Most pet owners will admit to feeding their dog an ice cube on a hot day – it’s refreshing, it’s cold, and it’s water – a perfect treat, right? Overall, yes, ice is a perfectly acceptable treat and guarantees at least some water ingestion (making it a great hydration trick for on the boat or trail) but, like everything with pet ownership, it’s not without SOME risk. Here’s what we mean.
Chewing ice can cause tooth cracking or breaking and, if done really frequently, can wear down pets’ enamel. That being said, the larger and harder the ice cube the higher the chance of that happening so use discretion based on your pet’s dental health. There’s also a slight risk of choking. While wildly uncommon, it is possible that an ice cube could lodge itself in your pet’s airway before melting sufficiently. Pets with missing teeth or who have trouble swallowing are at a greater risk of this but, again, a bit of sense goes a long way.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention dog bloat, a twisting of the stomach brought on by trapped gas caused by eating or drinking too much. You may be wondering what this has to do with ice as a treat, but putting ice in their water may prompt your pet to drink more than usual which could cause bloat.
Lastly, ice cubes are not an acceptable treat for dogs experiencing heat stroke (their temperature should be brought down gradually) or dehydration caused by an unknown illness. If your pet becomes dehydrated due to vomiting or diarrhea, consult your veterinarian before giving a nauseous pet food or water.
You know what, on second thought, just stick to Pro-Treats, you know they’re safe. We’d love to see how you cool your pet down in the summer months – post a picture to our Facebook page!
