ICE CAUSES FATAL BLOAT IN DOGS!

Really?

INTERNET STORY WARNS “ICE WATER CAUSES DANGEROUS BLOAT IN DOGS”

And yet the ‘hoax slayer’ sites say it’s not true at all. Some days it feel more like we’re the Mythbusters team on TV than a holisitc vet practice, but our mission is to educate so…what is the truth about ice and dogs?

Drinking cold water, iced water or enjoying a frozen treat on a hot day is really unlikely to cause your dog any more harm than an ice lolly or a Pimms over ice will do you. BUT if the dog has just returned from exercise and is hot and tired, or worse on the verge of heat exhaustion then iced water should be avoided. Very cold water hitting the stomach of a very hot dog can cause painful stomach cramps (try it yourself after a run…oh, you don’t fancy it, ok!) but these in themselves are unlikely to cause bloat. It may cause vomiting and this won’t help the dog recover and rehydrate. The bigger risk for bloat is from the dog drinking too quickly and taking large amounts of air into the stomach with the water. Again, not every dog will have a problem, but it could trigger a problem in a bloat prone individual. Feeding too soon before or after exercise are more common triggers for bloat and it can happen spontaneously in some dogs, possibly in response to stress.

SAFE WAYS TO COOL DOWN A HOT DOG

For a normal dog on a hot day just keep the water bowl topped up and in a shady spot. Frozen water bottles in front of fans can provide cheap ‘air con’ to travelling or kenneled dogs. Frozen treats provide great entertainment, especially if it’s too hot for walkies. You can freeze a stuffed Kong, make flavoured ice cubes, freeze carrots or put a whole selection of treats in a big bowl and freeze them (see picture).

For a dog which is very hot after exercise offer small amounts of tepid water at regular intervals until the dog is recovered. Use fans, cooling coats or hosing to reduce the body temperature. Avoid feeding until the dog is fully recovered as he won’t be able to digest food properly. Electrolyte drinks don’t help dogs recover in the same way as they do humans because dogs lose pure water when exercising whereas humans lose lots of salts through sweat. Electrolytes are more useful is a dog has been sick or had diarrhoea.

For dogs which tend to gulp water try a ‘Road Refresher’ bowl. these are non-spill bowls designed for travel but they have also been very effective at altering the way gulpers drink.