With dairy products sometimes posing a problem for some animals, these purveyors or pet treats are serving up some safe snacks

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Ice cream makes everyone happy — but does that extend to our canine family members as well?

While most dogs would love a lick of ice cream on a hot summer's day, the American Kennel Club recommends skipping giving it to Fido.

According to Dr. Jerry Klein, the AKC chief veterinary officer, dairy products that have high-fat content like ice cream can lead to pancreatitis in pets. Some sugarless ice creams also contain xylitol, a sweetener that's extremely toxic to dogs. Plus, many ice cream flavours have other ingredients, like chocolate, swirled in that are another no-no for our four-legged friends.

Rebecca Cross, the owner of Boou Dog Treats in Conception Bay South, N.L., has been looking into this for a while.

"Human ice cream — and whipped cream, too — contains refined sugar to make it more palatable for humans, which is bad for dogs and unnecessary in their diet," she explains.

She adds that many dogs also suffer from some degree of lactose intolerance, although it is usually mild.

Because it's made of milk, ice cream naturally contains high levels of lactose, which she says can cause symptoms like gas, bloating and diarrhea in dogs.

But dog owners no longer need to worry about this, as some Atlantic Canadian businesses like Boou Dog Treats are now producing frozen treats especially for dogs — a perfect treat for the dog days of summer.

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Cross began offering Boou Pops, a line of all-natural dog ice cream, at the end of June.

“It’s been on our to-do list for the past three years and have finally settled on a flavour line-up and format that we are excited to put out,” says Cross.

The frozen ice cream treats have been a “massive hit so far and we’re trying to keep up with our orders," she adds.

Cross put a lot of thought into the packaging of her company’s frozen treats.

“Rather than sell in tubs like traditional ice cream, we opted for easy-to-eat, grab-and-go tubes. Because they’re resealable on the top, you have more control over the portion size and the option to save some for later, which means they’re suitable for dogs of all sizes to enjoy.”

The company currently has four flavours in its line up: Blue Razz Berry; Very Berry Melon; Peachy Punch; and Peanut Butter Paw Prints.

Cross shares that the Peanut Butter Paw Prints is “a twist on the classic ‘Hoofprints’ ice cream, which was my grandmother’s favourite flavour of ice cream," she says.

“We crumble our peanut butter and molasses buttons treats into the Peanut Butter Paw Prints ice cream, which makes it irresistible,” says Cross.

The most popular flavour this summer is a close race between the Blue Razz and Peanut Butter Paw Prints.

Specifically made for pets, it avoids most of the issues that makes human-grade ice cream bad for dogs.

“Not only do we use a variety of yogurt as the base to our ice cream, which is naturally much lower in lactose, it’s also made up of more than half fruit,” she says.

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Jenna Hamilton is the owner of Wag & Meow Healthy Pet Bakery, which she operates out of her home near Bayer’s Lake, N.S.

“I do make frozen dog treats and am starting to make dog popsicles,” she says.

The flavours of the frozen treats available at Wag & Meow Healthy Pet Bakery include:

“I don't make ice cream for dogs, however, it is something I plan on carrying in the future,” says Hamilton.

Like Cross, Hamilton also feels human ice cream is bad for dogs.

“In moderation, it probably wouldn't make the average dog super sick, but feeding high sugar content treats such as human ice cream is not recommended,” she says.

Hamilton points out that “several dogs have allergies and can often be lactose intolerant and this could result in vomiting and diarrhea and even red, itchy skin.”

That's prompted her to delve deeper into substitutes that can be used in ice cream treats for dogs.

“A good substitute from regular milk used in humans ice cream is goats’ milk, which is easily digested and contains probiotics. This is what I plan on using,” she says.

Brooke Blanchard is the Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Kool Breeze Farms in Summerside, P.E.I.

The Kool Breeze Ice Cream Bar is one component of the farm’s business, and it doesn't forget canine companions, serving up a special dog treat for furry family members.

“It’s soft serve, lactose-free vanilla ice cream, with a milk bone treat on top,” she says.

The dogs who visit the Ice Cream Bar during the summer love these treats a lot, says Blanchard.

“We have many furry friends visiting us over the summer.”

Boou Pops are available for purchase at Urban Market 1919, located at 330 Lemarchant Road in St. John’s, or via the Boou Dog Treats website.

Hamilton’s frozen dog treats can be purchased on the Wag & Meow Healthy Pet Bakery website, as well as various markets around Halifax.

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