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A smiling grandma holds out a vanilla ice cream cone as a red Golden Retriever licks the top of the scoop. 22 / 29

Grandma Bought One Ice Cream Cone on a Hot Day. That Was the Mistake.

AI imagegolden retrieverice creamsummer

It is too hot to do anything but eat ice cream, so that is exactly what Ruth is doing, sitting indoors where it is slightly cooler with a waffle cone piled high with vanilla. Or that was the plan. Rusty has leaned in from the side, pink tongue already out, taking a careful, blissful lick of the top of the scoop. Ruth is not even pretending to stop him. She is smiling down at him with the expression of a grandma who knows she should probably say no and has absolutely no intention of doing so. Behind them, a basket of folded laundry and a table cluttered with keys and fruit wait for cooler hours.

A tiny taste of plain vanilla is unlikely to cause harm for most dogs, but regular ice cream is not a great treat for them. Many adult dogs do not digest lactose well, so dairy can lead to gas or an upset stomach, and the sugar and fat add up quickly. Some flavors are truly dangerous: chocolate, coffee, macadamia nuts, raisins, and anything sweetened with xylitol should never be shared. A better hot-day option is a homemade frozen treat, such as plain yogurt or mashed banana frozen in an ice cube tray, or a store-bought frozen treat made specifically for dogs. Ask your vet if your dog has a sensitive stomach.

Rusty, of course, would like everyone to know that one lick barely counts. Ruth seems to agree, and the rest of the cone may or may not end up evenly divided between them.

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