic
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 5:05 PM.