Swimming pool can be an excellent place to soothe and cool down especially in the summers. Just like humans, pets also enjoy pool activities in hot summer days. On a bright sunny day, at the pool side with toys and refreshing drinks, you can have a lot of fun with your kids and dogs.
However, you need to be extra cautious while planning such pool activity. You need to remember that not all dogs are born swimmers. Your dogs may get hurt or even drown if left unattended around a pool. Here are a few tips ensuring that you have safety of your dog around the pool:
Swimming Pool Rules
Teach Your Dog to Swim – Dogs are good learners and you can train them to swim. If you are not comfortable in doing so, seek assistance from a dog trainer. They can handle the dogs efficiently and teach them a few basics of swimming to minimize the risk of drowning when left unsupervised.
Dog Life Vest is Crucial – Life jackets or vests are perfect alternative for the dogs who can never learn the swimming basics. They offer extra buoyancy keeping the dog afloat and the bright colors of the jackets makes them highly visible. But, you can not completely rely on the life jacket or life vest, you must supervise each and every activity of your dog around the pool.
Extra Attention to Older Dogs – Mostly mature or aged dogs suffer from arthritis, vision loss or other medical conditions. Thus, such dogs require extra care and attention while they are around the pool. If you don’t feel swimming good for them, prohibit their entry to pool while other pets are there. You can seek advice from our experts at Woodbridge pet hospital about the health condition of your dog and is it healthy enough for swimming.
Learn Dog CPR – CPR or Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a medical condition when a victim of cardiac arrest have breathing issues. Pet owners must know how to administer artificial respiration and CPR. It is crucial to avoid any mishap at the pool while swimming. There are many animal organizations offering classes on the proper CPR techniques.
Fence Your Pool – Pool fencing is an ideal option, if you are unable to supervise your pets all day long or want to prohibit their entry to pool. If you don’t want to spoil the looks of your backyard by installing pool enclosures, consider invisible or underground fencing. Such fencing keep you dogs safe along with providing spectacular looks to your pool.
Post Swimming Tips
After swimming, make sure to wash off the dogs with fresh water to avoid risk of any potential skin diseases or irritation. Clean the ears carefully as dogs with floppy ears are susceptible to ear infections.
The above points will offer reliable help to the pet owners while swimming with their pets. In case of emergency you can contact our vets at Woodbridge animal hospital. We, at Napa Valley, provide state-of-the-art pet health care services across Woodbridge.Our compassionate veterinarians offer every type of medical service including surgical care for pets.