A reminder we all need from time to time -- being on Facebook doesn't make it true.  In this case, it's the viral story that swears that ice water will kill your dog.  Don't believe the hype.

The story as it's being told -- ice water causes bloating and causes your dog's stomach to spasm and cramp in a way that will lead to their deaths.  It's a condition called gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), and it affects older, larger dogs, generally.

 When I told the vet about the ice water, he asked why I gave him ice water. I said that I have always done this. I told him my history behind this practice and his reply was, “I have been very lucky.” The ice water I gave Baran caused violent muscle spasms in his stomach which caused the bloating. -- Wendt Worth Corgi's Weblog

GDV is a real disease that can happen when a dog ingests too much water (and air along with it) too quickly.  But, as the team at Snopes explains for us, the temperature has nothing to do with it.  The real culprit is letting your dog get so dehydrated that they gulp down too much water in one sitting.  As they gulp down all that water, they get too much air in their stomaches, and that's where the threat begins.

Also, feeding your dog three or four smaller meals -- as opposed to one or two large ones -- can keep the chances of GDV down.

Don't take our word for it, though -- go check out the research done at Snopes.com, and the links to real research they provide.

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