# Is it normal for a dog to chew ice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 8, 2011, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707 "2011-06-08T03:26:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/21 "2011-06-08T16:44:12Z")
Coincidendentally, this was asked in the pets column in the Daily Telegraph last Saturday. > [@](#): > > \*My Labrador has taken a liking to ice cubes, having first crunched one up after it fell to the floor. Now she rather likes them and looks expectantly at us when the ice tray is cracked open. Is it wise to allow her to eat them? \*JCA, by email > > Ice cubes can be surprisingly hard, and I heard one veterinary dentist say that they were the second most common cause of fractured teeth in dogs (after chewing on stones). > > That said, I’ve known many dogs who happily crunch on ice cubes with no problems, and some vets even recommend ice cubes for teething puppies. If you want to take the safest option, you should try giving chipped ice instead of cubes. If you’re prepared to accept the risk of a broken tooth at some stage, ice cubes are harmless otherwise; they’re the ultimate low-calorie snack. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/22 "2011-06-08T18:31:16Z")
On a related note, when I was a kid, my dog would only eat snow in the winter. No water for him. It was cool the way he’d be running and lower his head, open his mouth and scoop up a pile of snow. My neighbor’s dog on the other hand loves puddle water. Give him a choice of fresh clean water or a dirty, muddy puddle with leaves and dead bugs in it, and he’ll choose the puddle every time 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/23 "2011-06-08T18:51:55Z")
The pet column advice cited above is pretty much what our vet said. Our black lab Patience regularly gets crushed ice in her water bowl and happily crunches her water cookie treats. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/24 "2011-06-08T19:49:39Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > On a related note, when I was a kid, my dog would only eat snow in the winter. No water for him. It was cool the way he’d be running and lower his head, open his mouth and scoop up a pile of snow. Nathan did this last winter. He loved the snow, it was the first time he’d seen it. It was fun to watch him bounding along, and every so often he’d stop and bury his nose in it to nibble on whatever was there. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/25 "2011-06-09T19:36:19Z")
My dogs just lick them until they melt completely. They’re kinda small, though, and the one that likes ice the most is a chihuahua with bad teeth who can’t bite anything. BTW, chipped teeth are a big deal with chihuahuas, as they have too small a jaw for their teeth. It’s really easy to crack a jaw. We got lucky that our chihuahua’s teeth fell out with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![inkling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f17d59/32.png) [@inkling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/inkling)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/26 "2011-06-09T20:27:38Z")
For Big Laffs, take a nice big bowl of water outside and put it on the ground so your dog can drink from it, then float a few ice cubes in it. Our Golden Retriever used to bob for the cubes with his muzzle in the bowl up to his eyes, blowing bubbles and splashing water everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/27 "2011-06-10T12:30:14Z")
My beagle loves to chew ice. He, who may or may not be spoiled, also prefers iced water in his water bowl after a long walk. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707/28 "2011-06-11T00:28:08Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Mojo used to chew rocks and the vet suggested ice cubes as a less tooth damaging alternative for him. I’d start a thread about whether it’s normal for a dog to chew rocks, but I think I already know what the answer is. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-normal-for-a-dog-to-chew-ice/584707.md?page=1)