Sue and I were talking the other day about giving your pet ice water. I was under the belief that this could cause bloat. I am happy to find out from Sue that this is a common misconception for dogs. My dogs like to snack on ice cubes, but I was reluctant to add too many ice cubes to their water bowls. Now that I read the article below I will let them enjoy their ice water. Bloat is a scary condition. I don't worry about dehydration for my dogs since they always have an ample supply of water and like to spend time indoors in the air conditioning on super hot days.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (FOX17) – An article that is going viral on the web is terrifying pet owners.
The blog post, called “No Ice Water For Dogs Please Read ASAP,” discusses one dog’s near deadly encounter.
FOX17 spoke with a veterinarian to find out the truth behind the post.
The article claims a dog almost died after his owner gave him ice water, claiming the cold water caused the dog to bloat.
Dr. Randall Carpenter says bloat is a life-threatening situation for dogs because it actually flips their stomach while enlarging it.
“If the dog is overheated and dehydrated, and desperate for fluids and they consume huge, huge amounts of ice cubes or water all at one time, it could create a situation where the dog could bloat,” said Dr. Carpenter.
However, that is true for large amounts of any temperature water.
He says consuming cold water or ice cubes in moderation will not cause bloat.
In fact, he says ice cubes and water when the weather is hot is actually a good thing.
http://kfor.com/2014/06/19/veterinarian-gets-to-the-bottom-of-post-about-the-dangers-of-ice-cubes-and-dogs/