Frosty Paws sit in the ice cream freezer, not the pet aisle, and that one fact explains most of the trouble shoppers have finding them. Purina’s frozen dog treats move through grocery frozen-novelty distribution, so availability swings hard with the season and the store format. This guide covers which stores carry them, which online routes deliver frozen instead of melted, what the Original, Peanut Butter, and Pumpkin flavors cost, and what to blend at home when every freezer near you is picked clean.
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Who Actually Needs Frosty Paws
Frosty Paws is a single-serve frozen dog treat built for canine digestion rather than adapted from human ice cream. The brand launched in 1979 and carries the Purina name, but in the United States it is distributed by the company Nestlé folded into the Froneri joint venture, the same operation behind Drumstick. That is the real reason the box sits beside frozen novelties instead of next to the kibble.
The buyer is a pet owner who wants a hot-weather snack for a dog without the lactose and refined sugar in a scoop of dairy dessert. Most dogs lose much of their ability to digest lactose after weaning. Purina describes the recipe as free of lactose, and the panel lists whey (a fraction of milk), soybean oil, soy flour, and added vitamins and minerals. It is a special-occasion snack, not a meal. The American Veterinary Medical Association advises introducing any new treat gradually and watching for digestive changes over the next day or two.
Buying Criteria: What Separates Good Frozen Dog Treats From Bad
Judge a frozen dog treat on four things: the ingredient panel, the portion size, the base (whey and oil versus real yogurt), and the condition of the box in the case.
Ingredient panel. Scan for xylitol, chocolate, raisins, and macadamia before anything else. Purina’s label is clear of all four. Competing brands are not always, and the FDA’s warning on xylitol is worth two minutes if you buy any low-sugar product.
Portion and format. Standard boxes hold four 3.25-ounce cups. Purina has also introduced Frosty Paws Bites, a bite-size format that portions far more sensibly for a small dog than half a melting serving does.
Base ingredient. The grocery-freezer version is whey and vegetable oil. Premium competitors use a real yogurt base, often Greek yogurt. Whole Dog Journal’s frozen dog treat review put ingredient quality as the main line between the two tiers.
Box condition. Heavy ice crystals on the lid or a loose film mean the box probably thawed and refroze somewhere in the cold chain. Texture goes grainy. Put it back.
| Flavor | When you find it | Typical four-pack | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original (vanilla flavor) | Year round, most reliable | $4 to $6 | A first try, preferences unknown |
| Peanut Butter | Year round, sells out first | $4 to $6 | Dogs that ignore the vanilla version |
| Pumpkin | Late summer through fall | $5 to $7 | Extra natural fiber, seasonal buyers |
What Dog Owners Actually Say About Frosty Paws
Owner feedback splits along one clean line: most dogs love these, and a minority get an upset stomach from them.
On Walmart’s review page for the Peanut Butter four-pack, the recurring praise is pure enthusiasm, dogs recognizing the sound of the lid peeling back and treating it as the standard reward after a hot walk. The peanut butter version draws noticeably more of that reaction than the vanilla one.
Complaints cluster in two spots. On pet forums including Paw Talk and the Golden Retriever forums, owners report vomiting or watery stool in sensitive dogs and trace it to the whey fractions, which is why the gradual introduction above is not boilerplate. Those threads also flag the thin plastic container: an impatient dog can chew it. Spoon the treat into a bowl for fast eaters and that risk disappears.
Buying Frosty Paws Online: Retailer Comparison
Grocery delivery beats parcel shipping here every time. A frozen cup sent by mail arrives as a puddle unless the seller packs dry ice and insulated liners.
Walmart pickup and delivery
The smoothest route. Add the box to a normal grocery cart and it arrives cold with your other frozen items, with inventory shown in real time for the store you picked. Store pickup avoids delivery fees entirely.
Amazon
Amazon carries the Purina line through third-party sellers, but frozen fulfillment is limited and listings appear and vanish without warning. Use the in-app notify button instead of checking daily. Cold packaging carries a real shipping premium, so treat the Amazon listing as a backup, not a primary source.
Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats
These apps pull live inventory from local grocery partners and often show stock before the retailer’s own site updates. Expect a markup plus service and delivery fees. They are fastest before a weekend heat wave, and if you are ordering a frozen dessert for yourself anyway, one cart splits the fee.
Buying Frosty Paws Locally: Store by Store
Check the frozen novelty case first, next to the ice cream sandwiches. Most shoppers miss on the first try because they look in the pet food aisle.
Walmart
Walmart, the largest grocery retailer in the United States, is the most dependable source nationwide. Supercenters carry the line far more consistently than smaller Neighborhood Market locations, and their site search shows aisle location at many stores.
Target
Target stocking is regional. Look in frozen desserts or the small case near order pickup. Stores with full grocery departments are the reliable ones, and their store search confirms before you go.
Kroger, Publix, Safeway, and Meijer
Regional grocers stock the Purina brand in frozen desserts, including the Kroger banners (Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Ralphs, Smith’s, Harris Teeter) plus Food Lion, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Weis, and Winn-Dixie. Most list the item with per-store availability, which is more current than a phone call. The official brand site is where to start if none of those are near you.
Petco and PetSmart
Petco and PetSmart do not reliably stock the Purina-branded product. Their freezer space goes to in-house brands and frozen raw diets. What they do have is a deep alternatives shelf, including The Bear and The Rat and Dogsters. Call ahead, since freezer assortments vary between locations.
Red Flags When Shopping for Frozen Pup Cups
The costliest mistake is reaching for the human dessert in the same case because the dog treats sold out. Order online rather than improvise.
Substituting a human dessert. Even a small serving can cause lactose-related upset, and anything sweetened with xylitol is toxic to dogs and needs an emergency vet call, not a wait-and-see.
Grabbing the box at the back. Stock rotates slowly outside peak summer, so the box wedged behind the popsicles may be past its quality window. Check the best-by date every time.
Serving a full portion to a very small dog. One cup is a lot of food for a Chihuahua or a Yorkie. Split it across two sessions and reseal the rest in the freezer.
Trusting a wholesome-looking label. Bacon and cheese flavored frozen treats sound fun, but novelty flavoring is not a quality signal. Read the panel, not the front of the box.
How to Make Frozen Dog Treats at Home When Shelves Are Empty
Shelves dry up in July and August every year, right when demand peaks. A homemade batch costs less per serving and takes about ten minutes of work.
- Blend 32 ounces of plain full-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt works well, with no xylitol and no added sugar), one ripe mashed banana, and two tablespoons of natural peanut butter whose label you have read.
- Add a handful of blueberries, or a quarter cup of pure canned pumpkin for an autumn batch. Never pumpkin pie filling, which carries spices and sugar.
- Pour the blend into silicone muffin molds or small paper cups. Each mold holds roughly one retail portion.
- Freeze until solid, then move the portions to a sealed bag so the surface does not pick up freezer odors.
- Let one stand a few minutes before serving, on a washable surface.
Best Frozen Dog Treats Right Now
These five picks were chosen on ingredient panel quality, how widely each is stocked, and cost per serving.
Best overall: Purina Frosty Paws Original. The vanilla flavor base, added vitamins and minerals, and the widest distribution of anything here. Roughly $4 to $6 per four-pack at Walmart and Kroger. Check current pricing on Amazon
Best for picky dogs: Purina Frosty Paws Peanut Butter. Real peanut butter flavoring, no xylitol, no artificial sweeteners. What dogs go for when they sniff the vanilla version and walk away. Same $4 to $6 band. See listings on Amazon
Best seasonal pick: Purina Frosty Paws Pumpkin. A fall-only run with real pumpkin for extra fiber. Hard to find outside September through November, around $5 to $7. View seasonal options on Amazon
Best premium alternative: The Bear and The Rat Frozen Yogurt. A human-grade yogurt base in flavors like banana and peanut butter or sweet potato, sold through independent pet boutiques. Typically $6 to $9, and the better choice for a dog the whey-based version upsets. Compare on Amazon
Best budget alternative: Dogsters Ice Cream Style Treats. Stocked in the same Walmart and grocery freezers, in vanilla and peanut butter, usually under $4 for four. Thinner texture, but your dog will not complain. Check availability on Amazon
Open the Walmart app before you drive anywhere, since it is the one retailer whose per-store inventory for Frosty Paws is usually accurate. If it shows zero, go straight to Instacart rather than touring three stores. Between May and September, buy two boxes when you find them. New puppy in the house? Check the portion notes above first, and see our guide to everyday dog food for the rest of the list.
Frosty Paws Questions, Answered
What are Frosty Paws made of?
The base is water and whey, a fraction of milk, plus soybean oil, soy flour, and a vitamin and mineral premix. No chocolate, no xylitol. The Peanut Butter recipe adds real peanut butter to that same base, which pushes its calorie count slightly above the Original.
How often can I give my dog Frosty Paws?
Occasionally, not daily. Treats should stay a small share of a dog’s total intake, and you portion by body weight rather than by container. Ask your veterinarian for a specific allowance if your dog is on a weight-management diet or has pancreatitis.
Why does my grocery store never have them?
They compete for frozen-novelty shelf space against seasonal items, so allocation runs highest in spring and summer and thinnest in winter. A store that drops the item can take a full season to pick it back up. The store website reflects that faster than the service desk will.
Reviewed By
In July 2026, our editorial team re-verified retailer availability, price ranges, and picks for this guide, with reference to pet care guidance from the American Veterinary Medical Association. Our other dog buying guides cover the rest of the list for a new canine companion.