What You Must Know About Giving Your Dog Ice Cubes!

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Every year, it seems, the same rumor gets spread about it being super dangerous to give your dog ice cubes.

But fear not!

It is perfectly fine for fully grown pets to beat the heat with an ice cold treat.

Can I Give My Dog an Ice Cube?You just have to steer clear of the following:

  • Extremely hard ice (may eventually damage teeth)
  • Large chunks (choking is a small possibility)

Adult Dogs Can Have Ice Cubes

Crushing them up is smart as it removes an unnecessary risk.

Keep reading to learn more about other key considerations…

Bloat And Bad Reactions

You should ration ice cubes. Do not let your pet pooch go to town with too much and too fast.

Dogs get brain freeze too!

Next up is a condition called Bloat AKA gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV)?

It does, in fact, happen.

This worrisome medical problem occurs due to excessive consumption of water. But the thing is ice cubes take much more time to consume.

In other words, this claim about GDV is basically a myth.

Of course, in already melted form, Bloat isn’t out of the question. So, for this reason, limit the amount of ice cubes (and plain water) that your dog gets to enjoy over a short period of time.

Give Only Defrosted Ice

Want to play it really safe?

Allow some melting to occur.

The reason?

Ice that is not rock hard is easier on tooth enamel. Dental damage isn’t fun.

Partially melted ice also can’t stick to a dog’s tongue.

Granted, saliva’s warmth quickly fixes such a scenario, but the point is…

No super hard frozen ice cubes for your dog.

What About For Puppies?

When it comes to puppy dogs, the main factor regarding ice cubes is:

Sensitivity!

Young dogs are not mature enough for ice’s concentrated coldness.

Be cautious. No sub-zero ice or ice water.

That is not to say you cannot accommodate your pup’s teething tendencies using ice cubes.

You certainly can. Moderation!

How Canines Treat Ice

Many dogs do not exactly practice patience with ice cubes.

They tend to chomp at this cool treat like it’s food.

Yikes!

Again, broken teeth are the biggest issue in our opinion.

It can’t be stressed enough:

Go with crushed, shaved or ice chips.

Big-Sized Choking Hazard

Large ice cubes are a potential choking hazard.

Luckily, it’s often the case that a dog will cough it back up. That, or the ice will melt enough in seconds.

Nevertheless, scrutinize the size and hardness of your ice cubes to avert an unlikely chance that your dog could be harmed.

Water Bowl Hydration Boost

Putting a few ice cubes in a buddy’s water dish is a great idea.

Doing so is particularly beneficial in hot or dry climates.

Ice cubes can cause a dog to swallow more water. It makes drinking more enjoyable. They’ll be better hydrated!

The Bottom Line

Ice cubes are basically safe for dogs. In fact, sharing is a great way to hydrate.

Bloat is thankfully not a well-founded fear.

However, you still have to ensure that your dog doesn’t choke (short-term worry) or damage teeth (long-term problem) by withholding very hard ice.

Finally, limit ice cube quantities. Follow this advice to allay your concerns.

What Do You Think? Have Your Say Below…

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22 thoughts on “What You Must Know About Giving Your Dog Ice Cubes!”

  1. My almost 11-year old Golden Retriever eats ice every day. We live in an extremely hot climate in Arizona. Ice cubes in her water bowl are the norm.

  2. My 15th month old Kelpie just loves ice cubes, but we only give her the ones made by manufacturers. We make a game of it in the hot summer months.

  3. Apolo 🐶 likes ice ❄ cubes every day. Just one or two. It may be a good way to get fresh and clean water 💦. It’s refreshing and complements his meals.

  4. My 7-month-old Black Mouth Cur loves ice cubes! She will literally stand at the fridge until we grab one out for her. It’s the cheapest treat around.

  5. I have a 6 year old Pit Bull-Boxer mix. I have been giving him ice cubes all his life and he loves them in his water during the summer. Half the time he won`t touch his water unless there are ice cubes in it.

  6. My 3 month old Weimaraner loves ice cubes, very cold ones. He will come to the fridge and stand there until he gets one. Sometimes 6-7 cubes in the evening.

  7. The only thing I would watch out for is too much ice at once. We emptied a cooler in the yard and my Golden Retriever ate so much she began shivering violently.

    We didn’t connect the two at the time, but she did it again. We live in Alaska. I have to keep an eye on her a good portion of the year. A little bit here and there has had no adverse effects.

  8. I have a year old Yellow Lab pup and he absolutely loves ice cubes. My fridge has one of those ice and water dispensers. Whenever I make some ice water or get ice for my drink, he runs over and looks at me expectantly. I always give him a few. Sometimes I get a big cup of ice cubes and alternate between him and myself.

  9. I have 2 Cocker Spaniels. The 9 year old could care less about ice cubes. But, the 4 year old loves them. We limit him to 2 or 3 at a time. He chews them up and is so excited about it. He’s never choked or broke a tooth.

  10. My Standard Poodle loves ice cubes but he usually drops them after a bit of licking. If he’s overheated and swallows an ice cube, he will vomit.

  11. My daughter and son-in-law complain every time I give their German Shepherd an ice cube. She loves them and I don’t give it to her every time. I have to have cold drinks of water so I’m always putting more ice in my drinks. Sometimes one gets away from me and falls to the floor. If I don’t get to it in time, Becca will eat it. I don’t want to argue with them but they are so wrong.

  12. I own Belgian and Dutch Shepherds. After a hard work out, I always add ice cubes to their water bowl. They drink more water because they try to grab the ice while drinking. The end result is that it cuts their cool down time in half. Normally it takes them 30-35 minutes to cool down, but when I add ice, they are cooled down enough. After 15 minutes they breathe with a closed mouth. I never gave them ice as a puppy, and they were not introduced to ice until they turned a year old.

  13. My Frenchie loves ice cubes. But he’s never given them as a way to cool down. He goes crazy looking for it!

  14. We have a 5 month old Shih-poo. He has started running to the frig as soon as he hears the crushed ice. We are careful to give him only pieces that are melting and about the size of a Lima bean. He chews it into tiny pieces. I’ve found that this is his treat of choice and was glad to read that if we keep this ice to a treat, and not a regular thing, it will be okay for him. He understands the word “ice” already. Pretty good for his age!

  15. My 2 year old Boston Terrier mix loves ice cubes. He comes to the fridge every time he hears the ice dispense. I always have him sit and then give him one or two. Never any ill effects.

  16. I have a 1 year old Shitzu. She’s still tiny. One day I thought of giving her ice. My mom says that you shouldn’t give her ice because it can fracture their teeth but I still think we should give it sometimes in hot seasons but not regularly.

    1. Ashneet, I have a 1 year old Miniature Schnauzer that picked up an ice cube when the ice maker dropped one on the floor. After that each time he hears us getting ice cubes, he races to get a cube. He loves this and immediately breaks the cube up, eating it. We don’t see any harm in him doing this several times a day.

  17. We had a full blooded Rottweiler and now have a Rot/Pit Bull mix. Both of them love ice water but when they drink it they get sick and vomit. Our mixed breed loves ice cubes but I’m afraid to let him have them because they might have the same affect.

  18. My Rottweiler/Shepard cross loves ice cubes and will do anything you ask of her to get them. If I give her ice cubes and her food, she’ll ignore her food and go for the ice, every time.

    1. My 6 month old Rottweiler/Shepard mix is the same way. She has never had any ill effects. She loves her ice cubes, especially after a good run or walk outside.

  19. I have a 2 month old Yorkshire Terrier. My ex was trying to tell me I can’t give her ice cubes in her water, it’s not good.

    1. Stephanie says:

      That’s because there is something going around on Facebook right now saying that it can kill dogs. Direct him to this article! Vets have now deemed it an urban legend in a lot of articles.

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