Can Sea Water Damage a Dog’s Health?

Can Sea Water Damage a Dog’s Health? Find out in this article. Want a quick answer?

If your dog drinks large amounts of saltwater, hypernatremia can lead to vomiting, dehydration, incoordination, seizures, and require veterinary care

We can’t live without water. But our waters can often be dangerous to us and our pets. Seeing your dog careering along a stretch of sand chasing seagulls, or cavorting in the waves is a lot of fun.

Some dogs adore swimming in the ocean and enjoy plunging into the waves to retrieve a favorite beach toy. 

Ocean soaked tennis balls or other absorbent fetch toys contain enough salt to cause problems for the dogs that are fetching them.

Mild ingestion of saltwater can cause “beach diarrhea.” The excess salt (or hypernatremia) in the intestines draws water from the blood into the intestines, causing diarrhea.

Diarrhea can sometimes contain blood and mucous. If your dog drinks large amounts of saltwater, hypernatremia can lead to vomiting, dehydration, incoordination, seizures, and require veterinary care.

Avoid salt poisoning by taking a break every 15 minutes away from the water to offer freshwater to the dog. If your dog won’t drink willingly, use a bottle with a sports cap and squirt fresh water into the mouth.

Water activity is great for dogs and the exercise far outweighs the risks, but it is important to be mindful of the risks in the water your dog so dearly loves.

The signs that your dog may have ingested too much seawater include the following:

A dog that has swallowed too much saltwater could also suffer serious kidney damage and if left untreated they will dehydrate rapidly which could prove fatal. If you notice anything wrong or your dog starts behaving weirdly, you need to get them to the vet as soon as you.

Preventing salt-water poisoning your dog

When you take your dog on an adventure day at the beach, it’s really important that you take plenty of fresh water with you. If you don’t want to carry a water bowl you can use their Frisbee instead.

Portable water bottle’s for dogs available online here – Dog travel water bottle

The chances are your dog will be extremely excited because being on a beach is a thrilling experience with lots of new and intriguing smells to check out – some of which are not that pleasant to humans!

This raises a problem because when thirsty, a dog will happily drink seawater if they can’t find a fresh water source around and because dogs are totally unaware of how dangerous this is for them, they will drink a lot if they are allowed to.

Seawater contains an extremely high concentration of sodium and the result of dogs drinking excessive amounts of it sees salt levels in their bodies shoot up which is a condition known as hypernatremia.

This, in turn, sees an increase in osmolality of the blood.

As soon as a dog does get access to fresh water, they will drink buckets full as a way to counteract the high levels of sodium in their bodies.

Unfortunately, this excessive drinking of freshwater can result in their brain’s swelling due to the rapid changes in fluids.

What is the treatment for dogs that have drunk seawater?

Dogs suffering from saltwater poisoning must be given lots of IV fluids and have their electrolytes constantly monitored.

They would also need to be given the right veterinary treatment to counteract any dehydration and swelling of the brain. There’s a tremendous amount of supportive after-care that a dog would also need if they are to make a full recovery from seawater poisoning.

As with all emergency treatments, the sooner a dog is taken to the vet and treated, the better their chances are of making a recovery.

If your dog has already drunk a lot of seawater, take them home and monitor them. Give the dog an old towel to lie on in a quiet room (preferably, one that is easy to clean). Continue to offer them fresh water to drink.

If your dog can go without vomiting after about two hours, you can give him a slightly sugary drink. Such as a half and half mixture of apple juice and water, or a slightly salty drink.

The idea behind these drinks is to help restore the dog’s electrolyte balance. Again, offer these drinks frequently, but in small amounts.

Do not try to feed your dog until at least 24 hours have passed since they last vomited. Try to provide bland food such as a small amount of rice and some chicken breast or scrambled egg.

Keep these meals small but frequent for a couple of days. If everything seems normal after two or three days, your dog can start eating its normal diet again.

Although most dogs should recover from saltwater poisoning, it is crucial to monitor your dog. If your dog doesn’t appear to be recovering and shows symptoms such as fits, you should definitely go to the vet.

The only way to prevent your dog from ingesting too much seawater when they are enjoying a day out at the beach with you is to keep a close eye on them and always carry a bottle or two of fresh water.

Other drawbacks of your pet drinking sea-water

Bacteria

In mild cases, these bacterial infections can lead to diarrhea (which could make for a long drive home from the beach, even with the car windows rolled down).

Severe infections with these organisms can be much worse. Some of these bacteria may be shed in the stools of infected dogs, and improper handling of feces can potentially lead to infections in people.

Of these bacteria, infection with the Leptospira species can be especially concerning. These bacteria are often found in marshy or muddy water and slow-moving or stagnant pools frequented by wildlife, such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, and rodents.

Organisms can be shed in the urine of infected dogs, leading to potential infection in people.

If you live in an at-risk area or like to take your dog hunting, ask your veterinarian about leptospirosis vaccines.

Although these vaccines can’t offer protection against every subtype of these bacteria, they do help protect dogs against some of the more common ones.

Blue-green algae dangers

Though not exactly a plant, these bacteria produce energy by photosynthesis. Cyanobacteria can form colonies of blooms that often float on the water’s surface, especially during the hot weather of summer and early fall.

Dogs may swallow the blooms while swimming or ingest them when grooming their coats after being in the water. Some of these blooms produce toxins, such as microcystins, which can lead to liver failure, and anatoxins, which typically affect the nervous system.

Signs can begin soon after ingestion and may include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, collapse, and death.

If you suspect that your dog has swallowed blue-green algae, it’s important to get him to the veterinarian immediately. No antidote for the toxins exists, but supportive care may help your dog survive.

k9 Parasites

Outdoor water sources are also sources for parasites, including species of the protozoans Giardia and cryptosporidium. If your dog gets diarrhea after a day on the water, one of these may be the culprit.

Chemicals

Outdoor bodies of water can not only contain surface runoff from surrounding lands, such as pesticides and herbicides but other chemicals like gasoline and oil from boaters. If swimming in a pool too much chlorine can hurt a dog’s health.

Salt and dogs

Consuming a little bit of ocean saltwater probably won’t hurt your dog, but large amounts of it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Dogs drinking ocean water may also experience diarrhea.

What precautions should I take when taking my dog to the sea?

When heading into the great outdoors with your dog, always pack a portable bowl and plenty of fresh water. If you notice your dog trying to drink out of a river or lake (or the ocean), lead him to his water bowl.

In cases where the water smells or looks dirty (as enticing as that is for most dogs), it might be better to keep him onshore.

And if your dog doesn’t seem like himself after a day on the river, lake or beach, take him to your veterinarian, just to be sure. If you wouldn’t drink the water, it’s probably not safe for your dog to drink either.

What should I give my dog to hydrate him?

Coconut water is excellent for rehydration! Add it to the drinking water before and after the beach, and on rare occasions, if the pups sucked in too much saltwater, just give him/them straight Coconut water for a few hours after.

They should be fit and ready to play in no time!