If you have a dog and a salt water pool, you might wonder about the implications of the two. Specifically, do dogs and salt water pools mix or is it something to be avoided? Dogs tend to like swimming in pools but there are considerations to think about.
Let’s take a closer look at 9 tips regarding dogs swimming in salt water pools.
Can a dog swim in a saltwater pool?
Dogs can swim in saltwater pools like other chlorinated pools. In all likelihood the salt water has a similar effect on your dog’s skin as it does on humans: It’s easier on the skin and fur than chemically chlorinated pools as long as they don’t overdo it and stay in the water too long.
The salt level in a pool is very low as we’ll discuss in more detail below and the health of your dog is unlikely to be affected by the low level of salt or chlorine contained.
One tip is to only allow your dog to jump in the deep end and swim directly to the shallow end and exit the pool by the steps. They are normally made of a hard plastic or fiberglass which is impervious to their sharp nails and won’t get damaged. The longer they have to swim from one end to the other the more likely they will get tired out and decrease the chance they stay in the pool very long, too.
Is a salt water pool better for dogs?
A salt water pool isn’t necessarily better for dogs than a chlorine or bromine pool. Once your dog is in the water, it’s best that they aren’t drinking pool water regardless of how you sanitize it since pool water is for swimming in, not drinking. That applies for both humans and pets.
The real question about which pool type is better for dogs actually relates to what type of pool design is best. Generally speaking, a fiberglass or concrete pool won’t be damaged by a dog but a vinyl lined pool is another story.
Dogs have sharp nails and if they start paddling and make contact with a vinyl pool liner, it can rip. The vinyl liner can start to come away from the pool frame and starts to sag which is quite common. If your dog starts pawing at the vinyl with its nails, it can make the problem worse. From personal experience, getting the vinyl liner back in place is very difficult even if you have large, strong hands.
This may lead to having the pool liner repaired at a cost to you and possibly time away from using the pool. Replacing a vinyl liner isn’t cheap nor is it a small job as it obviously requires completely draining the pool first. Vinyl liner replacement can cost between $1,400 and $4,800 depending on the size of your pool. Then there’s the time and cost involved of refilling the pool with fresh water, adding chemicals and balancing it. While a dog in your pool is unlikely to destroy your liner to this extent, it can damage it and make existing issues worse.
Can salt water pools make dogs sick?
The salt level in a pool is around 10 times less than in the ocean. Salt is measured in parts per million or ppm. A balanced salt water pool typically has 2,700 ppm – 3,400 ppm of salt whereas the ocean is around 35,000 ppm. Pool companies usually tell you that 3,200 ppm is the ideal number to aim for in a salt water pool.
Many dogs not only like to swim in pools they tend to like drinking from them too. As long as your dog isn’t using the pool in place of their drinking bowl, drinking a small amount of salt water from a pool shouldn’t make your dog sick.
Your best bet is to leave a fresh water bowl outside your house near the pool for your dog to drink from and to dissuade them from drinking pool water when possible.
Remember that pool water is chlorinated as your salt water chlorinator converts salt to chlorine and your salt water pool does contain other chemicals that you may have added recently as part of water balancing. While those other chemicals are also generally in low amounts – algaecide, stabilizer and any chemicals used to balance pH and metals – it’s best to avoid allowing your dog to drink any pool water to be safe.
Does chlorine kill dogs?
Actual chemical chlorine whether liquid, crystal or puck formats should always be stored safely from children and pets because it’s highly concentrated and considered poisonous. You only need to add a relatively small amount of chemical chlorine to pools to have a great impact on the water due to its potency.
The ideal chlorine level in salt water pools is 1 ppm – 3 ppm so it’s relatively low. Actual chemical chlorine is normally only added to a salt water pool in the spring during the opening of the pool, perhaps in the middle of summer if needed and at pool closing time in the autumn.
The chlorine produced by a salt water chlorinator is a milder form without the expected strong smell normally associated with chemical chlorine that is manually added to pools.
Can pool water give dogs diarrhea?
If a dog drinks an excessive amount of pool water they are likely to get an upset stomach but in rare cases, they may vomit or experience diarrhea due to the chemicals in the pool. This again highlights the importance of preventing where possible your dog from drinking pool water.
Although the salt level in a salt water pool is low, a dog normally doesn’t drink salted water as part of their diet. In this regard, salt water can disrupt the fluid balance in your dog leading to dehydration and the aforementioned upset stomach and diarrhea.
Research has shown that dogs swimming in any pool are more likely to experience side effects such as dry hair and skin, abrasions and red eyes although it should be noted that this research was from regularly chlorinated pools.
Can dog hair ruin a pool pump?
Dog hair shouldn’t damage the pool pump and is more likely to land in the filtration system or skimmer basket which is its purpose.
The larger the dog the more hair, dander and fluff will be left behind in the water which eventually makes its way to the skimmer. While larger contaminants will get caught in the side skimmer, dander and hair can make its way into the filter and pump.
In that regard, always inspect and clean out your side skimmer and pool basket after your dog has been swimming to get rid of hair and other debris that they brought in. When the pump is shut off while cleaning the pool basket, remove any visible hair and other debris that you see.
How does dog hair affect my pool filter?
Large dogs that shed more hair can be problematic for pool filters but you can plan for it and deal with it.
There are several things you can do before allowing your dog in your pool to protect your filtration system:
- Brush your dog first to remove loose hair and fur.
- Put an old pair of pantyhose or other strainer over the side skimmer basket to collect dog hair to easily remove it before it makes its way into the filter.
- When you see dog hair floating on the water surface, skim it with your hand and remove it right away.
- Don’t let your dog stay too long in the pool when swimming.
- Use your telescopic pool skimmer to remove remaining hair when your dog is done swimming.
Do dogs contaminate a salt water pool?
It has been suggested that one dog in a pool is the equivalent of having at least 3 people and perhaps more in the case of a large dog who isn’t particularly clean. As with humans, dogs carry contaminants into the pool although unlike humans, your dog probably didn’t shower that morning. Dogs and other animals typically have at least some fecal matter on their fur which ends up in the pool and uses up some of the free chlorine that is available.
In that regard, keeping your water balanced and sanitized after your dog has been swimming is key. With a salt water pool, you might consider using the Super Chlorinate feature before allowing your dog in the water to slightly bump up chlorine production to account for their swimming activity prior to it occurring.
Should I wash my dog after swimming in the pool?
Rinsing your dog off before going back inside the house isn’t a bad idea but in a salt water pool, your dog’s fur isn’t going to have the strong chemical chlorine smell as with a regularly chlorinated pool. Salt water pools have a milder form of chlorine produced by your chlorination system which is another benefit of salt water pools over chlorine and bromine-sanitized ones.