Dog Pool Safety Reminders During the Summer Heatwave!

The heat of the summer is continuing across the country. Can you imagine having to wear a fur coat out in this continued heat and humidity? No doubt your older dog will continue to suffer silently until the weather shifts.

Heat does present a danger to humans young and old, but also to our very young and old pets. One thing that is very important to keep our dogs happy and healthy in this warm weather is keeping fresh water available. Now if you have a swimming pool, that would appear refreshing to any dog, but is it a healthy way for your dog to stay cool? Well now, that depends.

Taking a drink or two from a just filled kiddie-pool isn’t a big deal for most dogs. The problem comes in when the water is “shocked” with chlorine to keep the bacteria levels down. Or, when the untreated water has been swam in by young children and then left to heat up in the sun. In the first case, the chemicals can be very harmful to your dog because they are not meant for consumption on a regular basis. In the second case, the lack of chemicals will cause the bacteria from any leaking diaper to grow quickly and cause serious illness.

How about if Fido wants to go for a swim? Is that a problem? It is if your dog cannot swim! If the water is too deep for his legs to touch and he cannot readily climb out of the pool, it can be deadly. If you are not sure, get your pet a life jacket when you are going to be pool side. It is also a good idea to brush up on your mouth to snout resuscitation skills.

Best defense in this summer heat, treat your dog like you would any very young or very old family member around a pool. Keep a watchful eye for safety’s sake. And keep clean fresh water available at all times so your senior dog is not tempted to drink from the pool!

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