Many dog owners wonder why their dogs eat snow and worry if this has any life-threatening effect. Dogs eating snow is quite common but feels strange to many dog owners. Out of curiosity, dogs may want to know what snow feels and tastes like. In this article, we will unravel the reasons why dogs eat snow and unveil its risks or health benefits.
Content:
- Why Dogs Eat Snow (and Why They Love It)
- Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Snow
- How to Stop the Behavior
- Conclusion
Why Dogs Eat Snow (and Why They Love It)
It’s most likely for dogs to get some snow in their mouth when they play in the snow during a walk or in the park. They jump, thrust their first into snow mounds, getting some into their mouth and potentially ingesting them. This is not unusual as dogs are quite curious animals.
For some dogs, it becomes a behavioral pattern, ingesting snow whenever they have the chance. This behavior has also been reported by research to be common among dogs.
Dogs love the feel of snow in their mouth because it’s cool and feels different. Out of curiosity, they may try ingesting snow to see how it feels. Its melting sensation really excites them.
It is important to note that while dogs love to play in the snow mounds, it is crucial to keep track of their safety so they don’t get stuck or hurt. With a Petcube Tracker, you can receive a live GPS location of your dog. This way, you get to be in control of where your dog is located at all times and provide rescue when it’s needed.
Is It Safe for Dogs to Eat Snow
Ideally, snow is not edible or suitable to eat. Dogs may ingest small amounts of clean snow when playing in the snow or catching a snow ball. It becomes hazardous when they intentionally start ingesting large amounts of snow.
Ingesting a large mouth of snow could be harmful to health, especially when the snow is dirty. It could lower the body temperature and lead to hypothermia, which is fatal for dogs. Snow also could contain some traces of anti-freeze such as salt and possibly chemicals from the roadside.
“My dog picks up every chunk of snow he finds and eats it. This later on leads to shivering”, - Reddit User
Here are some of the side effects of ingesting large amounts of snow in dogs:
Some of these side effects may not be immediate while others may be instantly noticeable, symptoms such as hypothermia, vomiting and stomach upset. It is necessary to take the dog indoors if any of these symptoms are noticed or call for an emergency if it seems critical.
As a vet, I have encountered dogs with stomach disturbances after they infested large amounts of snow during a walk in winter. Usually these are mild conditions, but in severe cases, it could lead to something fatal.
“Snow may have some life-threatening effects aside from gastrointestinal disturbances and skin irritation”, - Dr. Carly Chambers
How to Stop the Behavior
Not taking your dog out in the snow is the first step to stopping your dog from ingesting snow. If you must go out for a walk with your dog in winter, preventing your dog from sniffing on snow and possibly nibbling on some may be difficult. However, you can reduce the chances of your dog nibbling or ingesting snow by choosing walk paths with little or no snow.
Studies claim some dogs hate snow due to its slippery nature and sharp icy ends. For these dogs, snow is not interesting and may not be appetizing.
Sometimes dogs ingest snow because they may be thirsty or just out of curiosity. It’s best to redirect this curiosity to a water fountain like that of the Petcube Water Fountain. This fountain has a unique water motion feature which could be quite fascinating and entertaining for dogs. The more eager the dog is to play with the fountain, the less likely it would be interested in snow.
Conclusion
When dogs play in the snow, they may ingest snow out of curiosity to get a taste of how it feels in the mouth. Ingesting small amount of clean snow may cause no harm. It becomes health threatening when they ingest large amounts of snow, which could lead to different gastrointestinal disturbances and possibly chemical poisoning. Care should be taken when taking a dog out for a walk during the winter. Avoiding snow entirely could be best for the health of the dog.
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