I love summer because it allows me to make effortless frozen dog treats at home. These Frozen Papaya Dog Treats are incredibly simple and great for supporting healthy digestion!

I’ve always known that Papaya was good for gut health. So I’ve wanted to make these Frozen Papaya Dog Treats for quite a while but kept putting them off. Then, a couple of months ago, Yoda had an overgrowth of bacteria in his intestine, and it caused a significant stomach upset.

Yoda had giardia as a puppy and had a severe reaction to the medication commonly used to treat intestinal parasites in dogs. My Vet wanted to try and heal Yoda with probiotics and a bland diet. She was confident it would work (and it did), but the thought of not treating him with medication scared me a little bit.

It took several weeks, but Yoda eventually got better. At that time, I started thinking about how to promote good gut health in my dogs naturally. Papaya kept coming up in my Google searches.

I had already wanted to try the Herbal Digestive Supplement from The Honest Kitchen, which contains papaya leaf amongst a few other natural ingredients that promote gut health. So that’s how I came up with this recipe.

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Note: You can skip using the Honest Kitchen Digestive Supplement in the recipe. Your pup will still get some great benefits from the Papaya and Cucumber; however, I recommend stocking this product in your cabinet! It’s so easy to use and can be added to your dog’s meal too. We all know French Bulldogs can be a little gassy, and this supplement has helped!

*Always constult with your vet before introducing new foods to your dog. Be mindful of food sensitivities and introduce new foods slowly. This recipe is simply just a treat for your dog and not meant to replace a full balanced meal or diet.

Is Papaya Safe for Dogs?

The short answer is yes. As always, you should check with your Vet and always consider your dog’s specific dietary needs. Another important note is that you should remove and discard the peel and all seeds in the Papaya. In general, all fruit skin and seeds should always be discarded and not fed to your dog. You will see that I peeled and removed all seeds from the cucumber used in this recipe too.

So why are these Frozen Papaya Dog Treats so great for gut health?

Papayas contain an enzyme called papain, and this enzyme explicitly aids indigestion.
Papaya is lower in sugar than other fruit and high in water content. Which makes it a healthy snack (in moderation, of course.)
Papaya is high in fiber which promotes regularity.
The enzymes in Papaya can help clear the digestive tract of toxins and can help to prevent stomach upset.
Cucumbers contain antioxidants.
They have a mild flavor and high water content, which makes them an excellent low-calorie snack.
Cucumbers contain both Vitamin K and A. Vitamin K may support bone health, and Vitamin A can protect eyes from age-related blindness.

What You’ll Need:

One ripe Papaya (Peeled and seeds removed and discarded. Seeds can pose a choking hazard.)
One Cucumber (Peeled and seeds removed and discarded.)
Silicone Mold (I love this dog bone mold for frozen treats.)
The Honest Kitchen Herbal Digestive Supplement (optional).

A note about silicone treat molds: I highly suggest using the small silicone bone molds for dog treats. I’ve previously used the paw print treat molds for frozen treats and those were far too big for my dogs.I love the bone molds because I can still easily break frozen treats in half if I need to.