A blog post saying that dogs can’t drink ice water on a hot day is most likely false.
The post has been circulated via e-mail and Facebook, saying that ice water will cause the dog to die from bloating and spasms.
The post says: “In surgery the vet found that Baran’s stomach was in its normal anatomic position. We went over what had happened. When I told the vet about the ice water, he asked why I gave him ice water. I said that I have always done this. I told him my history behind this practice and his reply was, ”‘I have been very lucky.’”
However, in recent days, a number of veterinarian have talked about the post, saying it holds no weight.
Dr. Randall Carpenter told WXMI that a dog consuming cold water or ice cubes in moderation won’t cause fatal bloating or spasms.
He said, “Ice cubes and cold water are fine for pets as long as it’s done with some common sense.”
The post about bloating and spasms has been around since at least 2010, and there’s different variations of it.
According to a Hoax-Slayer post from 2013, “The claims are untrue. Reports from veterinarians indicate that drinking ice or cold water is not inherently dangerous for dogs and does not cause bloat as claimed in the warning message. While the dog discussed in the message may have indeed suffered bloat, there is no evidence to support the claim that the condition was caused by iced water.”
Dr. Audrey Harvey said at the time: “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,” and added: “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.”
