Swimming pools and sunscreen

Swimming pools can provide hours of family fun but make sure that if you’re going to have your dog join you that he can swim and knows how to access the steps to get in and out of the pool.  This will also help if  he should fall in while unattended and needs to get out quickly.

Remember that not all dogs are natural swimmers.  Some breeds, such as Rhodesian Ridgebacks, hate the water and despise even having their feet get wet.  If your dog does not want to get into the pool with you, please respect his wishes.

If your dog is swimming in a pool, an unfiltered murky pond or a lake wash him after he swims.  Chlorine can cause skin irritation.  Protozoa and microbes can be tracked through the house and rub off on hands, which can cause infections or other health hazardous.  Make sure to wash not just the underside but up into the pads of his feet and in between the toes.

There are sunscreens made for dogs.  Never use a sunscreen made for humans, particularly ones that are made of zinc, on your dog’s nose or any other parts.   Zinc can be toxic when absorbed through the dog’s skin and even more so if ingested.  Only buy sunscreen that are free of toxic ingredients.

Provide lots of shade for your dog during the hot summer months.  If it is over 85 degrees and it is hot for you, then it is even hotter for your dog.  Do not give your dog endless supplies of ice cold water.  A dog who is hot and panting and then ingests ice cold water in large volumes can bloat or “tie up”.  This is when the muscles spasm in the belly much like a cold front meeting a warm front and creating a thunderstorm.