Spending time with your beloved pet dog can be one of the most relaxing ways to while away time on hot summer evenings. But if you decide to take a relaxing and luxurious dip in the hot tub, can you bring your pooch with you? After all, you want them to enjoy a relaxing spa along with you.
Well, the answer is no. A dog should never be in a hot tub. It may be a beneficial and relaxing activity for you, but it does not have the same effect on your dog. Read on to learn the reasons why.
Overheating
One of the primary reasons that dogs should not enter a hot tub is that they will likely overheat. If you are a dog owner, you know that dogs do not sweat like human beings do in order to cool down.
Since these are furry animals, sweating is not easy for them. The pores on their skin are simply designed in ways that are starkly different from human beings.
Instead, what your dog does to cool down on a hot day is to pant. There are also pads in their paws from which they may perspire at times if it gets too hot, but other than that, dogs do not sweat.
Now, if you put your pooch in the hot tub, which typically has water at the temperature of 102 Fahrenheit, your pooch will not be able to cool down from that by simply panting.
If they keep panting while continuing to sit in the hot water, they will simply get tired and it will do nothing to cool them down. In fact, it may do quite the opposite by overheating them.
Even the pads on their paws will not be able to sweat as they will be underwater. So, unless you want to deal with an overheated pet who needs to be rushed to the vet to treat a heat stroke, you want to keep your pooch out of the hot tub at all costs.
Reaction to Cleaning Chemicals
Any hygienic hot tub will have a variety of cleaning chemicals in the water to ensure the safety of the people using the tub. Chlorine is one of the most common chemicals that is used in hot tubs and pools.
While the chemical, when used in the appropriate quantities, is perfectly safe for human beings to be exposed to, the same cannot be said of your dog.
Sitting in a hot tub full of chlorine and other chemicals can cause your dog’s skin and eyes to feel irritated. Besides, if your dog is in the habit of stopping by any body of water and helping themselves to a few gulps, allowing them to get into the hot tub can become quite dangerous. If they consume the chlorinated hot tub water in large quantities that could lead to severe digestive issues and complications.
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Damage to the Tub
Other than the hot tub being quite dangerous for your pooch, the tub itself may get ruined if you bring your dog in. A lot of spas and hot tubs nowadays have a vinyl lining on top of the acrylic.
When a dog gets into the tub, you cannot expect them to sit still and relax like human beings do. First of all, the warm water is not relaxing for your dog. Second, there is every chance that your dog will want to frolic once they are in the water. They may even want to swim around in the water!
However, a hot tub isn’t meant for swimming even for humans, let alone for dogs. When they wade about in the water, their nails can do a fair bit of damage to the lining. If you want to avoid carrying out extensive repairs to your hot tub, do not bring your pooch into the tub.
Clogged Filters
No matter what breed of dog you have and how short their coat is, they are bound to shed hair. If they are shedding hair around the house, you know how to control it. You can simply vacuum every week and take care of the hair in your house.
But what do you do when your dog gets in the tub and the hair starts clogging the filters? That can be a nightmare to clean up and the best way to avoid the situation is to simply keep your dog out of the hot tub.
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Your Dog Would Not Enjoy It
A great reason for keeping your pet dog out of the hot tub is that they will simply not enjoy it! Think about it, what aspect of the hot tub could your dog possibly enjoy? The hot water? The hot bubbles? The confined space in which they cannot even swim?
You may find sitting and soaking in the hot tub relaxing and fun, but it sure is not your dog’s idea of fun by any means! So, if you want to spend time with your dog, choose an activity you know they will actually enjoy.
Alternatives to a Hot Tub
If your dog appreciates a good frolic in the water, there are several ways to do that without bringing them into the hot tub. You can simply invest in a kid-sized inflatable pool and allow your pooch to enjoy a cooling dip in that pool. You can fill the pool with cool water and it can also be chemical-free! This is a simple and effective way to have your pooch cool down on a hot summer evening.
If you want to get into the water with them, you could consider getting a bigger pool. Since it’s simply a plastic pool, there is no hassle of cleaning up after. Even if your dog scratches the plastic or if it gets punctured, these pools do not cost as much money so you will not feel the pinch.
If you have a yard or a lawn, you can also let your pooch run around when the sprinklers are on. Perhaps, you can bring out the deck chair and pop a beer on the side while your dog frolics happily in the water.
In other words, there are several alternatives to bringing your dog into the hot tub. Just because you are enjoying the tub, it does not mean your dog needs to be in the tub as well.
If you want to enjoy some time in the hot tub, but do not want to leave your pooch alone, you can hand them a treat to chew on while you soak in the tub for a bit. That way, you can keep your eye on your dog and they also do not have to get into the water.
A Note of Caution
When you are not using the hot tub, it is advisable to keep the cover on so that your dog does not fall into the tub by accident. Falling into the tub could risk injury as well as drowning, both of which are horrifying possibilities that you want to avoid at all costs.
So, be mindful of your pet’s safety and either drain the tub when it is not being used or put a cover over it so that you can keep your beloved dog safe.
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Final Thoughts
The final takeaway is that you can enjoy your hot tub as much as you like, but keep your pooch out of it for their own safety. You do not want them to overheat, nor do you want them to have an adverse reaction to the chemicals in the water.
Your dog can have a perfectly good and relaxing evening outside the hot tub. If you still want to give them a water adventure, consider buying a kid-sized inflatable pool in which you can fill room temperature, chemical-free water for them to have a frolic in.