Ice Cubes for Dogs? Am I allowed them?

If you are boiling hot in this weather then imagine how I feel in my fur coat! My human loves me a lot and of course is worried silly about me overheating. I’m panting away and they want to help and I can’t sweat like you guys.

So, am I allowed ice cubes or not?

I heard my humans chatting about blurb on the web saying it’s dangerous to feed dogs ice cubes. Humans tend to panic worried they are doing the wrong thing.

Well guess what! Great news! The myth has been busted! Ice is safe to give your dog! But hang on, before you start googling ice machines, there are 4 things you humans need to remember:

1) It’s best if you crush the ice into small pieces to avoid me choking on a whole ice cube, it sticking to my tongue or even possibly damaging my teeth (we all know how much that can cost!)

2) I don’t need a slush-puppy, so don’t put too much ice in my water bowl, a couple of cubes to keep it cool is fine.

3) If you think I have heat stroke, don’t panic and definitely don’t be tempted to give me too much ice or a cold bath as this can be dangerous. I hate to say this but call the vet.

Just in case, signs of heat stroke include:

Panting heavily
Thicker and sticky saliva
Bright red tongue
Red or pale looking gums
Depression
Vomiting (sometimes with blood)
Diarrhoea
Dizziness
Lethargic
Shock
Coma

4) Don’t be giving ice to puppies as they won’t cope with a freezing cold tummy.

Remember, stay safe in the heat!