Beaches and dogs

Fools Motto

Fools Motto

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Took our spaniel to the beach for the first time today. (dog friendly section, sandy beach). She had fun, liked it and was well behaved luckily.
We were there only about an hour.

Then she violently threw up, and got chronic diarrhea.

Just curious to know, is this a common thing? Our old dog doesn't and never has 'played' in the water, and has never suffered from this.
 
yes, the setter used to get it in about 10mins. Quarrie also quaffed some old seaweed on holiday and was well, sick as a dog and then got the *****.
Plus, make sure the dog friendly bit isn't near a Victorian sewage outlet pipe ;)
 
I remember a delightful day out as a child where we had to pull over every ten minutes on the way home to let the dog be sick. My current one has iron guts but will occasionally get the runs after a trip to the beach. For him I think it's also how wound up he gets...one whiff of sea breeze from a mile out and he starts going bonkers!
 
She seemed soon back to normal, but just asked in case I could do something to help before it happens again - we're off to Cornwall next month.
 
Oh you mean as a preventative? My current was at the beach every day for years as we lived close by, and the previous few, I think exposure helps, although they were not hugely populated with dogs. I know friends who go to very doggy beaches and their dogs get sick quite a lot...comes with the territory I think when there are lots of different dogs around.
 
Mine get it because of all the rubbish they eat, or attempt to eat. Seaweed is the usual culprit but we also have the odd jellyfish and the Big White Dog Found A Dead Seagull Incident.

2yngcpd.jpg


I keep a tube of Pro Kolin in the dog kit. :p
 
If they are retrieving in the water they swallow sea water, it has rather a laxative effect. So, I wouldn't throw balls into the waves if you think it might happen.
Our eldest lab ate a starfish once, that did make her a bit poorly.
 
Carry fresh water with you for the dog to drink; don't allow them to drink sea water and keep retrieves to the absolute minimum as salt will adhere to the ball, dummy or whatever.
 
my friend's whippet ended up in doggy intensive care from eating a fresh jelly fish so be warned. I think its mostly the salt that causes problems (when no jelly fish are eaten!) but seaweed has a massive amount of bacteria on it-not the sort that would normally cause illness but would arguably give you a dicky tum once you've digested it.
 
Yes, quite common and comes with the territory. Some dogs seem more susceptible than others. I always carry fresh water, try to stop them drinking sea water although some is likely to be swallowed if dog is swimming or retrieving a toy. In my dogs at least the effects are short lived and as we only go to the beach between 2-3 times a month I don't worry too much.
 
My two love the beach and my oldest ones favourite thing is to run riot with his toys and dive into the sea.....gives him the runs everytime and within minutes but doesn't bother him...I know the routine...runs daft...plays in the sea....comes out....has a runny poop....runs around some more....has last drop of runny poop...then he is fine and back tonormal so I don't really do anything different tbh...he is happy.
 
If they are drinking the sea water it can make them very very ill, I have never thought that it is normal for dogs to be ill after a trip to the beach, I have just spent 5 days on the north Norfolk coast with my own dog and one boarding with me and neither dog was ill, some days we spent 6 hrs on the beach.
I always make sure I carry or have access to fresh water for them though.
 
Very surprised by this thread. I have lived by the sea for five years now. Dogs moved up with me. Never had any problems, they go in the sea most days, eat all sorts of stuff, bits of seaweed, dead fish etc. Obviously I do say no to some things they find!!
Not sure if a dog is running loose you can stop them tasting sea water. On the whole, mine don't like the taste and drink from a freshwater stream on the way back.
 
blackcob said:
.....the Big White Dog Found A Dead Seagull Incident.
:p
Click to expand...

The horror. I thought I'd seen it all with our GR but I now realise this was a naive and stupid assumption. That said, it was pretty bad when the cocker found a dead horse on a Welsh mountainside. At least I wasn't sharing a tent with him though.

Edited to say, I'm glad I found this thread, this is one thing to cross off the list of Things To Panic About when our currently 9 week old puppy gets out and about in a fortnight.
 
Fools Motto said:
Took our spaniel to the beach for the first time today. (dog friendly section, sandy beach). She had fun, liked it and was well behaved luckily.
We were there only about an hour.

Then she violently threw up, and got chronic diarrhea.

Just curious to know, is this a common thing? Our old dog doesn't and never has 'played' in the water, and has never suffered from this.
Click to expand...

I have lived by the sea for years and sea water is not particularly clean especially in summer, bacteria and bugs.I dont let my dog in the water then and watch what he picks up as hes rooting around. Dried seaweed is a hazard that dogs often like to eat but once its swallowed it swells up inside the dog and can be fatal.The local vet has even posted warnings on the dangers.
 
The Boxer we had when I was a kid was a devil for rolling in dead things on the beach. He was able to home in on them from a long distance. Worst one was a very dead and smelly seal.

My own Boxers ended up literally pooing sea water on their first visit to the beach.

Sea water also makes a lovely job of cleaning horses hooves
 
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