There are dozens of breeds of dogs who love the family swimming pool, and even a few cats breeds that enjoy swimming. However, pets can be at risk of drowning unless you have some safety measures in place.
Most animal drownings occur at night, when no one is around to assist the animal if it falls in the swimming pool. One way to prevent this is to make sure your pets don’t have access to the pool at night. A second option is to install a scamper ramp. The ramp extends from the deck into the water, offering trapped animals a surefooted escape from the water. Third, you can install a transparent barrier fence with a study locking gate to prevent animals from wandering into the pool area. Finally, you can install an alarm that is triggered when something disturbs the water.
Just like for children, pool chemicals can be harmful to your pets, so they should be safely locked away. Too much exposure to chlorine can dry out a dog’s skin, causing it to be irritated and itchy. You should hose off your pets after immersion in a chlorinated pool. Canine eyes and noses are more sensitive than ours, and they can be more susceptible to the effects of chlorine than humans are. If you notice your dog’s eyes or nose to be red, irritated, or watery, it is a good idea to keep the animal out of the pool. Dogs can handle a small amount of ingested chlorine, but its best to monitor your pet to make sure it isn’t drinking too much of the pool water.
While your animal is at play in the pool, they are subject to the same rules as children. An adult should always be there to supervise. Make sure the critter has plenty of water as sunshine is just as dehydrating to animals as it is to people. Pool decking can become blistering hot during Arizona’s hottest summer months — hot enough to scorch and blister sensitive pet paws and children’s feet. One way to avoid this is to hose down the pool deck quickly before your children and pets hit the pool. It’ll cool of the decking and help avoid sore feet and paws.
If your pets or your children are poor swimmers, there are life vests available for both species!
If you have questions about pet safety, come into Pool People in Glendale, Arizona, and ask us what we can do to pet proof your pool. Pool People provides regular pool and spa cleaning, pool and spa maintenance, pool remodeling, pool and spa repairs, as well as tile cleaning for residents of the Northwest Valley in Phoenix. We also have a fully stocked pool store at 5830 W. Thunderbird Rd., Suite B-6, Glendale, AZ.