Many owners have given their dogs ice cream as soon as summer comes. As soon as you take out the ice cream, the dog will lie on his lap and look at you, drooling all over his legs. But some ice creams have too many various additives that are not good for your dog's health. If you want to cool your dog, it is more recommended to give your dog ice cubes. How to use ice to cool your dog in summer?

I. Do dogs like ice?

Of course, they do. In general, there are very few things that dogs don't like to eat, especially when it's super hot in the summer, and they like cool ice even more. Dogs don't sweat and can only cool themselves by panting or using their sweat glands on the pads of their paws to dissipate heat. So they often need to find external ways to cool down, and some dogs like to run and play in the water. If the owner will give the dog ice cream, he will also be very happy, after all, it is sweet and cold. Of course, ice without additives is much safer. Eating ice or drinking ice water helps to lower the body temperature quickly to avoid too hot heat stroke.

Dogs that are changing their teeth can be uncomfortable, and they also like to chew on ice to ease the discomfort, and the ice can have an analgesic effect. Some dogs just love to play with ice and sliding around on the floor is a great way to burn time. If you want your dog to play with ice, it's best to do it outside to avoid making a mess indoors.

II. Why do some people say dogs shouldn't eat ice?

Some people say that ice is dangerous for dogs and can lead to a serious life-threatening condition, gastric torsion. Dogs can have higher stomach temperatures in the summertime, and eating ice at this time of year is likely to cause your dog's stomach to suffer, triggering problems with gas and bloating that can eventually lead to fatal gastric dilatation and intestinal torsion. To be precise, these concerns are not speculation without evidence.
If your dog has a glass stomach or is an older dog, ice as a stimulant may indeed trigger intestinal problems in your dog. A dog with a weak stomach is not a good candidate for ice, and neither is a dog with unhealthy teeth. The temperature of the ice can irritate the dog's gums, and the hardness may cause some dogs' teeth to chip or break, especially toy breeds with smaller jaws, such as poodles and Pekingese. But for the average healthy dog, as long as the amount is controlled, there is no need to worry about your dog developing such problems.

Three: What other frozen treats can I give my dog besides ice?

What is more recommended is to put ice cubes into your dog's drinking water to turn ordinary water into a delicious cold drink inside the summer, and your dog will drink more of it. If you want to give your dog the same thrill as a Coke for humans, make broth for your dog and add ice to it.
Yogurt instead of ice cream (some dogs can get diarrhea from yogurt, so owners should be careful). In fermented yogurt, the lactose content is lower, and probiotics in yogurt can also promote dog digestion. But the commercially available yogurt, sugar content is still high, can only say that you can eat but eating less is better. You should not feed yogurt too often, eating too much will be diarrhea. There are also many pet-grade yogurts available now, so if you have the wallet to spare, you can buy this.
Another alternative to ice cream is banana ice cream, where bananas are stirred with some yogurt and simply treated to make ice cream. This ice cream is safe for dogs and has some nutritional value. Or you can just put the banana in the freezer, although the skin will turn black, the flesh can still be eaten, just overcome this psychological barrier.
If you have a juicer at home, you can make a lot of flavors of ice cream for yourself or your dog. As long as the owner avoids what the dog can't eat (chocolate, grapes, xylitol, etc.), all kinds of fruits can be combined to make all kinds of delicious homemade ice cream.
Many pet owners have been told when getting a dog: Never give your dog ice water! So feed your dog ice water to do this practice safely or not?
If you do a web survey on whether you can feed your dog ice water, you will find that there are many answers and even a lot of conflicting information. In recent years, the more advocated practice is that even if your dog is panting in the hot sun, do not feed your dog ice water to drink. But what is the reason for doing this?
First of all, if you feed your dog cold water, your dog is prone to gas and bloating, which can cause gastric dilation- torsion. Medically known as GDV, this is a dilatation of the stomach and is accompanied by rotation on the mesenteric axis, which can impede your pet's blood supply. If not treated properly, it can cause necrosis of the stomach lining. In severe cases, this can lead to death.

Don't let your dog drink ice water
Gastric dilatation-rotation is a serious acute disease in veterinary medicine, but is it caused by drinking cold water? The answer is no. The truth is that the greater cause is that the dog swallows too much water quickly at once and swallows a lot of gas together.
We also know how refreshing it is to give your dog some ice water to drink when you are panting with him. But to avoid stomach dilation and torsion as much as possible, it's best not to feed ice water. Unless your dog is too hot and lethargic

Giving your dog too much water at once is a very dangerous thing. Usually, dogs will vomit when they drink a lot of water too quickly, and if they don't, you should be worried about gas. Or think of it this way: what happens when you feel very hot when you drink a large glass of ice water in one go? This icy refreshment usually brings pain and discomfort. It may be harmless, but it will cause you or your dog a lot of pain.
On the other hand, it can lead to broken teeth. We have seen many cases of this in our clinic. Although broken teeth are not always caused by ice, many pairs of dogs have broken teeth due to chewing ice. This is usually painful and requires surgical extraction, so it's never worth the risk to pet owners.
Excessive cold can also cause vasoconstriction. Feeding your dog cold water when you want him to cool down will not only not cool him down, but it will also prevent his heat exchange and prevent the absorption of nutrients. Cold water also slows the metabolic activity of cells and inhibits muscle contraction in some organs (as well as nerve activity associated with organs). Cold and contraction also affect lymphatic activity, which in turn affects the body's immune function.

If your dog feels very hot all the time, it may be a sign of other problems. Many of these problems can sometimes be solved by diet. For example, feeding some warm food (chicken) or cool food (fish). If the temperature is still not normal it's time to take your dog to the vet.

IV. Other ways to cool your dog

As mentioned above, adding ice cubes to your dog's water is one way to do this and also get your dog to drink more water.
A fan can be turned on for the dog at home.
remembering to take water out with them when they go out, and that walks are best in the morning and at night when there is no sun.
You can take your dog swimming, swimming is arguably the best sport for dogs in the summer.
Dogs also like ice, there is no reason why the owner of their eating alone not to give the dog to eat! But also bear in mind, do not let them eat too much, eat too fast.