You may think your dog is a master of the doggie paddle, but think again. Good Morning America stresses that your dog may be at risk for drowning like one of the 1,028 pets that drown each year.
Jean Marie Cooper of Water 4 Dogs explains “For example, bulldogs, pugs, French bulldogs — they try to swim but they do kind of sink. Their legs are not long so they’re not gonna get a whole lot of thrust out of their stroke.”
Luckily, the experts point out a few precautions that can help save your dog’s life.
1. The BrickHouse Pool Alarm: attached to your pet’s collar, hear an alarm the instant your pet gets wet. Whether it’s in a bath tub, pool, lake, or ocean, you will know the moment your dog submerges.
2.Wait 2 Hours After Eating: “You don’t want them to have a full belly or stomach and then exercise intensely because in some large dogs the stomach can twist, and then you have a serious medical emergency on your hands,” Cooper said.
3. Supervision: probably the most important precaution a pet owner can take, is to keep a close eye on your pet. “You can teach them how to swim, but I would not recommend letting your dog swim without supervision ,” Cooper said.
(via Good Morning America)
