I get this question a lot…”Is it better to use ice or heat to help my pet?” Many pet parents just want to do what’s best for their pet and knowing when to use ice and when to use heat is a great question!
If your dog has recently injured themselves, they should be using ice for the first 48-72hours on the spot that is injured. Ice helps to decrease pain and constricts blood vessels to help control swelling and inflammation. If your dog was running in the backyard and comes in limping, you of course, need to see the vet first. This first step is very important because dogs are stoic. Limping IS the first sign of pain. Crying out and whining means that your dog is in A LOT of pain. Get your pup to the vet, find out the cause and THEN start your icing to help make your pup comfortable for the next 48-72 hours.
Did your pup have surgery? Ice can also help during this same time frame. When dogs have surgery, they shave the fur around the incision. It’s important to place a thin towel, or my favorite is a pillow case, between your dog’s skin and the ice pack. This will help to prevent the skin from getting too cold, which can harm your dog.
My favorite type of ice pack is simply a bag of frozen peas, corn, or veggie mix! It fits nicely in a pillow case, can conform easily to just about any part on your pup and typically defrosts within 10-15mins to let you know you need to take it off your pup.
After the first 72 hours, you can being using heat, in the majority of cases. However, if your pet has an infection (redness, swelling, tenderness, warmth), do not place heat over this area! Heating an infected area can cause it to worsen and spread. Also, if your pet’s body part is very swollen, do not use heat until your vet recommends you to do so. Many dogs with achy backs or hips love a heat treatment and will often fall asleep! Heat helps to open up blood vessels which helps bring in a new, fresh blood supply and carry out the older blood to heal the impacted body part.
The most important part about using heat is knowing what to use and what to watch out for so that you don’t accidentally burn your pup! You can use a heating pad, however my favorite is placing a wet, rung out, hand towel or washcloth in the microwave for 1-2 mins. Take out the wet, hot towel and be sure it’s not to hot to place on your OWN skin for at least 15seconds. If this is too hot for you, it is certainly too hot for your pet. Please BE CAREFUL. This is the biggest mistake that I see people make with using heat and it is so easy to prevent! Once you verify that it is a safe temperature, place this in a plastic bag (to manage the dampness and keep the heat in), place a thin, dry towel on your pup, and then place the plastic bag (with the wet, hot towel) on top of the dry towel on your pup. If the towel is rung out enough and is not very wet, you can place it on top of a thicker towel before placing both towels on your pup. The dry towel that goes on your pup is a barrier for extra protection from the hot towel. Keep this on your pup for 10-15mins or until the hot towel cools off.
If your pet has shaved fur, it is important to check for redness after about 1-2 mins AFTER you place the warm towel on them. If the redness persists for >1 min after the warm towel is removed, the warm towel is too hot!
This is a wonderful treatment that can help a lot of pets if done correctly. If you are worried about the towel being too warm, simply place a blanket or towel in the dryer for 10-20mins and snuggle up your pet in the warm blanket. If you are using a heating pad, you should always keep it on the low setting and monitor your pup (ie sit next to your pet with YOUR hand on the heating blanket while it is applied to your pup) for the entire duration it is on. I have seen and heard of too many pets, especially ones that cannot move very well, get burned from not paying close attention to a heating pad.
If you are using the hot, wet towel application, do not allow your dog to lie on the towel and do not place something heavy to keep the wet, hot towel in contact with your pup. This can lead to burns from the extra pressure into the skin.
In my experience, dog’s really love heat over ice, and it is a great and easy tool to use as long as you follow the precautions outlined in this article. If you have any questions or concerns about how or when to apply ice or heat, please ask your vet or reach out to me directly through the Contact Us page, or on social media @inpawsuitrehab on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok.