Did you know that the 5th leading cause of accidental death for dogs is drowning? Dogs can drown even though many people think they can’t. Even the breeds that known swimmers and loving water. Accidents can happen so below are some tips and tricks to prevent that.
1. Teach your dog how to swim: you can enlist in a professional dog trainer for this or can even take some steps at home if you would like. Generally, you want to start in a small baby pool at first to get your dog used to the water.
2. Invest in a life vest: life vests are generally available and most pet stores and the employees there can help make sure you get the best fit for your dog.
3. Watch older dogs: older dogs generally can’t see or hear the best anymore so always watch them closely by the pool because they could easily slip right in. Also, they sometimes have health conditions where you don’t want them in the heat for too long or overactivity. If you have an older dog and are concerned contact your Veterinarian prior to getting their advice.
4. Get a fence: by putting a fence around your pool you may not only save your own pets' lives but many wild animals as well. Wild animals often fall into pools and then cannot seem to get themselves out.
5. Learn CPR: yes there is CPR for animals and there is classes you can take to make sure you do it properly. If you own pets it’s never a bad idea to know how to do CPR.
6. ALWAYS stay with your pet: never leave a pet in or near a pool or any body of water by themselves. They can quickly fall in or go out too far and have a serious issue quickly.
7. Exits: make sure that your pet can get out of your pool and know where all the exits are.
8. Drinking: try not to let your pet drink the pool water because most pools have chlorine in them which isn’t good for them to drink a lot of. Always have fresh cold water available.
9. Play: it’s always fun for both of you to play in the pool together but make sure to watch for how long especially in the heat.
10. Rinse: Always rinse your dog off after being in a pool or any body of water.
11. Heat: even though they are in the water they are still exercising. Make sure they have ample shade to get to and freshwater available at all times. If you notice that they are getting tired or seem to be panting more than normal make sure to get them out of the heat right away and monitor them. If they start to get worse or do not improve call your Veterinarian right away.
12. Pool Covers: yes they are extremely practical but try to use the ones that a tight against the pool if you use one. The flimsy ones can easily take the life of your pet or other animals. They can fall and tangled in the cover or can end up underneath the cover and not able to find their way out.
13. Have a plan: no one want to think of the worst-case scenario but it’s always a good idea to with the pets so that way you can be prepared. Try to have a plan in place including some sort of first aid kit or an emergency vet hospital phone number.
