# Is ice bad for my shih tzu



## mrscunliffe (Feb 19, 2013)

She loves to crunch small pieces of ice.Is this bad for her in moderation?


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## Chief502 (Dec 3, 2012)

I've never known ice cubes to be bad for a dog since it's just frozen water. I've given Chief some ice cubes in his water dish before and he ate them like they were the best things he's ever had in his life, lol.


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## SydTheSpaniel (Feb 12, 2011)

As long as she's not swallowing them too big of pieces whole and running the risk of choking... I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just water!


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## KodiBarracuda (Jul 4, 2011)

Kodi gets cubes every time the freezer opens. He runs to the fridge whenever he hears it and sulks if he doesn't get one.


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## PatchworkRobot (Aug 24, 2010)

My dogs get ice cubes all of the time, especially in the hot months.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Just like in humans chewing ice can wear enamel down on teeth. Also can fracture a tooth especially in small breed dogs.


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## alexlucas (Feb 4, 2013)

I think its not a big deal. Dogs by nature crunch on bones.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Not bad at all! Unless she swallows big pieces. Alannah gets ice cubes every day


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I agree with collie mom. A solid ice cube from the freezer can be bad for a senior Lab (over 7 yo), b/c the cold can increase the chance of fractures. Labs are very strong, persistent chewers.

However, I don't think that crunchy ice chips will hurt a dog. I also don't know if a small dog will bite hard enough to hurt it's teeth... but your Vet will be up to date on that info, and you could probably just call to verify.


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## Kobismom (Dec 17, 2012)

Right now, because Kobi is teething badly, we'll give him small ice cubes to chew on to help with the teething. He loves them, but will also let us know when he's not interested in them, by leaving them on the carpet to melt! LOL


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Only bad when the dog decides to bury the ice cubes in the couch/chair cushions for later...

Ice is a favorite "treat" around here. Bus loves it, especially in the summer heat.


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## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Jubel absolutely loves ice cubes. I can use them as a high value treat for him.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

A highly respected tech friend who has been doing dentals in dogs for over 30 years told me not to give ice and why.


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## alexlucas (Feb 4, 2013)

agility collie mom said:


> A highly respected tech friend who has been doing dentals in dogs for over 30 years told me not to give ice and why.


Did he mention why? Even small ones as treats?


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Yes... don't keep it a secret


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

She said that ice can cause slab fractures:
FRACTURED TEETH IN DOGS
Dogs love to chew! Giving your dog appropriate things to chew on is good for their teeth and gums,
keeps them occupied, and decreases the tendency to chew on things they shouldn=t. Unfortunately,
dogs= need to chew on things also leads to lots of broken teeth.
The most common fractures of the teeth of our canine patients are called slab fractures. They occur
when the dog bites down on a hard object at just the right angle to flake off a piece, or [email protected] of
tooth. Similar to striking a piece of flint to make an arrowhead, the size of the piece that breaks
depends on the force and angle of the blow. The tooth that is almost always affected is the 4th upper
premolar, or carnaissal tooth - the largest chewing tooth in the upper jaw.
Unfortunately, because this tooth is fairly far back in the mouth it is difficult to see. Many times the
pet has a fractured tooth and the owner doesn=t know it=s there until an abscess forms. We find many
of these fractured teeth when we do our routine annual exams on our patients. Some-times the same
tooth is broken on both the right and left sides of the mouth. Many of these broken teeth are seen in
large breed dogs, who are more likely to be given hard objects to chew on. Chewing on cage bars,
wire fencing, rocks and other inappropriate objects can also lead to problem teeth.
Split carnaissal tooth, with exposed
root (red spot under broken piece),
and moderate tarter buildup
The upper 4th premolar tooth is a 3 rooted tooth. Although only 1 root is generally exposed under the
fracture, all 3 roots have a common pulp cavity inside the tooth. It is common to perform a root canal
for a broken canine (fang) tooth that only has one root. However, the anatomy of the 4th premolar
makes a root canal a poor option for this tooth, which is why we recommend extracting it instead.
Because this tooth is so big, removal leaves a large hole in the gum, which will usually be sutured
closed. Antibiotics will be needed for at least a week, longer if the tooth was abscessed. Pain
medication at the time the tooth is pulled, and for about a week afterwards, is also necessary.
How much damage is done to the tooth depends on
the size of the piece that breaks off. If the piece is
shallow the enamel will be rough, causing tarter to
build up more quickly than on a normal tooth.
However, with proper dental care, the tooth should
remain in pretty good shape. If the broken piece is
large enough to expose the root of the tooth, however,
the tooth should be removed. The exposed root and
nerve are painful to the dog, and provide access for
bacteria to enter the tooth. If not removed, sooner or
later an abscess will form. An infected, abscessed
tooth is even more painful to the dog than the exposed
nerve. A swelling will form under the eye, where the
tooth root ends, which will eventually burst open and
drain pus. This chronic infection also infects the rest
of the body, leading to fever and damaging the
kidneys, liver and heart (From a canine dental vet site.)

Chipped or shaved is ok. Just not cubes. One other thing that causes enamel wear are tennis balls. Kong does make ones that are designed to not wear tooth enamel.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks. Good info.


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## KodiBarracuda (Jul 4, 2011)

Not sure if I would trust the info on the website the fractured teeth thing came off of, they also recommend to give dogs boiled bones to soften them up for the teeth, and I've heard on here that cooked bones are a no no.
Heres the website 
http://www.bestfriendsvet.com/index.htm


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Posted in reference to describe a slab fracture. Nothing more than that.


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## mrscunliffe (Feb 19, 2013)

thanks for all the info.I feel better about giving it to her.


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