Warning - Dogs and Ice Cubes

[Feralpeg]

I volunteer for a local dog adoption group. Recently, we got a note from a person who also volunteers. It was a real eye opener.

She shows dogs. Recently, she showed her dog Baran. It was a very hot day in Florida. After his work out, she put him in his crate to cool off. She gave him water with ice cubes. When she went back to check on him a few minutes later, she found him to be drooling and in distress. It turned out that he had developed bloat. Fortunately, she had read about treating a dog with bloat and gave him something to help with the gas. They rushed him to the vet. They were very lucky. Baran will recover, but the vet told the owner to never ever give a dog ice. It can cause the stomach to spasm and create bloat.

I had no idea. I have given my dogs ice cubes before to play with. I never will again.

 

[Buckalew11]

Ack! Every once in while, esp. when I drop an ice cube or 2 on the floor, I'll pop itinto the dog's water dish.

Thanks for this head's up. I'd never forgive myself.

 

[DawnCt1]

Wow, I had no idea. I lost our 14 year old golden retriever to bloat. We were gone for a couple of hours and when we got home, he was in shock and could not be saved. When Annie, our first standard poodle was 18 months old, I let her out to do her "business". She always came back to the window within 15 minutes. She didn't. I ran out to find her standing motionless in the back yard. I carried her in, felt her abdomen which felt distended to me. We rushed her to the vet where she was given a 50/50 chance of survival. In that short time she bloated, had gastric torsion and twisted the messentary enough to cut the blood supply to her spleen. She survived, had cardiac arrythmias, had to be on pronestyl for a month with weekly cardiograms to wean her from it. $$$$ Thanks for the tip on ice cubes.

 

[MK2thcleaner]

http://madmikesamerica.com/2010/07/critter-talk-the-internet-myth-of-ice-water-bloat-in-dogs/


Question:
Can bloat be attributed to feeding your dog ice or ice water?

A: Not directly. If your dog drinks the ice water or eats the ice cubes too fast, there is a potential to lead to bloat.

Bloat is a condition in a dog or cat when they eat too much or too fast, and suck in air with the food or water, allowing the stomach to fill with gas. Most often, dogs will eat their meal very fast and then run or play, sucking in air as they bounce around, filling their stomach. Some dogs will bloat by eating too much too fast. Regardless, the stomach fills with gas and is at risk for flipping, causing a GDV (Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus), which is an emergency condition and required immediate surgery. Dogs with bloat or a GDV can very quickly go into shock and if stretched too far can potentially slough part of their stomach, which is life threatening.

Most common breeds susceptible to bloat are the deep chested dogs, like Bassett Hounds, Standard Poodles, Labradors, Weimaraner, Shepherds, etc.

Signs of bloat include:

Trying to vomiting without producing anything (gagging)
Inability to get comfortable and lie down
Restlessness
Distended, firm abdomen
Inappetance
If your dog shows any of these clinical signs, I would recommend taking your dog to a veterinarian immediately.

~Dr. Page Wages

Oberlin Animal Hospital

 

[luvmy3]

Wow, as a new dog owner who has been putting ice in my pups water, I had no idea what bloat in dogs was. Thanks fo r the info. I was curious so I googled and found a very informative website.
It doesn't list ice cubes but i won't be putting them in her water anymore.


http://www.globalspan.net/bloat.htm

 

[Buckalew11]

Probably the link between ice/ice water is that if the dog is hot or very thirsty they will gulp it down or gulp it down and then if outdoors, run around some more.

 

[EllenFrasier]

I think the key is not to give your dog a huge amount of water at once or they will gulp it down along with a lot of air causing bloat. I give my dogs ice cubes all the time in the hot weather - they suck on them, roll on them, chew on them and never had a problem. I don't think it was the ice that was the culprit.

 

[Jennasis]

There is nothing wrong with offering your dog ice water.

You cannot take a dog for a "workout", then stick them in a crate (confined area) with ice-water. As noted above, the thirsty dog will suck down the water due to excessive thirst and doing so causes the intake of air, thus the bloat.

Ice in and of itself does not cause bloat.

The best way to cool down a hot dog (hehehe...hot dog...) is to let them lie on a cool surface such as a kitchen or bathroom floor, or in the shade, or in a small pool of water. At greyhound racetracks the dogs are cooled down after a race by having them lay on pools of water.

THEN you can let them have some water (preferably tepid). And after they have been properly cooled and rested, offer them ice in water throughout the day to keep them cool.

 

[mickeysgal]

You cannot take a dog for a "workout", then stick them in a crate (confined area) with ice-water. As noted above, the thirsty dog will suck down the water due to excessive thirst and doing so causes the intake of air, thus the bloat.

Ok. We have our dogs at the dog park all the time. They run around like maniacs and then run and slurp water like they've never had any before, then take off, run some more, drink water, etc. It's not ice water. Is that the difference or is this bad too?

 

[LilyWDW]

Ok. We have our dogs at the dog park all the time. They run around like maniacs and then run and slurp water like they've never had any before, then take off, run some more, drink water, etc. It's not ice water. Is that the difference or is this bad too?

That could lead to issues as well. It's not so much WHAT it is, as much as it is about them ingesting it too quickly and getting air into the system. You should not allow your dogs to eat or drink too quickly. That is what happened in the OPs case since the dog was worked out and then placed in a crate with water. The animal was extremely hot and drank the water too quickly. That caused the bloat.

 

[mickeysgal]

That could lead to issues as well. It's not so much WHAT it is, as much as it is about them ingesting it too quickly and getting air into the system. You should not allow your dogs to eat or drink too quickly. That is what happened in the OPs case since the dog was worked out and then placed in a crate with water. The animal was extremely hot and drank the water too quickly. That caused the bloat.

They're all drinking like this at the dog park. They act like crazy dogs chasing each other and then they skid to a stop and drink like there is no tomorrow. Not just my dogs, but everyone's. That's going to be hard to control.

 

[goofy!]

I volunteer for a local dog adoption group. Recently, we got a note from a person who also volunteers. It was a real eye opener.

She shows dogs. Recently, she showed her dog Baran. It was a very hot day in Florida. After his work out, she put him in his crate to cool off. She gave him water with ice cubes. When she went back to check on him a few minutes later, she found him to be drooling and in distress. It turned out that he had developed bloat. Fortunately, she had read about treating a dog with bloat and gave him something to help with the gas. They rushed him to the vet. They were very lucky. Baran will recover, but the vet told the owner to never ever give a dog ice. It can cause the stomach to spasm and create bloat.

I had no idea. I have given my dogs ice cubes before to play with. I never will again.

The dog that died at a show due to ice water is a viral e-mail that is bogus. As the vet in the article below says, bloat due to ice water gastric cramping is akin to the myth of having to wait 30 minutes after eating to swim. Completely bogus.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2010/july/internet_myths

There are many myths about bloat. If you want to read up on the latest research, the Purdue University Bloat study is ongoing and has the latest information about bloat.

 

[PaulaSB12]

We have to be careful about my collie Lucy and ice cubes. If she gets one she plays with it for a few minutes looks for the nearest sleepy moggie and drops it on them!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

That email has been going around a long time - it's not true. Your dog is fine to eat ice cubes. Read up on bloat (from a reputable source) or talk to your vet the next time you're in for a visit. That's the best way to get information on how to prevent it (and in some cases, you can do everything right and STILL lose a dog to bloat).

 

[Friendly Frog]

Speaking of bloat....My shih-tzu has a hard time drinking water without getting it in her nose, so we bought her a hanging water bottle like for rabbits. She loved licking the bottle, but then I started worrying that it was bad for her because 1) it is elevated and 2) I was afraid that licking the little ball bearing would cause her to ingest more air. What do y'all think?

 

[kacaju]

There is a dog show we go to which every year they put out kiddie pools filled with water and huge blocks of ice for the dogs to drink from.

 

[The Iron Giant]

Somethings not kosher here... if this whole dog/ice/bloat story is an email hoax then why is the OP claiming that she works with the lady who reportedly experienced this true story?

 

[taximomfor4]

Somethings not kosher here... if this whole dog/ice/bloat story is an email hoax then why is the OP claiming that she works with the lady who reportedly experienced this true story?

OP says the volunteer gave them a note. That note was probably a print-out of the forwarded email. It's an email forward that's gone around for several years.

 

[MichelleVW]

Somethings not kosher here... if this whole dog/ice/bloat story is an email hoax then why is the OP claiming that she works with the lady who reportedly experienced this true story?

Lol..that's how urban legends work....it always happened to a friend of theirs...or a friend of a friend..

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Somethings not kosher here... if this whole dog/ice/bloat story is an email hoax then why is the OP claiming that she works with the lady who reportedly experienced this true story?

No its not a hoax, it can happen.

Both my collies come from a family line with bloat in it. I've read up on it extensively and am very cautious about exercise, drink and food and how it relates to my dogs. Not all breeds are prone to bloat, its mainly associated with large chested breeds.

Dogs prone to bloat should not eat large amounts of food in one sitting. I feed my dogs twice a day., They should not be exercised extensively until 2-4 hours after they eat. And they should not be aloud to drink large amounts of water at 1 sitting especially after they eat.

I used to show my dogs. Yes, there are ice pools set up and it is for dogs to lay in or get splashed off on a hot day. Some dogs such as flat faced breeds are very prone to overheat exhaustion. As I said, not all breeds are prone to bloat so that accounts for the ice water at shows. Usually if your breed or breeding line is more susceptible, you know guidelines and dangers and avoid them with your dog.

To add something more after I read the original post again. I put ice in my dogs water and give them ice to play with. But would never do it after strenuous exercise, such as after a long game of catch or their morning walks. Bloat can be triggered by alot of things not just ice and as I said if your breed or breeding line is prone to it, you should know and exercise the precautions. The dog in the original post was lucky. Most dogs die from bloat and it is a agonizing death. I seen my friends dog go through it , the symptoms were very slight , she didn't even realize thats what it was until it was too late.