KONG RECIPE

NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS

Interactive food dispensing toys like the Kong can be filled with tasty treats and tempting ingredients to provide enrichment, as described in our earlier article.

When choosing an interactive toy make sure it is of an appropriate size for your dog and if you have a very powerful chewer, make sure that the product is robust enough to withstand the forces that are going to be put upon it. The design of a Kong is ideal for filling with ingredients as it is very strong, easily cleaned, freezer friendly, comes in a variety of sizes and crucially has a hole at both ends.

NOTE: Some copies of the Kong only have one large hole through which to add fillings. These copies are extremely dangerous as they cause strong suction on the mouth and tongue, which can cause injury and can result in choking.

For raw feeders, a lamb or beef trachea is a perfect hollow tube to stuff with tasty treats and can be placed in the freezer for later use if needed.

To further add interest to the feeding, layer the ingredients and experiment with different textures from crunchy fish skin cubes to soft blueberries. You can also hide the food dispenser in the garden to encourage your dog to follow the scent and claim their ‘prize’. All of these elements really add to the overall enrichment experience.

If your dog is a little on the heavier side, then taking some of their daily food ration and placing it into the Kong maybe with a few fresh steamed vegetables can keep them occupied for longer and give them a bit of a work out at the same time.

Added to raw, kibble or cooked meat you could include ingredients such as pumpkin, sweet potato, pear, banana, natural goat’s yoghurt, bone broth, pumpkin seeds, papaya, quinoa or some of their favourite healthy treats.

Here are a couple of example recipes you can try with your Kong:

RECIPE 1: SPRATS GALORE

INGREDIENTS

• Sprats (dried or fresh)

• Coconut oil

• Chia seeds

• Cherry tomatoes

• Blueberries

• Green beans

DIRECTIONS

Chop up the ingredients and mix together to incorporate them all as evenly as possible. Squish them into the Kong and add a few whole sprats poking out of the end for added stimulation.

THE RAW ONE

INGREDIENTS

• Grated carrot and courgette

• Raw meal

• Small cherry tomato, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Stir the courgette, carrot and tomato into the raw meat and then spoon into the Kong until it is full. You can serve this Kong fresh or frozen.