Ever shut down your eye , open your mouth , and catch flake on your tongue ? Your blackguard might too .
While you wonder at every falling flake ’s unique pattern and the cool calm that descends over the man with a fresh livid level , your hound seems to enjoy stray around and chomping into snow drifts . So what is the deal with your frankfurter eating nose candy ? And is it normal ?
Why Dogs Eat Snow
dog belike like eating snow for the same reasons human open their mouths as it falls from the sky or eat a handful off their mitten . Snow is tasty . It ’s different from many other foods and drinks . It melts agreeably in our mouths and hydrate .
" I do n’t know if dogsshouldeat snow , but many sure as shooting do , " says Andy Rollo , DVM , a veterinarian and co - owner ofMadison Veterinary HospitalandWalnut Lake Animal Hospitalin the suburbs of Detroit . " I have one that does , and I believe it ’s for his own amusement purposes . But so does my 7 - twelvemonth - quondam kid , so that is n’t saying much . "
There are a few other reasons why your dog could be eating snow , including :
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Rollo ’s principal business with coke is what could be hide out inside the snow once it hits the ground and mixes with whatever is in the grass , in the soil , or on the pavement .
Is Eating Snow Bad for Dogs?
Fresh C ? No , articulate Renee Schmid , DVM , DABVT , DABT , a veterinarian toxicologist who work withPet Poison Helpline .
But where has that snow been , and what has it mix with since make the ground ? There are a few main potential dangers to lookout for .
Toxic Ice Melts
Some treatmentsto keep body of water from freezing on private road and roadstead are OK for inadvertent uptake in pocket-size sum . But that ’s not on-key of most treatment used by metropolis and businesses , suppose Schmid . " This is especially a problem where an area has been shoveled or plowed , and then sparkler melt has been scattered there . "
trash melting often arrest salts , which can leave inhypernatremia(too much atomic number 11 in the blood ) and have neurologic signs , includingseizures . Other ice rink melts contain insalubrious level of Ca , magnesium , and potassium . Too much ingested can result in electrolyte abnormality in the dog ’s consistence .
Mushrooms, Compost, and Other Rotted Vegetation
chemical substance ice melts are bad enough , but sometimes melted snow can be potentially toxic if ingested by dogs from the sloshed , wintry ground . " Rotted vegetation and compost can hold mycotoxins , which stimulate stomach upset and neurologic trouble in dogs , " Schmid says . " mushroom-shaped cloud may cause mild venter upset , neurologic signboard , or liver and kidney failure , depending on the mushroom character . "
Rat Poison
wintertime can fetch rats and mice in from the outdoors , and many homeowners deploy rodenticides to bring off them . These poisons , however , can contaminate snow if they twine up under or around the frozen water , according to Schmid . They ’re alsotoxic for dogs . " Rodenticides can make bleed disorders , neurological signs , or kidney failure depending on the character , " Schmid says .
Miscellaneous Leftover Spills
Rollo says melting or contaminate snow might also reveal to a dog ’s eager , wash tongue a spillway of antifreeze ( which can have kidney nonstarter ) or other chemicals . " check that there ’s nothing leaking onto the snowfall that could be harmful to a hound , " he advise .
None of this should leave you terrified to rent your dog revel playing in the snow , it just stand for you need to be mindful of where your dog-iron decides to chow down on some snow ( and watch out for the white-livered kind ) .
" unembellished snow is not an consequence for weenie , " Schmid say .
Rollo agrees : " If dogs want to lap up a fresh morning snow , lease ‘em do it . "
