CharlieMyPoodle

This is Charlie's first winter with us, and only the second snow this winter in the area.

I took him for a walk late last night, and he ate a little bit of snow. He was also sniffing around in the snow quite a bit, as if looking for something. He is a mini poodle mix (with some terrier in there, we believe).

I don't know if this was thirst, or curiosity, or what.
Any of your poodles eat snow before?
It was only a couple of mouthfuls.

Thanks

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vtomblin

All my dogs have eaten tons of snow. Part thirst part novelty. Don't worry it's just frozen water!

katbrat

This is Lexi's first winter also. She will root around in the snow and come up with a nose that's white and frosty! She snuffles, and roots and eats and pounce in it. I remember someone on hear mentioning "snow mice" yep, that must be what they try to smell for and chase in the snow!

Chagall's mom

I'm no expert here, but our dog trainer friend has told us to discourage (in as much as it's possible!) our dog from eating snow. This sums up his thinking on the matter:

"Avoid letting your dog eat snow or anything else on the ground. Dangerous objects or chemicals may be hidden in the snow. Also, eating snow can cause stomach upset and even hypothermia. Always keep fresh room temperature water available at all times." [taken from AboutDogs.com]

That said, our mpoo loves zooming around in the snow chasing the frisbee or ball and digging them out. I try to keep him too busy to eat it, but I can only do so much.

CharlieMyPoodle

I don't have to worry about it too much, for now, since the snow melted today... almost all of it is gone.

Thank you for the replies.

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idigjars

This is our girl Sophie's first winter she is 6 months old. She loves playing in the snow and also eating it. Paul

A'n'A Mom

I always thought snow eating was no big deal either.

But I just heard a story on the radio a couple of hours ago that a child here in the Seattle area had eaten snow on the school playground....where the playground had been treated with a chemical de-icer that is blue before application, but on application turns white. So you can't tell the area's been treated with chemical de-icer. Apparently this one was very toxic and they had to treat the kid for poisoning in the hospital, etc etc.

Honestly, I wouldn't have thought of it before, but this gives me pause. I think we should all say...it's okay if you absolutely, positively know there's been no chemical application. Like in your own fenced back yard. But around any public sidewalk or parking lot, I'd think long and hard about letting either of mine eat that snow now....

JM2CW....

peppersb

My dogs love to eat snow and I let them eat as much as they want.

Here's a pic of Sophie and Bob eating snow. That's my sweet girl Sophie with snow on her mouth. She died last year at the age of 14 years, 10 months.

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CharlieMyPoodle

snow on the ground again...

Charlie loves to sniff it, but he does not it eat it anymore.
I guess it was just curiosity?

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