In 2010, a pet owner mistakenly correlated feeding ice water to her dog and the onset of Bloat. She shared this experience through the InterWebs where pet owners took the warning seriously and propagated the story.
In the time that followed her (very upsetting) experience, more pet care professionals have weighed in on the story. In short, there has been no link shown between bloat and ice water/ice cube ingestion by our canine friends. Some vets even use ice cubes as ways for post-op pets to rehydrate when drinking from a bowl is not an option.
The warnings to truly consider are the risks of the ice cube becoming lodged in the throat of the animal or dental stress leading to a cracked tooth.
Yummy cooling solutions for your pets could involve freezing their favorite broth or a non-fat unsweetened yogurt. Fill an ice cube tray for them to enjoy during the hottest parts of the day.
References:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/icewater.asp
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/truth-ice-water-dogs/story?id=24231633
http://kfor.com/2014/06/19/veterinarian-gets-to-the-bottom-of-post-about-the-dangers-of-ice-cubes-and-dogs/
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