Water hazards for the wary and unwary

After I wrote last week about my poodle-pup Wan-Wan and her inability to swim, several readers have asked what her doggie swimsuit looks like.

In the photo, you can see that it’s quite complicated, with buckles and Velcro all over the place. That yellow piece hanging down Wan-Wan’s chest floats up in the water and acts as a chin rest.
    
The thing is certainly buoyant enough to support a little dog, but to keep upright, the dog has to use her legs. In the water, Wan froze and ended up with her head in the water and her four tiny paws pointing upwards.

In her upside-down position, Wan didn’t even struggle. She turned her head to one side in the water, allowed her feet to rise to the surface and waited for help.

Even without this sturdy swimsuit, Wan froze. When I supported her belly, she kicked weakly, but she really wasn’t happy being in the water.
    
“You should be in the water with her,” my vet laughs. “Then she’ll really enjoy herself.”
    
I suppose I could crawl into the turtle tub, but it’s really not big enough - or strong enough - for me and the dog.
    
Wan was shaking in fear by the time I pulled her out. When I wrapped a towel around her, she relaxed.
    
The turtle’s water was clean, since I had changed it just that morning. I do remember an email one reader sent me some years ago, about how his two German shepherds had bad skin infections.
    
“I don’t understand,” he wrote me. “I take the dogs for a swim in the sea every day. The salt in the water should kill off any parasites, shouldn’t it?”
    
The problem was that the salt was also damaging the dogs’ delicate skin. When he started rinsing his dogs off with clear water after their swim, the bad skin condition cleared up.
    
Wan had other health considerations. With some cotton, I dried the inside of her ears, to avoid possible infection from any water that had flowed inside.
    
I did have a much more serious concern. I don’t think she tried to breathe when she was under the water, but I couldn’t be sure. I called my vet to ask her if my dog was in any danger.
    
“Water in her lungs,” my vet said promptly. What a frightening and life-threatening condition! What could I do?
    
“Listen to her carefully,” she said. “If she starts coughing steadily, bring her to the clinic immediately.” She was okay, thank goodness, and a few hours later, she started climbing the stairs by herself - even without having exercised that weak leg.

Has Wan’s near-death experience encouraged her to be the best dog she could be? Or has the clever pup figured out that if she uses that leg, I won’t make her swim anymore?