Every snow day, someone at the dog park says it:
- "It's just frozen water."
- "Fresh snow is clean."
- "Fluffy dogs love the snow."
The first two are half true. The third is true right up until your dog comes home wearing a dozen ice balls on its legs.
Short answer: yes, a dog can eat a little clean, fresh snow. Don't let it eat snow from sidewalks, roads, driveways or anything yellow, gray or slushy, because that's where ice melt and antifreeze end up. And on most snow days, what your dog eats matters less than what sticks to its legs and belly on the way home.
Snow myths, checked
Myth 1"Eating snow keeps them hydrated."
Barely. It's mostly air.
Dogs did get this from their ancestors: wolves eat snow for water in winter (The Vet Desk, reviewed by a vet). But fresh snow holds far less water than it looks, and it cools the dog down as it melts.
If your dog is gulping snow, check the outdoor water bowl. It's probably frozen.
Myth 2"White snow is clean snow."
Not near anything people drive or walk on.
Ice melt is salt: sodium, potassium, calcium or magnesium chloride. Dogs pick it up by eating treated snow or licking their feet afterward (ASPCA). Snow can also hide antifreeze, grit, sharp objects and trash.
You can't see ice melt once it's dissolved. Where it's been spread, assume it's in the snow.
Myth 3"Fluffy dogs are made for snow."
The fluff is exactly where the snow sticks.
Long hair on the legs, belly and between the toes collects snow that freezes into ice balls. Between the pads they can push the toes apart and leave a dog biting at its feet (Whole Dog Journal).
A short-coated dog gets cold in snow. A long-coated dog gets snowballs. Both need a plan.
Short coatboxers, Dobermans, pointers: the problem is cold
Long coatgoldens, Bernese, Newfies, doodles: the problem is ice balls
Why does my dog eat snow?
A vet-reviewed guide from The Vet Desk gives the usual reasons:
- Instinct. Wild canines get water from snow in winter, and the habit stuck.
- Thirst. Outdoor bowls freeze. A dog with nothing else to drink will eat what's there.
- Fun. For a lot of dogs, snow is a toy. They bite at it, dig in it and eat some along the way.
A dog that eats snow constantly outside and then drinks a lot more water than usual indoors may be thirsty for a medical reason. The Vet Desk's advice is to have a vet rule it out.
Can dogs eat snow? Which snow is safe
A mouthful of clean snow usually does nothing more than chill your dog a little. Where it lies is what matters:
| Snow | OK to eat? |
|---|---|
| Fresh, white snow in your backyard or a field | A little is usually fine |
| Sidewalks, roadsides and steps | No: likely ice melt |
| Driveways and parking lots | No: antifreeze can leak from cars |
| Yellow, gray, brown or slushy snow | No: slush is the worst for dissolved salt (ASPCA) |
| Snow plowed into piles | No: road salt, grit and trash get scraped in |
Too much ice melt usually means vomiting and diarrhea. A lot of it can raise sodium levels enough to cause tremors or seizures, and calcium chloride can cause sores in the mouth (ASPCA). Antifreeze is far more serious: vets call it highly toxic (BSAVA).
If your dog may have licked antifreeze, or eaten ice melt and is vomiting, shaking or acting off, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 straight away. Don't wait for symptoms with antifreeze.
Walking your dog in snow
Big dogs usually love snow. A few things keep it that way (BSAVA):
- Shorter and more often. Two short walks beat one long one in bitter cold.
- Stay off frozen ponds and lakes. Dogs can't tell solid ice from thin ice. Keep them on the leash near water, and never go onto the ice after a dog.
- Deep snow is a workout. Bounding through it takes far more effort than walking. Older dogs and dogs with sore joints do better on packed paths.
- Be seen. Winter walks happen in the dark at both ends of the day. Wear something reflective and carry a light.
Not sure how cold is too cold for your dog? Our how cold is too cold chart covers it by coat type. For what a cold dog actually looks like, see do dogs get cold?
Snowballs in dog fur: the long-coat problem
This is the part nobody warns you about. Snow sticks to long hair, your dog's body heat melts it slightly, and it refreezes into hard little balls. On the legs and belly they keep growing as the walk goes on. Between the toes they push the pads apart, and a dog that's been happily bounding will suddenly stop and start biting at its feet (Whole Dog Journal).
It hits the dogs with the most feathering: golden retrievers, Bernese mountain dogs, Newfoundlands, standard poodles, doodles and border collies.
How to stop snowballs
- Trim the hair between the pads. Whole Dog Journal's author calls it the main defense and trims her dogs several times a winter, about five minutes a dog.
- Cover the legs and belly. Snow can't stick to fur it never touches. A full-body dog snowsuit covers all four legs and the belly, so the snow lands on a waterproof shell instead of the coat.
- Melt, don't pull. At home, hold a warm, damp cloth on the clumps or use a hair dryer on a low, cool setting. Pulling them out pulls hair.
“Got to try this in the snow and it was great my standard poodle could jump and move no problem.”
Silvia M. · Snow Warrior review
The worst snowballs form between the toes, the one spot a snowsuit doesn't reach. A quick trim between the pads does more for sore feet than any coat. If you try dog boots, make sure they fit and check them during the walk, because a boot that slips can rub a paw raw (Whole Dog Journal).
When you get home
Before your dog settles in
Quick answers
Can eating snow make my dog sick?
Clean snow rarely does more than chill them. Snow with ice melt can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and snow with antifreeze can be life-threatening. If you're not sure where it came from, don't let your dog eat it.
Can eating snow make a dog cold?
A little, yes: snow cools the body as it melts. It mostly matters for dogs that spend long stretches outside. For the signs that a dog is getting too cold, see do dogs get cold?
How long can my dog play in the snow?
It depends on the coat, the temperature and whether your dog is getting wet. Our how cold is too cold chart walks through it. Come in at the first sign of shivering or lifted paws.
What do I do if my dog walked on ice melt?
Wipe the paws with a damp cloth as soon as you're inside, and keep your dog from licking them until they're clean. If you see vomiting, shaking or sore, cracked pads, call your vet.
Does my dog need a snowsuit?
Not every dog does. Short-coated dogs often need the warmth, and long-coated dogs benefit from keeping snow off the legs and belly. Our guide to which big dogs need a winter coat helps you decide, and the Snow Warrior dog snowsuit is the one we make for snow.
