Sunset Beach Hawaii
Keeping your pets safe this summer is a mixture of common sense and knowledge of what common items can be dangerous to pets.
Sunscreen toxicity
If your pet in just a large amount of sunscreen can be gained or is. Sunscreen ingredients include a few potentially dangerous chemicals like salicylic acid (aspirin), zinc oxide, PABA , and laxatives. Ingesting large amounts of PABA can upset your dog's gastrointestinal tract, cause bone marrow changes, and liver damage. Ingesting large amounts of salicylic acid can even cause kidney failure. This sort of poisoning is pretty unusual because pets would have to ingest a very large amount to be toxic. If you have a small dog or puppy, then it would be easier for the animal to be poisoned by a lesser amount of sunscreen. The sunscreen container should have a phone number to call with questions about the product. If you have a dog with a pink or light-colored nose it is recommended you use a child-safe sunscreen on the dog's nose but do not use a regular sunscreen on the dog because they will lick it off and ingest the sunscreen.
Pool chemicals
All pool chemicals are toxic to dogs and cats if they are ingested. Once swimming pool chemicals have been diluted in the pool they are no longer dangerous to your pet. However, if a chlorine tablet should ever be somewhere that your dog can lick or ingest the tablet, it can cause extreme ulcers in the dog's mouth, esophagus and stomach. These also make tears in the dogs G.I. tract that can be life-threatening. Please store all your pool chemicals in a locked, secure area. Never leave an open container of pool chemicals beside your pool, even for a few seconds.
Salt water toxicity
Dogs love to play by the ocean and some of them drink ocean water. Please discourage your dog from ever drinking ocean water. You should carry a bottle of water whenever you are near the ocean with your pet. Offer your pet sips of water even though your pet does not ask for it. If a dog drinks too much salt water he can get a condition called hypernatremia, which includes diarrhea and vomiting, possible seizures from salt poisoning, progressive depression, and brain swelling. This is a very serious condition and can be avoided by paying attention to your pet when you're at the beach.
When in doubt call the Pet Poison Hotline at 1-800-213-6680 and 888-426-4435 or contact your veteranarian.
If you would like to see how to keep your pet cool this summer click on the link below.
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