Danger at the Pool

With the summer season upon us, we all love to be poolside to cool down. However, mosquitoes, wasps and other insects come uninvited. To get rid of these pests we resort to all kinds of sprays and poisons. How will this affect our pets?Small pets may ingest the poisons and thus get illThe spray may accidentally get in eyes of your petUsing citronella coils can be a problem if your pet nibbles at itUsing electronic bug zappers will be better for your petsMake sure the chlorine supplies for the pool are kept out of reach of your petsDo not let your pets in the pool soon after shocking itSmaller pets may be more susceptible to trace amounts of the bug poisonWhat to look for in your pet?If you have been poolside and your pet is lethargic, he may have ingested some poisonYou pet may vomit and be sickOr they may act weirdThis is not to say that all bug sprays and candles will cause a problem for your pet, but if they are small, it takes very little to make them sick. A couple of years ago, I had given a poolside party for July 4th, and the wedding anniversary of my daughter and her husband. They brought their little puppy(she was very young and tiny) with her. Everyone was having fun outside, when someone noticed that Kate was not around. When we finally found her, she was in my closet on some clothes I had left on the floor. When she was picked up, she was very lethargic and allowed to hold her. The children were excited because she was allowing them to hold her for a long time. Later we discovered that she had vomited a couple of times, and would not eat or drink anything. I am not sure if the problem started before she got here, or whether somehow she got more chemicals in her. She ended up having to go to the Veterinarian the next day to see what was going on. The blood tests were alright, but she was dehydrated. The doctor gave her IV fluids and she was back to her normal self again. So during these summer months be watchful for anything that might make your 4-legged friend sick. Have a good summer!
Evangeline Samuel PhD. is a retired nurse who enjoys her daughter's dog, Kate's company, and loves dressing her up in [http://www.puppydazzles.com/designer_dog_apparel.html]designer dog clothes