Canine Pool Party

Canine Pool Party

Photo by Tracy Lee https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracyleephoto/6133519291

Swimming has so many benefits for our fury friends; great physical exercise, rehabilitation from injury or surgery and not to mention loads of FUN! If your dog loves to swim in your pool there are a few things to keep in mind.

Dogs introduce 3x the contaminants to your swimming pool water than humans do, this can include; urine, sweat, body oils, hair and fecal matter. Yes I said it, poop! These contaminates will increase sanitizer consumption which may lead to additional oxidation (shock).

Some of us, especially children will ingest contaminated swimming pool water which can lead to waterborne illnesses. This is uncommon in residential pools but still possible, so it is very important to properly sanitize and oxidize your swimming pool.

Canine Health

– Unbalanced and under sanitized pool water can be irritating to your dog; dry skin, rashes, red itchy eyes and infections. Dogs are susceptible to the same by-products of unhealthy pool water as we are. Always rinse off your dog with the garden hose or in the bath tub after swimming.

Swimmer Safety

-Ensure your human swimmers are comfortable swimming with your dogs. Some dogs can be over zealous in the pool, scratching, jumping and even swimming over others. This can cause young children to become anxious or even injured while swimming with your pup.

-Always check sanitizer levels and water clarity prior to swimming. Proper water balance and sanitation will decrease itchy dry skin/eyes and infections.

-Like children, dogs should be supervised at all times while swimming though this isn’t the case for a lot of pool owners. If your dog has access to the pool while your away make sure they have a way to enter and exit the pool safely. Dogs that can’t swim for one reason or another should not be left alone by the pool; just like a person that can’t swim, there’s a possibility they will drown.

-Life jackets are available for dogs that are uncomfortable in or around the water. This provides an extra layer of safety for your pet. These vests come in many sizes and colors.

-Trim your dog’s nails on a regular basis, is will help reduce the chances of torn liners and scratches.

Equipment

-Make sure your pool equipment (plumping, pump and filtration) is properly sized for your pool. Improperly designed pools will reduce the circulation and filtration, impeding safe pool water.

-Dogs who frequently use the pool should be groomed regularly; this will help reduce the amount of fur in the pool. The fur will end up in the skimmer basket(s); pump basket and filtration system, decreasing the timeframe between routine maintenance. You can use skimmer socks to catch the majority of fur in the skimmer baskets http://en.bioguard.ca/Our_Products/Cleaners/Skim_Mor®. When using this product you will need to be diligent, as they can cause the skimmer baskets to crack/break when full of debris (leaves).

Winter

-Remember as a dog parent/owner it is your responsibility to ensure a safe environment for your pet.

Now it’s time to swim!