Short fur is going to show strong anisotropic effects. Like velvet; looked at dead-on, you look down into the shadows at the base of the hairs and it is darker. Looked at from an angle, you see the shiny sides of hairs (and your view of the shadows is blocked) and it is lighter. Use fake fresnel, anisotropic lighting, tricks like that. I'd also, with such a light surface (ice/snow), turn ambience all the way down/off, and apply GI; especially "Indirect" light. If you actually have exposed new ice you might even look at adding caustics.