Can Dogs Drink Cold Water? (Pro’s, Con’s, Warnings)

When it’s hot, staying hydrated is important both for humans and animals alike.

Of course, when we are hot there’s nothing quite like having a drink of frozen water or putting a couple of ice cubes into our beverages especially with hot n spicy food.

The only question is, is it okay for our dogs to drink ice cold water like we would, and will it help them to cool down?

That’s the question that we hope to answer today!

If you’ve ever wondered ‘can dogs drink cold water,’ you can find all the answers that you need right here.

Can Dogs Drink Cold Water?

The short answer is yes, dogs can drink cold water. 

There’s no evidence out there to suggest that your dog will have negative effects from drinking the water itself. It can be a good way to cool your dog down on a particularly hot day.

There are some precautions, however...

The issue with a dog drinking cold water is that they can sometimes drink the water or ice incredibly quickly, which can result in your dog getting bloated.

In turn, this can cause something called Canine GDC. This stands for Gastric Dilation and Volvus, which essentially means that the dog’s stomach fills up with air, stretching out the wall of the stomach which can cause it to flip and twist off.

If this happens, you will need to call your vet immediately as it is an emergency.

If you are going to give your dog ice cold water, then, you just need to be careful. You should try to ensure that your pet drinks the water slowly.

For instance, you could give them smaller amounts of the water periodically instead of plopping down a whole bowl for them to eat at once.

If this doesn’t stop your pooch from drinking lots of water, then you should try to calm them down. This means avoiding letting them jump or run around as this can aggravate their stomach.

Do Dogs Like Ice Cold Water?

The answer to this kind of depends on the dog, but for the most part dogs don’t like water that’s particularly icy. Why is this?

Well, dogs actually don’t sweat, and they instead emit warmth when they pant and through the glands in the paws.

Naturally, they still need to stay hydrated especially when it’s warm. The problem with icy water is that it’s particularly cold which isn’t great for a dog that has a sensitive mouth. 

Dogs also drink large amounts of water at once rather than sipping the water like we would, which means they essentially get the dog equivalent of brain freeze. Not pleasant!

This means that your dog may not actually drink the cold water that you give them which can be troubling if you want to cool them down on a hot day. 

How Else Can I Keep My Dog Cool During Hot Weather? 

So if your dog isn’t actually drinking their cold water, how else can you ensure that they stay cool throughout the day? There are actually a couple of things that you can do.

To start with, you could set up a paddling pool for your dog in the yard. This can help to keep them cool - just make sure the water isn’t totally freezing.

You should also ensure that you don’t fill the pool up too much as dogs have shorter legs, and it can be harder for them to get out of the water.

If your dog doesn’t adapt at first give them some time - even just allowing them to stand in there for a couple of minutes can be handy for getting them used to it and getting them to cool down quickly.

You can also invest in some cooling mats for their bed. This is because when a dog is particularly hot they like to go towards surfaces that are cooler.

Cooling mats are handy as you can usually just put them in the freezer for a while, or there are some that have self cooling technology so you don’t need to do a thing.

If you don’t have the money to invest in that then you could gab a frozen plastic bottle of water that you’ve wrapped up in a blanket and you can put it in your dog’s bed. 

You could also make your dog some little frozen treats to enjoy!

You could make little dog friendly ice lollies that have their favorite treats in them, or you could even stuff your dog’s kong with treats and then put it into the freezer. You can also give them things like slices of frozen carrot or apple.

Want to make it especially fun for your furry friend? Why not get a garden sprinkler, turn it on and allow your dog to run through it to their heart’s content.

You can also get a spray bottle and fill it up with some cool water, spraying your dog regularly. 

Finally, employ some common sense. Make sure that you are walking your dog at reasonable times in the day - not times that are excessively hot that you wouldn’t want to walk in if you had a fur coat.

Your dog could get heatstroke if they are kept out in excessive heat under the sun for too long, so it’s important to look out for the warning signs.

Conclusion

In short, it’s possible for your dog to drink cold water and it’s a great way to cool them down during the day.

You just need to monitor them while they are drinking to ensure that they don’t end up giving themselves stomach bloat.

Not all dogs will like very cold water at first, but they may adapt after a while. If they don’t then it’s important to know how to keep your dog cool throughout particularly hot days.

Keep your dog well hydrated through the day with a little bit of cold water, and for some extra fun allow them to run through the sprinklers for a while!