Eating too much snow?
 , and now they go wild for them. Go figure, now the treats are literally falling from the sky!  So, she's eaten a LOT of snow the last few days. I went out this morning to pick up the daily poos and found that she has diarrhea.  As the day has worn on, I have found that she also has noxious gas and she seemed a little nauseous after she ate her dinner (wretched but didn't vomit). I'm wondering if she maybe has been eating too much snow, or if there are parasites that can live in the snow. How much should I worry about this? |
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| I am curious to hear about the parasite part of your question.... I found that eating snow did cause some stomach upset in my dogs. I think its so cold. And the cold can trigger stomach cramps. My only concern would be to not feed immediately before or after the snow playing/eating. I think I read somewhere the cold ness can cause cramping and that can lead to stomach bloting. Always allow some time before and after before feeding... |
kerrym wrote: I'm wondering if she maybe has been eating too much snow, or if there are parasites that can live in the snow. How much should I worry about this? You guessed it right! My vet told me this years ago. Snow is different than the water they drink. You dont know what is picking up as it falls thru the sky. Impossible to make them stop eating it if they really want to. Mine too look on it as if someone has outwitted me in the snack department for them  I keep a probiotic on hand at all times. If they happen to start to get a bit soft, I sprinkle it on the next sevearl meals. (And they thought they had outwitted me  ) |
| Dog sledding people view it a little differently. Snow eating is encouraged - having a dog be able to scoop it up on the run is considered good. I never have heard that parasites from snow was ever a problem. However - most are on parasite control programs d/t the raw in their diet, so maybe it just never is a concern (just a thought). It can moisten their mouth and give them a little fluid when running. It is no way considered their only water source though - sled dogs eat food that is usually a mix of kibble, raw, and a watery broth - way more water than many dogs get just on kibble. Also - it is less dangerous for a dog to eat snow than humans. We will get cold and hypothermic as we cool our body by eating it. Dogs have some evolutionary adaptation - they don't lose body heat like we do when they eat snow and ice. Mine always eat snow and seem to enjoy it. None are overly indulgent - mostly just done when they are exercised and need a little moisture. Never had any problems at all. |
| Snow would only have parasites in it from the surface it lands on. Like if there is animal poop on the ground and even then many parasites don't do well in the cold as they like nice comfy body temperature to live in. The problem is that the snow can hide the sight and scent of the contaminant so the dogs mightn't know that it is there and eat it by accident. |
| Well, she is a poo eater, too. At least, she was when she was a pup, and if there's a bit of poo in the snow she won't turn it down on that account. I'm still picking it up daily, but the snow hides it sometimes. So, I started her on the probiotic today. We keep it around at all times, too. She's still very active, and not acting sick at all, so I'm going to see if she does better over the next few days. |
 Willoughby can't tolerate any snow at all as it makes him vomit! He loves it and it's a real struggle sometimes to keep him from eating it. He's on a probiotic now and I'm hoping that it will help him.  |
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