Snow Go

Dear Mr. Pants,

Recently this white stuff has fallen from the sky and is all over our backyard. When I went out to do my business, I began playing with it - it was fun. Then I just had to put some in my mouth. It was cold and yummy. But my human became a little upset because she thinks I should not eat it. I didn’t want a lot, but it sure was delicious. Am I allowed to eat it?

Confused in the Cold Weather

Dear Confused,

When the cold weather arrives and that white stuff known as snow falls onto the ground, many humans ask, “Is it safe for my dog to eat it?” The short answer is yes but in moderation and supervision.

We canines like to explore things with our mouths and oftentimes we just want to check out what something tastes like. Exploring is fun but some supervision is needed so we do not also pick up rocks, sticks or something else that might hurt us when we chomp down.

Sometimes we enjoy the taste of it - especially cold weather breeds. Maybe we actually like the taste of snow better than the water inside the house. If that is the case, hopefully your humans are changing out your water at least once a day. They would not like water that has been sitting out for a few days. Yuck!

If you feel the need to eat a lot of snow, you might be dehydrated. Your humans should be sure that you have enough water in your bowl and monitor your intake. If you continue to drink excessive amounts of water, there might be something medically wrong and a trip to the vet is in order. (Sorry).

And of course the snow needs to be clean. No dog should eat snow that is discolored, has been walked on, treated with any chemicals like rock salt or plowed! Ingesting any of that type of snow can cause serious stomach distress.

So go ahead Confused! Enjoy a taste of that fresh clean snow. But do so under the watchful eyes of your loving human.

Mr. Smart T. Pants