Frosty Paws

Frosty Paws, formerly Pet79, and Fido Freeze is a brand of ice cream, specifically formulated and sold for dogs. It is produced by Nestlé, under their Nestlé Dreyer's Ice Cream Company ice cream unit; branded under the Purina brand name.

Frosty Paws were originally exclusively available in the original (Vanilla)-flavor ice cream cups. The ice cream cups were originally invented in the 1970s by Dr William Tyznik, a professor emeritus of animal science at The Ohio State University. Diane McIntyre, Nestlé spokeswoman stated, "He was a regular visitor to his local ice cream parlour, where he often saw two elderly ladies feeding ice cream to their dogs. When he advised them that this was not the most suitable food for their pets, the ladies challenged him to create a dog-friendly alternative."

Tyznik sampled several various recipes with his own dogs. Finally, in 1979, with the help of two friends, Tyznik's decided to launch of the Vanilla flavor of Frosty Paws ice cream cups, under the first, and original brand name Pet79. The product was the first frozen treat for dogs ever introduced onto The United States market. Tyznik later went on to create and produce TizWhiz horse feed, and Cycle (dog food). By 1981, the brand's name was changed to Fido Freeze.

In 1985, Frosty Paws was acquired by the Drumstick Ice Cream Company for an undisclosed amount. Frosty Paws was owned by Drumstick for a total of six years. In 1991, Drumstick, along with the Frosty Paws brand was in turn acquired by Nestlé in 1991.

Nestlé went on to introduce a Peanut Butter flavor of Frosty Paws ice cream cups in 2005, based on research carried out by its Purina PetCare Company division into dogs' preferred tastes. On August 19, 2011, Nestlé unveiled Frosty Paws Bites, a line of bite-sized, which specially formulated for dogs, who are lactose intolerant and cannot properly digest dairy products such as normal ice cream. Frosty Paws Bites contain vitamins and minerals, and are milk-free. They are available in Vanilla or Peanut Butter flavors (as are the ice cream cup variety of Frosty Paws), and coated with vanilla yogurt (a major difference from the ice cream cup range, as they are not coated in vanilla yogurt), they are the second, and latest line of products from the Frosty Paws brand.

...
Wikipedia