Is swimming too much bad for your dog?

[SummerRiot]

Riot is in the water about every other day, or at least twice a week.

Hes not bathed after swimming, but I was wondering if it was bad for his coat?

Also, if I added oil to his food would this help his coat more?
Hes a Belgian Tervuren so doesn't have the natural oils as a Lab would.

What type of oil is best for a dog?

[RD]

I use conditioner on my dog every few days during the summer, when he is in the chlorinated pool for several hours every day. His coat is in great shape and he gets enough oil and fat in his diet, I don't have to supplement.

[SummerRiot]

alright thats good to know then lol I have just never owned a dog that actually WANTS to swim - so this is all new to me! lol Crazy eh! Lifetime with dogs and only this one will swim voluntarily lol

Riot is on innova and *may* be switching to Fromm because I know that this food enriches the coat. I just thought that him being in the water so much that I'd give him a heads up with adding in oil to his diet.

[filarotten]

Summer, Brutus swims everyday in our pond, cold or hot...don't know how he stands it.

I don't wash him when it is cold, but I do rinse him off after swimming when it is warm. Bacteria thrives in warm weather so I feel better rinsing him off with the hose. I can't wash him everyday, it would dry his skin out... so I do it once or twice a month, depending on the mud, dead fish, etc. :eek: :rolleyes:

Fish oil is good for dogs, I believe Mordy has posted about it before in the food section.

He eats Innova, and his coat is in great shape.

[caseyolee]

I use cocasoya oil on my dogs. It can be used as a supplement or for weight gain. I feed 1 tablespoon for a supplement and 3 tablespoons for weight gain.

[SummerRiot]

awesome thats good to know then! Thanks guys :)

Right now the water is still freezing cold.. I dont know how he stands to stay in so long. So I dont have much worry right now about bacteria. There was still an "ice island" out in the middle of the water the other day lol

In the summer time he'll have his own baby pool to play in though.

I have never hread of cocasoya oil before.

Fish oil
Thats not like Cod Liver Oil is it?

[PoodleMommy]

Is swimming bad for your dogs ears?

Always wondered... I dont think my dog would ever want to get in the water but I was just curious?

Elissa

[Julie]

Rocket swims just as much as my labs thru the spring and summer.
Never had any problems due to that.

She did have a couple itchy spots but went away within a few weeks after switching her food. I think that happened in the winter though.

[bubbatd]

Chip really had his 1st swimming experiences last summer... he had had ear problems before I got him, so once a day I put in an solution that help dry.( He did fine. As to oils, he likes to take one of my fish oli pills at night... so I give him one.

[Mach1girl]

Swimming is the best exercise for your dogs. It works every muscle and limb, from legs to ears, to even tails. Dixie swims an hour every single day.

As far as harm, it depends on where they are swimming. If it is a pool, the skin can gets very dry and itchy, thorough rinsing after each swim is best. A pond or lake, even salt water, they can get stinky and rashes can break out in crevices not dried real good, but I still recommend rinsing well each time. Ponds, rivers and salt water have algaes and bacterias that can latch on and start something.
I am so glad you are swimming your dog, that is sooo cool. We are training the pups to swim with Dixie now. They arent real sure, but do swim when you put them in there!!!
Dix has swam almost every day since we got her at 9 weeks old. Boy it builds muscle, great cardio, and wears them out!
The ears have to be dried every time as well. Water gets in there easily and can sometimes cause infections. Dix hasnt had one, but I always dry them good. Its a good way to keep them clean, as you will always be cleaning them to dry them.

Have fun.....keep swimming!

[Ashlea]

Aeron, my B/C, swims everyday. The only problem I have ever had with her is once, she injested some water and got an infection in her stomache. She got put onto antibiotics and was fine. She has just never been allowed to swim in that pool again.
I prefer her swimming in the sea. I just feel it's cleaner.
And in case you are wondering, I am at the arse end of Africa, so we have no pollutants in our ocean.:)

[RetrieverLove]

It's a great activity!

Do most Belgians enjoy water? I never thought they would.

[JennSLK]

Floppy eared dogs like a beagle, basset, ect.... Should have their ears cleaned right after. They can get infections because f the moisture cant escape properly from their ears

[Buddy'sParents]

We give Buddy salmon oil in his morning meal and his coat is beautiful. People always comment on how soft and great looking it is....

[Snark]

My dogs love to jump in the neighbor's lake whenever I walk their property (4 or 5 times a week). It doesn't matter what the weather is like, if the lake isn't frozen solid, they're in it. They've walked home sometimes with icicles hanging from their coats.
One would think that as much as they like water, they wouldn't mind being rinsed off with the hose but you'd swear I was trying to kill them!

[smkie]

the only problem i have had is when we went weekly to the off leash park that has a lake mary developed yeast in her ears so bad that is has been a constant battle from that point. It doesn't seem to bother Vic a bit. Mary never had that problem, but when she would retreive she would stick her whole head under the water. I think that is where it all started.

[rottnpagan]

Here's a link to an oil supplement:

K9 Shine (http://www.lazers.biz/how_to_use_k9_shine.html)