Friday Fact: It is OKAY to let your dog play with, chew on and eat ice cubes, with a few simple precautions!! A recent online article warning that giving dogs ice cubes or ice water can be dangerous, or even deadly, is inaccurate at best. In the post, which apparently first surfaced a few years ago and has recently gone viral on Facebook and Twitter, a pet owner claims her dog almost died after she gave it ice cubes, stating that the ice cubes caused the dog to bloat. While we cannot speculate on what actually made the dog sick, bloat - which is a very serious and life-threatening condition - can be caused by drinking large quantities of water in a single sitting, eating a large meal (instead of two smaller ones,) or eating foods that create a large amount of gas in the dogs stomach. Ice cubes themselves are not a known factor for causing bloat. Ice cubes or ice water should NOT be used to cool a dog that has become overheated. While using cold water or ice may seem like the logically fastest way to cool your dog, this actually causes blood vessels to constrict or shrink, which then forces heat INSIDE your pets body and traps it there, delaying effective cooling. Dont use ice or cold water externally, and do not feed ice or let your pet drink ice water if the animal is overheated. Another precaution against ice would be for dogs who have teeth that are in poor condition, as chewing the ice could potentially cause tooth damage. With these precautions, go ahead and let your dog enjoy that cool, icy treat! Have a great weekend, and if you have any questions, please let us know - we are here to help!
Posted on: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 00:40:39 +0000
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