Snopes says this is a hoax... So if your fur baby is an ice cube a holic..... let them indulge!!! Veterinarian Dr. Audrey Harvey concurred, writing of this topic in July 2011 that: There have been rumors that ice and ice water causes a spasm of the stomach muscle in dogs, leading to a swollen stomach, and potentially fatal bloat. These rumors are not true, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, while ice may cause a muscle spasm, this is more likely to cause vomiting. Secondly, if ice caused bloating, then wed see more cases of bloat during winter in dogs that live outdoors in cold parts of the country, where their water bowl ices over, and this isnt the case. I think that what is more likely is that dogs are given ice or iced water to drink when they are hot and thirsty, for example after heavy exercise. Under these circumstances, they are very likely to drink a lot of water very quickly, and this is a known risk factor for bloat. To prevent your dog getting bloat, feed several small meals a day instead of one or two large ones, don’t let them drink lots of water at once, and avoid exercise for an hour or so after mealtime. Likewise, Dr. Page Wages of the Oberlin Animal Hospital wrote said of this subject in August 2007 that: Q: 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. And veterinarian Dr. Patty Khuly wrote in July 2010 of the second example reproduced above (which has been circulating since at least 2007), these types of warnings about dogs and ice water are examples of web-based misinformation [that] will just not die: Though undoubtedly well-intentioned, the problem is obvious: The writer is misguidedly offering up her story as a helpful truth. When, in fact, the information is unproven, unreliably sourced, unverified, and utterly unnecessarily disseminated to the public — to the potential detriment of dogs who may indeed benefit from drinking cold water or getting ice cubes in their water to brake their drinking binges. Frigid water gastric cramping is a falsehood akin to those that inform you that your hair will grow back coarser if you shave it (myth), or that you shouldnt go swimming for 30 minutes after eating lest you drown in a fit of cramps (myth). And though its not a big deal to warn people about something that will at the very least do no harm should they avoid it, it drives me crazy to get these e-mails, nonetheless. Since 2007, when this message started making the rounds, Ive received this ice water e-mail ten times over — at least. It even once served as an impetus for a post I wrote on the truth behind bloat risks, and on another occasion, it inspired a piece I wrote for The Bark (Sept/Oct 2009), treating current veterinary thinking on the subject. Why so sensitive? Because the story needed to be outed for what it was: a simple tragic anecdote. Because it annoys me when people feel the need to pass along their personal tales of woe without consulting the science behind the tragedy. And because people should probably think before playing a viral game of online Cassandra with respect to everyone elses pets. Read more at snopes/critters/crusader/icewater.asp#SCQ7yzTFeqMPue7d.99
Posted on: Wed, 18 Jun 2014 21:46:25 +0000