6 Common Safety Tips for Dogs & Water

COMMON SAFETY TIPS trupanion DOGS & WATER Medical insurance for your pet. 1 1 WATCH Know where your pets are and what they are doing. You can help prevent accidents and illnesses by keeping them within sight. Make sure you can respond quickly if you see any issues. Never allow unsupervised swimming. POOL SAFETY Pets must be able to get out easily. Stairs they can easily climb, or non-slip pool ramps or ladders made for pets can save their lives. Be extra vigilant with puppies (and kittens). Their enthusiastic tumbling and clumsy running can quickly land them in water. Keep them away from the edge, and don't lose sight of them, even for a minute. Get a tall fence. If your dog can't get out of a pool by themselves, a tall, secure fence surrounding the pool can prevent your dog from jumping in the first place. 3 3 WASH LIFE JACKETS The right fit, buoyancy, handles, and bright Don't let salt or pool chemicals dry on their fur. It can irritate their skin, and if they swallow it when licking their fur, it can make them sick. colors are vital. While the jackets can keep them afloat, you should be able to pull your dog out of water by the handles and easily see them from a distance. 5 REST WATER Swimming can be strenuouUs! Whether you are playing fetch in the ocean, river, or lake, be careful not to overdo it. Keep your pets close to shore and within sight. Give them rest breaks in a shaded area and provide plenty of drinking water. Don't let them lap up lake, river, pool, or ocean water. When they are thirsty, they need fresh drinking water. The chemicals, bacteria, parasites, and salt from the waters they play in can make them sick. COMMON SENSE Life jackets and fences help prevent accidents, as does supervising your pets' activities around bodies of water. Watching what they drink and washing them off can help prevent illnesses. Be prepared with a first aid kit, extra drinking water, and towels to wipe them down. Above all: use common sense! H20 H20 | H?O DID YOU KNOW? Most dogs can swim, right? Yes, but not all dogs like it and some really shouldn't. Be careful with flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs, like French Bulldogs or Pugs. Besides their short snouts, their big chests are top heavy, so if they get too tired trying to stay afloat, they can quickly sink. Cats and water usually don't mix. Most cats hate getting into water, but the rare Turkish Van cats actually enjoy swimming! And Fishing Cats dive into lakes and swim underwater to catch fish, but these "cats" are wild. See them in action in zoos. Puppies don't know how to swim. While they may be able to "dog paddle" a little bit, this is not swimming, and they can tire easily. Learn how to teach them to swim and start them in shallow water. Water dogs are strong swimmers. Most were bred to help hunters retrieve waterfowl from water, including, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and Poodles. Keep them out of cold water and strong currents - even powerful swimmers can get hypothermia. 888.615.8318 Trupanion is a registered trademark owned by Trupanion, Inc. Underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company (USA) and Omega General Insurance Company (CAN). TRUPANION.COM PIO1-0514