Can My Dog Eat Snow?
With the winter weather now entirely upon us, a question that’s on every pet parent’s mind is: is it safe for my dog to be eating snow? Okay, maybe not every pet parent, but it’s still an important question that you should know the answer to if you own a canine.
Snow is Usually Safe for Dogs
Emphasis on usually here. Snow is typically safe for your pup to devour (because it is pretty much just frozen water vapor). You just need to keep an eye on how much snow your pooch is chowing down on. Because like all things, too much of a good thing can turn bad. When it comes to snow, too much can cause your furry friend to develop a stomach ache – and no one wants that.
When Snow Eating Should Cause Concern
Where an innocent bite of snow can turn bad is when there are other things hidden under or thrown on top of it. Rocks, twigs, toxic plants, and much more could be lurking under the surface of a fresh bed of snow. Ant-freeze and deicers that many people throw on top of snow and ice is definitely a no go for your pooch – so be sure it’s fresh, clean snow, and ensure there’s supervision being done if you let your canine companion lick up a few flurries.
On the topic of de-icers – for your own home, just to be safe, you should also consider purchasing pet-safe ice melt. Unlike other toxic rock salt and antifreeze, pet-friendly formulas are usually made with magnesium chloride so it won’t irritate your pup’s paws or cause gastrointestinal issues if consumed. If you feel comfortable talking with your neighbors about it, consider asking them to switch to pet-friendly formulas as well to decrease any chances of harm towards your pooch during icy weather.
Is Your Pup Hydrated
If your canine companion seems overly obsessed with eating snow, there may be another issue at hand. Some dogs resort to eating snow if they aren’t happy with their quality of water or aren’t receiving enough of it. Dogs, like us, need fresh, clean water to live – which means you should be changing your pup’s water bowl once a day, at the very least. Your furry friend doesn’t know this, but snow is only about 5-10 percent water, so they would need to eat far too much of it to receive the same benefits their water bowl could easily be providing them.
If you’re positive you’re giving your dog clean water regularly, there may be other problems at stake. To get to the bottom of the issue as quickly as possible, you should talk to Fido’s vet. Your canine companion could quickly become dehydrated if they aren’t consuming enough water – which can cause detrimental effects of not addressed.
So to be clear, clean, fresh snow shouldn’t be an issue in moderation. Things hidden in the snow or the reasoning behind your pooch’s behavior are when you should be concerned.