You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Most cats and dogs are excellent swimmers if they find themselves in deep water, so, as a general rule, there is little danger from swimming. However, you should take certain precautions to avoid a catastrophe, and other problems.

Dogs and cats are good swimmers although cats do not particularly like immersing themselves in water. Dogs on the other hand often enjoy swimming and will voluntarily jump into rivers, lakes or the ocean. Drowning is rarely seen by veterinarians but nevertheless you should take some sensible precautions to avoid a catastrophe  :

• Risk of drowning

  The greatest risk of drowning occurs if your pet gets exhausted, or if it is injured whilst in the water

  Do not encourage you dog to swim :

  • On beaches with a strong currents, particularly beaches with a "rip" tide which can suddenly sweep your pet away from the shore
  • In rivers or lakes with dense vegetation just under the surface because your pet could get it's legs tangled in the weeds
  • In rivers with fast currents, or near to rapids or falls
  • In rivers, lakes or the ocean where there is a lot of watersport activity. Like humans, dogs immersed in the water are difficult to see and they can be accidentally hit by boats, boards, etc travelling at speed
  • If it is already exhausted from exercising on the beach
  • In the ocean with moderate to strong currents if  it has generalised muscle weakness (for any reason - eg disease or old age)

   

• Other risks

  Swimming in polluted water can lead to other problems such as skin disease due to direct contact with irritants, or to infection.

   

• Do not encourage your dog to swim :
  • In lakes contaminated with blue-algae
  • In rivers or lakes near to heavy industry - particularly if the industry is allowed to dump it's waste into the water
  • On beaches known to be contaminated with sewage
  • On beaches polluted with oil
  • In rivers or lakes known to be polluted with agricultural waste - eg slurry or agrochemicals, or adjacent to fields that are being, or have recently been, sprayed with agrochemicals

   

• In addition to these precautions do not allow your dog to :
  • Eat rubbish washed up on a beach
  • Defaecate on the beach - especially above the waterline, and particularly on public beaches used by children

  The game of retrieving sticks and balls from an ocean or sea is good fun for dogs (and humans !), but it does result in your pet ingesting large volumes of salt water (hopefully clean salt water). So, don't be surprised if your pet develops a mild gastroenteritis - with retching, vomiting and diarrhoea afterwards.

  Although water might look clean and inviting you can never be sure that it isn't polluted, so it is a good idea to shampoo and shower off your dog after a swimming session to remove debris and other material from it's coat.

Updated October 2013