Are you wondering what is the best way to hydrate a dog? Water is essential to keep your dog hydrated. Be careful about its daily recommendation of water intake. It can either be in liquid or solid form. There are no benefits or disadvantages of dogs’ frozen treats and ice cubes. However, you can avoid giving your pet dog ice cubes, for they serve no purpose. Dog cooling pool and cool drinking water are sufficient for your dog.

Ice Cubes – the best way to hydrate a dog

Do’s and Don’ts

If your question is, can you give ice cubes to hydrate a dog, the answer is yes, but in moderation. Dogs like cool treats like ice lollies and ice cubes on a hot day. Here are some advantages of offering ice cubes and keeping your dog hydrated:

• You can keep a handful of ice cubes in your dog’s water bowl to make it drink more water. It comes in handy in hot weather and while travelling. Small chunks of ice cubes can be given to pups on a hot day.

• Ice cubes can slow down the rate of ingestion of water by excited dogs. Ice cubes can regulate the rate and amount of water intake.

• Can you give ice cubes to puppies? Yes, when your new pup is teething, you can provide ice cubes to relieve its pain. Especially for puppies, giving ice cubes is the best way to hydrate a dog, as they have a tendency to gulp down more water. Licking ice cubes would certainly slow down the process.

• Dogs like to play with ice cubes, sliding them on the floor. You can let your dog enjoy them on the lawn or your backyard to avoid messy and puddly indoors.

• Apart from plain ice cubes, try giving your dog pumpkin or cheeseburger flavoured slushies, frozen treats, or even a frozen chewy toy. This will prevent it from getting bored.

• Sometimes large breeds love to chew more than smaller ones. However, size doesn’t matter in general. Moreover, your dog’s preference for ice cubes is often determined by what it has been exposed to from an early age.

• Vets also suggest giving ice cubes to introduce water to dogs recovering from surgeries slowly.

Some risks involved in ice cubes for dogs

Although there are no prominent threats to your dog due to ice cubes, you should do take care of the following points,

• Dogs don’t sweat like humans. They can cool down only by panting or through their paw pads. Hence, they require an external source of cooling. Therefore, try an active cooling process by wetting your dog’s feet, underside, and back, avoiding the head. Feed it room temperature or cool water. You can try this step first before giving it ice cubes. Although ice cubes directly don’t cause bloating, excess water intake can be harmful. Your dog will gulp down much air, which will cause it to bloat. Bloating can become life-threatening. It is most common in large, deep-chested dogs.

• Moreover, ice cubes can damage your dog’s teeth’ enamel. It is one of the major causes of tooth breakage in dogs.

• Dogs can choke on ice cubes. You can, hence, give your dog crushed ice or its shavings. If your dog has issues like chewing, dental disease, difficulty swallowing, severe upper airway disease, or underlying neurological disease, be careful of giving ice cubes.

• In case of heatstroke in your dog, focus on actively cooling it down. Have access to shade, shelter, and water for summer days. Wet its underside, feet, belly, and back, avoiding the head. If it doesn’t alleviate your dog, go straight to the vet as signs may develop after the event. However, don’t offer ice cubes to overheated dogs.

• In minor instances of illness, ice cubes for dogs can be given. However, in many cases, when dogs get dehydrated due to illness, you should take them to the vet. It would be best if you treated the underlying reason for its disease and related dehydration.

• You should better consult your vet to understand better whether your dog has any additional risk of having ice lollies. Talk to him if you have any concerns about your dog chewing or swallowing ice cubes.

Can you give ice cubes to dogs to cool them down? The bottom line is, yes, you can, but you shouldn’t let your dog go overboard and eat them too quickly. Apart from ice cubes, the best way to hydrate a dog is to always keep the bowl of water full with fresh, clean water.