how salt water affects your dog

2ndchance

New member
It's beach time and many people bring their dogs to the beach with them but while many know about the heat factor they may not know about how salt water affects the dog.
I am interested if anyone here knows about pools that use Ionized salt instead of chlorine. I use chlorine so I am not familiar with the salt water pools or if they are just as dangerous as salt water oceans, lakes streams. Feed back welcome on this subject

http://2ndchance-caninecapers.blogspot.com/2010/04/beach-fun-in-summertime-is-it-safe.html
 

charlieinnj

New member
My understanding is a 'saltwater pool' uses an electrolytic cell that processes the pool salt, making it into chlorine. So I'd suspect it's no longer salt like found in the ocean.
 

2ndchance

New member
Thanks Charlie, I was not sure how that worked and I have never been in a pool that uses that. I guess if one has a pool that uses this they could taste the water. Of course you would not want to do this after seniors or babies have been in there as both kinda wear diapers if you know what I mean. My dogs get out of the pool to pee so I trust that!
 
My understanding is a 'saltwater pool' uses an electrolytic cell that processes the pool salt, making it into chlorine. So I'd suspect it's no longer salt like found in the ocean.
luvxl k 9 (karen who owns Snuffles's kinfolk went salt a couple/3 years ago. The water has a very salty taste still. The water coming from the pump does have a definite chlorine smell. I think in general Karen has been happy with the results. I also think she likes they way the coat comes out after drying.
 

2ndchance

New member
Just to clarify - there is nothing dangerous about about "salt water oceans" for Newfs; it is in fact their natural environment:

http://www.hannibalkennels.on.ca/articles/dic/breedlines_2007_07.html

http://www.hannibalkennels.on.ca/articles/dic/breedlines_2010_01.html
I think you mean their coats are fine in salt water. I am talking about too much ingestion of the salt water, hence what I meant about them licking themselves/fur after coming out of the water and thought rinsing would help. But if your dogs don't ingest from licking the coat then there is nothing to worry about.
 

2ndchance

New member
luvxl k 9 (karen who owns Snuffles's kinfolk went salt a couple/3 years ago. The water has a very salty taste still. The water coming from the pump does have a definite chlorine smell. I think in general Karen has been happy with the results. I also think she likes they way the coat comes out after drying.

I think when it comes to salt in your water, it is used to soften hard water, going by that I can tell the difference in my own hair and skin when my water softener is out of salt, so I would think it would be great for the fur!
 

DAWNMERIE

Active member
Our first beach outting with Zeke was BAD, we could not stop him from drinking the salt water...end result, let's just say REALLY BAD. We couldn't not even get in the car without an issue, so we were stuck there until things passed, and we only live 1/2 from the beach. He still drinks the salt water and Im not sure why that first time was horrific but only thing I deal with now is reallllllly looooonnnnnggggg pees. I know it's not good for them to drink and I'm always yelling at him but I just don't know how to stop him from drinking it. Personally, I feel the salt water is great for them...skin and coat wise, it always helps with Myra's skin issues.

We just rinse them after the beach (mainly to get the sand out of them) but I wouldn't worry about them cleaning themselves.
 
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I think when it comes to salt in your water, it is used to soften hard water, going by that I can tell the difference in my own hair and skin when my water softener is out of salt, so I would think it would be great for the fur!
In the past Karen has used water directly from the well. This year she filled it with water from the house..through the softner. She said it looks a lot cleaner, but not sure if the dogs feel that much softer. Hope to get over there in the not too far distant future for a Snuffles' Gotcha Day Party. In the past it has been a pool party. :)
 

Bojie

New member
Nanook and Pooka have a salt water pool. Boj and Riggs have swam in it several times, they also swim in chlorinated pools at the hydro rehab. Just from personal observation from my guys, it's much less drying to the coat and skin. I prefer salt water over chlorine.
 

2ndchance

New member
For the skin and coat yeah, but for dehydration and other problems drinking it should be monitored. I think if they drink some like Dr Fisher stated and they then have plenty of regular water to drink then dehydration and electrolytes are not as big as an issue. I would not want to find out the hard way though. Good thing I'm more of a land line person. Out of all my Newfs only two enjoyed the pool one enjoyed the fresh water stream and one was terrified by water all together but that was explained why when we visited the animal communicator!
 

NinaA

New member
Okay, I'll bite, because I'm fascinated by them -- what did the animal communicator say was the reason your dog was terrified of water.
 

2ndchance

New member
ah, because in his former life he was a shepherd and he and his master were out fishing in a small boat, the boat overturned and he could not save his master though he tried. Both drowned. Do I believe it? Can't be sure because all she had was my first name, hubby's name and the dog's name. I say this because everything else she told us about him was spot on, things she could never know and I did not ask leading questions.

She told us he is (well he is deceased now, but I use present tense ) a real mama's boy and she looked at me and said "He is not talking about you, he still lives with his biological mother." Spot on. She told us he has the ability to recognize and help handicapped people, though not the type of handicap one could see at first glance with their eyes, it would be a mental handicap" Spot on, he worked with children with Downs and Autism. She told us that if he ever felt a dangerous situation upon us heed his warning. Spot on, which came long after the reading in a prison visit and again on the street. Stories are too long to go into now. But they happened at a time that I had already forgotten I had seen her it was not something that was forefront in my mind all I thought was he is acting rude!

I wish I could find this lady again, I put her card in a safe place and I can't find it! I met her at the Harrisburg farm complex during a paws-abilities event but the people putting on the event could not remember her as it was long ago.


Okay, new subject. For those who have the salt system in their pools , does one have to switch filters from the normal chlorine one or does it not matter. What is involved in switching the system from a chlorine one to a salt one?
 

drakese

New member
We have a salt system for our pool. It is a much more involved process than just switching out filters. Uwe likes to stand on the first step and drink from it. He does this pretty regularly and has never had any issues like he had from drinking in the ocean.
 

2ndchance

New member
Thanks for the pool info. My pool is old, above ground and still on the original liner and when the liner goes then we will get rid of the pool. Since the kids are gone no one uses it much.
 

2ndchance

New member
We have a salt system for our pool. It is a much more involved process than just switching out filters. Uwe likes to stand on the first step and drink from it. He does this pretty regularly and has never had any issues like he had from drinking in the ocean.
that's a nice looking pool!
 
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