A warning about eating snow is currently circulating on Facebook, in keeping with the weather, based on an incident involving a dog – Aaron. The following message is currently being shared frequently to warn fellow dog owners and dog lovers:

Screenshot Facebook post
Screenshot Facebook post

My Aaron isn't feeling well right now...????
Therefore, as a warning to all other dog owners, here is my experience report:
It started yesterday at noon. I noticed that Aaron started his lunch unusually slowly and only finished about half of it. Shortly afterwards he had to vomit twice, then curled up on his blanket and began to shake.
My alarm bells immediately went off – typical symptoms of poisoning….
I called the vet and we were able to come straight away.
He immediately saw that Aaron probably had severe stomach pain, his stomach was soft and unremarkable, further examination revealed no evidence of poisoning. Diagnosis: must have upset his stomach with something... He was given 2 injections for the nausea and pain.
The vet told me that he would sleep longer afterwards... Aaron did that until late this morning.
Even after that he was very inactive, mainly lying around and refusing any food. Around midday I took him out - just into the garden, because he hardly wanted to take a step and was very weak. Aaron tried to defecate, but instead a gush of blood came out the back. I immediately called the vet again. This time further examinations were carried out and an X-ray was also carried out to rule out foreign bodies.
New diagnosis: snow gastritis (licking from snow) and road salt poisoning. The road salt destroyed his entire stomach and intestinal lining!
Aaron was given a venous access and an infusion. He was allowed to go home overnight, but tomorrow morning I have to leave with him again for the next infusion. In the near future, he will also need medication to rebuild the stomach and intestinal lining as well as an extremely light diet.
Everything will be okay again, but it will take time...
I've been a dog owner for 38 years now, but I've never experienced anything like this. I've never heard of road salt - even if only licked up in small amounts - causing such damage...
So once again as a warning to all of you: Be careful with your furry friends so that they don't ingest any snow/road salt!
If recognized too late, this can be fatal...????
PS since salt is known to attack the skin - drying it out and causing it to crack - don't forget to wash your paws (cold to lukewarm water - not warm) when you get home! ???? The woofies can also lick the salt off their paws????
PPS Aaron is already on the mend today! ????????????
Addendum: Even just eating clean snow can lead to snow gastritis, i.e. inflammation of the stomach lining.

Oh man, as a dog owner you don't want your four-legged friend to have such a bad time. It's all the better that Aaron is recovering.

Can eating snow really have such dire consequences?

Most dogs love playing in the snow, running around in the white splendor, taking a “bite” here and there as they run past. They also catch snowballs that you throw and bite off a piece instead of bringing it back like in the usual ball game.
But you shouldn't overdo it.

Dogs react differently to eating and licking snow. Many dogs have no problems at all. Not even when they're really shoveling the snow into themselves.

For others, symptoms of snow gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining, appear quite quickly. This is irritated by the cold of the snow; dirty snow, for example in urban areas, can also cause irritation to the mucous membranes. Snow gastritis is often the result of “snow additives” such as road salt, grit and dirt.

Symptoms of snow gastritis

The veterinary medicine portal explains which symptoms you can use to recognize snow gastritis in your dog:

  • Gurgling/rumbling in the stomach/intestinal area
  • Abdominal pain (abdominal wall tense, back hunched)
  • Diarrhea (in severe cases also bloody diarrhea)
  • Salivating
  • Coughing and choking
  • Vomit
  • Fever

You usually know your furry friends so well that you know whether they can tolerate a little snow or are more sensitive. If the latter is the case, you should definitely avoid the dog eating or licking snow.

How can I stop my dog ​​from eating snow?

Now you just have to explain to your furry friend that it's "not good at all" to eat snow, when it's usually so much fun to romp around in the snow and enjoy a bite every now and then.

You should therefore avoid playing in the snow from the outset, nor should you organize search games in the snow. Because dogs inevitably ingest some snow again and again. You should avoid fun snowball fights for the sake of your woof.

To ensure that your dog doesn't nibble on the winter white unnoticed, you should always keep an eye on him. Ideally, you should keep him busy with other tasks or keep him on a leash. For particularly “assertive” four-legged companions who don’t want to stop eating the snow, using a muzzle can help in the worst case scenario.

Source: Veterinary medicine portal / Zooroyal


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