# Side effects from going to the beach



## smurfette (Jan 14, 2013)

A bit of a update first - Dugo is going from strength to strength and is running around like a mad hatter - seems the broken toes didn't affect his stride too much. We've slowly increased his walks and now he can barely let me get into the front door without looking for his lead as he knows that he is about to be taken to the beach.

He loves running into the waves and hopping around but I also noted that he voluntarily drinks quite a bit of the salt water when he gets closer to the beach.

Can't seem to find a thread on this so I thought to ask - anyone else have the same problem and is this something I should try and discourage? I have a faint suspicion that he may also be drinking water from the pool when he splasheds around (I've seen him once and immediately said no and showed him to his water bowl). 

He has access to fresh water throughout the day.

Do you also wash (with scampi) you V after they swam in the ocean or just rinse with water or let them just dry?


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I would discourage drinking salt water. It can give them diarrhea. If your going to the beach daily I would just rinse him off or find a shampoo that's detergent free. To many baths will dry out their skin.


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## JakeL (Jan 24, 2013)

Not exactly the beach but... I had a lab that would often drink from our saltwater pool. At first she would drink a lot, and get pretty sick (some vomiting or diarrhea). But after a while she learned to prefer her fresh water, because it didn't make her sick. Eventually she'd only drink from the pool if we neglected to refill her water bowl, or now and then when we were playing in the pool and she was really thirsty.

A Lab/Weim mix we have now gets particularly thirsty when we're out playing fetch. She likes to drink from puddles in the grass, which I don't like because fertilizer and such... So I just have to pay particular attention to taking periodic water breaks. As long as I give her plenty of clean water during play, she mostly ignores the puddles. 

tl;dr Try taking water breaks during your beach play and fill your pup up with fresh water, then he won't want the salt water so much.


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## ZDOGSMOM (Sep 15, 2012)

We used to live on Fort Myers Beach when we got Ziva.. .as she grew we walked across the street to the Gulf of Mexico daily. She loved it, swam like a fish, loved to jump the waves coming in...
In the beginning she would drink the water if I didn't watch her closely... however the more we went the less she was interested in drinking it. I always took a bottle of water with us to the beach to make sure she had fresh water to drink. And yes drinking salt water gave her, what I called 'the fire hydrant poops' cause when she drank it and we walked back to the house she would have to go NOW and it gushed out like a fire hydrant being opened! 

As far as bathing her..... since we living on the island we went to the beach nearly daily... so I would bring her home and hose her down really well.... with maybe a bath with a good - non-chemical shampoo once a week.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

We live in a coastal community in San Diego and Miles goes to the beach several times per week. If he is just running or playing on the beach, we don't worry about washing him. However, if he is swimming we always wash him especially in the winter when it rains a bit and there is more risk of bacterial infection. Miles breaks out in hives from the irritation of the salt water (also if he brushes up against some of our native plants) so our vet thinks it's better for him to wash regularly and get the allergens off him so he doesn't break out. We use an aloe and tea tree shampoo that is very mild. 

I would just rinse well if your pup doesn't seem to get irritated by the salt water. And definitely stop him from drinking the water.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Rinse the sand off with water. They don't need shampoos.

As for the drinking. Don't try and stop him. I don't care what others think, but to me It's crazy not to allow a pup to learn. You live by the beach by the sounds of it and therefore will be there a lot. Let him drink it, let him get the runs, let him throw up, let him learn. Every dog I've ever had drank it the first few times, then soon learnt It's not a good idea. Now they dip there mouths and tongues in it to cool, but no longer drink it.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I always leave a bowl of fresh water on the shore for mine. Or if we are walking down the beach a water bottle with a squirt top for giving them a drink. If they try to drink salt water I tell them Leave it and give them a drink from the bottle.

I don't agree with the it will make them sick and they will stop. Mine love winter grass and will eat it like cows if given the chance. It will make them throw up every time. Its not a deterrent to them. Why let them get repeated diarrhea and possible dehydration instead of just offering them fresh water.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

I wouldn't let them drink it either. Here in SD this winter there have been a lot of surfers getting infections from surfing after the rain and there is pollution from run off initially after rain, so unless you want to risk your poor pup getting seriously sick I would not let him. My mom went surfing after the rain, cut her hand, and had to have surgery to remove the infected tissue.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

They learn. They are smart. I prefer to let my dogs be dogs. 

As for eating grass. Mine do it all year round. It's normal and natural. It's their form of fibre. I won't be stopping that either. 

As I type this, I am watching Astro and Zsa Zsa eat a rabbit. They caught it, alive and healthy, broke it's neck on the way to me, dropped it in my hand and wagged their tails in delight.
I then picked up the rabbit, walked to the shade of a tree and gave it to them. They are tearing it apart as I type. They're dogs and what a joy it is to let them be that whenever possible.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Ozkar said:


> They learn. They are smart. I prefer to let my dogs be dogs.
> 
> As for eating grass. Mine do it all year round. It's normal and natural. It's their form of fibre. I won't be stopping that either.
> 
> ...


That's so sad, and no real need for the gory details. :'(. I'm not against dogs being dogs, and this may be controversial, but I prefer mine to be a bit more domesticated, and I certainly wouldn't give them an animal to rip up and eat. Thank goodness Ester hasn't caught anything yet!


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Like Willie's Vet has said to me more than once, "Sometimes you've just gotta let a dog be a dog!" 

However, I must admit that when I spot him eating grass I tell him to stop it. This is because it ALWAYS makes him gag and throw up. The fact is, if it happens in the house, I just don't like cleaning it up. It's slimy and it makes ME gag!! 

p.s. A long time ago one of my dog's killed and ate a woodchuck. Actually, I tried to take it away from him, but to no avail. Six months later, my dog was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma. I later developed a theory that the woodchuck had eaten DeCon, or some other kind of poison, and that is what made my dog so sick. That particular dog was not a great hunter, and I think the only reason he was able to catch the woodchuck was that it had been poisoned. I guess you just never know...


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

Ozkar, I read your posts and I often wish I could visit you and your dogs. You seem to have such a close bond with them and such a great 'doggy' lifestyle.

Pippylongstocking, I'm sorry that his post upset you but I doubt a dog sees any difference between a freshly killed rabbit and a bowl of kibble except the rabbit tastes better. These are hunting dogs and unless you are a vegetarian they are only doing what a slaughterhouse does for you.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

Lyra said:


> Ozkar, I read your posts and I often wish I could visit you and your dogs. You seem to have such a close bond with them and such a great 'doggy' lifestyle.
> 
> Pippylongstocking, I'm sorry that his post upset you but I doubt a dog sees any difference between a freshly killed rabbit and a bowl of kibble except the rabbit tastes better. These are hunting dogs and unless you are a vegetarian they are only doing what a slaughterhouse does for you.


Lyra - I agree to a certain extent, and no offence meant, just my opinion. Yes, they are hunting dogs, but not all of them hunt. Having said that, I don't think that Ester feels deprived at not being allowed to rip up an animal. I'm not sure it makes the bond between man and dog (or woman and dog) any greater. I am not naive, I know that animals kill to survive, but dogs don't have to now, it's the 21st century. I just think that it's possibly the humans getting more of a buzz than the dogs, IMO. I'm not squeamish either, I am a nurse! Also, yes I am a vegetarian, but not a hippie preaching veggie, so don't hold it against me!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

Pippylongstocking said:


> Lyra said:
> 
> 
> > Ozkar, I read your posts and I often wish I could visit you and your dogs. You seem to have such a close bond with them and such a great 'doggy' lifestyle.
> ...


That is a disgusting thing to even insinuate, or to veil such a comment in a forum where many members hunt. I personally take great offence to such a comment being aimed at people who hunt. I can categorically state that I do not know ANY hunter whom feels that way about an animal. That's a revolting thing to say. I avoided any gory details in my post to avoid over sensitive people. You need to take a reality check and post an apology.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Pippylongstocking said:


> I am not naive, I know that animals kill to survive, but dogs don't have to now, it's the 21st century. I just think that it's possibly the humans getting more of a buzz than the dogs, IMO. I'm not squeamish either, I am a nurse! Also, yes I am a vegetarian, but not a hippie preaching veggie, so don't hold it against me!


You do realize what goes into dogs' kibble, right? The animals going into kibble don't even have a nice life to romp around in the wild and enjoy the fresh air. Vizslas kill because they love it. It's in their DNA. If you don't want a hunter, get a bunny for a pet. :

I hope you don't feed your pup a vegetarian diet. I've heard of people doing that with devastating medical implications.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

It seems as though this thread has taken a turn away from the original posters questions.
We don't have to agree, but it would be nice if we stayed civil.


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

TexasRed said:


> It seems as though this thread has taken a turn away from the original posters questions.
> We don't have to agree, but it would be nice if we stayed civil.


I agree entirely. I have not put any insulting or negative comments in post. I did think that the original thread was going off on a tangent, but my comments are just my own thoughts and in no way were they meant to offend. Can't believe how touchy people are! C'mon folks, get a grip! ;D ;D ;D


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## pippylongstocking (May 21, 2012)

threefsh said:


> Pippylongstocking said:
> 
> 
> > I am not naive, I know that animals kill to survive, but dogs don't have to now, it's the 21st century. I just think that it's possibly the humans getting more of a buzz than the dogs, IMO. I'm not squeamish either, I am a nurse! Also, yes I am a vegetarian, but not a hippie preaching veggie, so don't hold it against me!
> ...


I don't think all V's love to kill, and not all hunt. Ester is a year old today, and she will point and flush birds, but she doesn't kill them. Maybe she's not fast enough yet! My westie on the other hand, managed to catch a few birds in his younger years! As for feeding Ester a veggie diet, I wouldn't dream of it. Even my husband eats meat!


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

*Re: Re: Side effects from going to the beach*



Pippylongstocking said:


> threefsh said:
> 
> 
> > Pippylongstocking said:
> ...


Shows how much you know about your dogs. They are not bred to kill, they are bred to point and retrieve. My dogs do not kill as a rule. On this occasion however, as Zsa Zsa picked it up, Astro tried to grab it also. They went in different directions and broke the Rabbit's neck as a by product. But more often than not, It's just delivered to hand with a soft mouth. On this occasion, I was very happy they did, as it saved me having to do it, which despite your disgusting, veiled and innocuously denied comment, I do not enjoy.


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

I'd like to chime in on both tangents within this threads

First to the OP, I would suggest a little of both ideologies presented. Let the pup learn and be a dog, bit at the same time, have fresh water readily available and help teach your pup that your water is better than the ocean. Living and hunting in the bayous of the Mississippi delta, we don't really have salt or fresh water, we have nasty brachish (spelling?) water. Kauzy drinks it from time to time. I will let him, but try to redirect his need for water to the collapsible bowl that goes everywhere with us. As for the bathing, after an all day hunt or training in the swamps, we hose him, the gsp, gwp, and lab we work withoff and use Johnson and Johnson tear free baby shampoo. It works well and doesn't seem to dry out the skin. Been doing that for 15 plus years now. I'd suggest a daily hose off to help with the sand and pollen and a bi weekly to monthly shampoo scrub, 

Now to address the derailing train. My dog has killed and subsequently eaten his fair share. I take pride in it. Hes a primal creature with primitive instincts, and I feel it is important to allow those instincts to carry on. I also take pride in the fact that I hunt, humanely kill and slaughter my own animals, and provide year round meat for my family and I (pup included) just like my ancestors have for the last 7000 years of documented history. I am totally 100% against processed meat. We may live in a different, modern world, but we cannot and should not forget our true roots. I've been to enough cow, hog and chicken processing plants in my life to know how wrong, horrible, inhumane, unsanitary and unhealthy the meat you get at the grocery store/ restaurant is. Perhaps I do get a buzz from hunting/killing and watching my dog hunt/kill, but in my eyes its a supremely healthier, more gratifying, primal way of life. Why pay someone to do the dirty work (in a much less caring and unsafe/unhealthy manner) when my dog and I are capable of doing it ourselves. To each his own. Who am I to tell you to do your way differently?


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

To the OP - Oso drank a lot of salt water the first time we took him to the beach. He never got major runs from drinking the salt water, but I wasn't a fan of it. After that we brought a bowl and water bottle with fresh water. We offered it to him at intervals and whenever he started to purposefully drink water from the ocean, we just told him to leave it and then offered the fresh water and reinforced with praise. We ran around with the water bowl in hand in the beginning which was a bit annoying, but now he just knows not to do it.

Just like raising kids, we all raise our dogs a bit differently. Oso got giardia several times as a pup. I think the second time the vet told us it could be caught by drinking stagnant water. Now, obviously the ocean isn't stagnant, but after that we decided that Oso wasn't going to be drinking out of puddles, lakes, etc. purposefully (we don't worry too much about a little in his mouth).


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## smurfette (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks everyone for the great tips. I've started giving Dugo fresh water at the start of our beach walks and having some ready when we are done and I must say he is definitely drinking less from the big blue sea  he is also responding to a "ahaha" when he starts drinking so I think this will not turn into a nasty habbit. Luckily no effect on the tummy!! Now only if he could start listening more to his recall!!


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