How bad is seawater for my dog?

cat13

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#1
Teal'c is my first dog "close to the ocean" and therefore it is the first time that I have to deal with that problem...
Everytime we go the the doggy beach he drinks so much seawater that he get's a good clean out of it. The water literally comes out everywhere. He doesn't seem to mind and he isn't sick afterward. When we get home he drinks heaps of water and after a few pees it's all good again.
I was just wondering if it can do any damage I can't see?!

Thanks heaps!

PS: he does not actually drink it on purpose but he loves being in the water, catching his ball, swimming and diving (yep, we are still talking about a Staffy, not a Labrador!!)... I think mostly it get "in" when he brings his ball back. Now, I could stop that but that is why he is there in the first place... sigh.
 

Zoom

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#2
I'd be worried about dehydration but that's about it, I think. I seem to have the idea that there is something else about seawater, but I can't think of it right now.
 
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#4
Seawater can also make them vomit pretty severely, much like with people. I try not to let my dogs drink the ocean water when we go to the beach, and just bring water with me for them.

A few licks won't hurt, but if he's gorging himself on it I would definitely work on stopping that.
 

CaliTerp07

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#5
It would give my dogs the runs pretty bad growing up. These are dogs that would intentionally drink the water though. A little here/there probably isn't too big a deal. Just bring water bottles for him to drink from while you're out.
 

puppydog

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#6
Just rehydrate him afterwards. My parents BC always does that when she goes to the beach and is perfectly fine after some water.
 

bubbatd

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#7
I wondered about this when I watched " island " dogs in the Caribbeans . They seemed healthy enough though !
 

sprintime

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#8
Would it be hard on the kidneys? Something I've never really thought of but now that I read it I'm wondering...I know it isn't too healthy for humans but I never stopped to think of what it could do to dogs.
 
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#9
Would it be hard on the kidneys?
Drinking seawater will cause a rise in the levels of sodium in the blood. This has the effect of dehydrating the bodies cells. The only way the body has of getting rid of the salt build up in the blood through drinking seawater is through urine and as non-sea dwelling mammals can't produce urine of sufficient high sodium concentration they just have to produce more of it further dehydrating the body. This can be fatal.

It's vitally important that dogs don't drink too much seawater and that they are rehydrated as soon as possible.
 

sprintime

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#10
Drinking seawater will cause a rise in the levels of sodium in the blood. This has the effect of dehydrating the bodies cells. The only way the body has of getting rid of the salt build up in the blood through drinking seawater is through urine and as non-sea dwelling mammals can't produce urine of sufficient high sodium concentration they just have to produce more of it further dehydrating the body. This can be fatal.

It's vitally important that dogs don't drink too much seawater and that they are rehydrated as soon as possible.
You know I never thought about it but that's so true. Funny how something has to hit you between the eyes to make you think sometimes. All I did was nocite my dogs had the runs but their coats were so soft and shiny I never thought of the sodium damage.
 

cat13

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#12
You know I never thought about it but that's so true. Funny how something has to hit you between the eyes to make you think sometimes. All I did was nocite my dogs had the runs but their coats were so soft and shiny I never thought of the sodium damage.
Yep, I know what you mean! I always thought it can't be good as salt water isn't good for humans either but I never looked at it from a scientific point of view. Now I'm really all worried and for a start - I won't take him to the beach every day anymore. Might be good when he has some recovery-time?!

If I only could teach him to swim with his head out of the water......... :D
 

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