The Danger of Puddles to Your Dog
When there is a thunderstorm or a couple rainy days in a row, getting outside with your dog is super important. It’s key that your dog take a long walk and get out any pent up energy they may have after built up after being cooped up for a few days. They need exercise, as well as some fresh air and a new scenery. However, one aspect that is inventible with storms is lots of puddles. While it may look cute and seem fun for your furry friend to play and splash in puddles, unfortunately puddles can be very dangerous. Here are some of the risks your dog faces with puddles and how you can avoid any accidents involving puddles!
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is the first major concern of puddles. Leptospirosis organisms are bacteria that thrive in wet climates. Certain farm animals that may be near you, such as cows, sheep, or pigs, can carry this bacteria and excrete it into the grass or dirt in their urine. When it rains a lot, this can cause rain runoff from farms. The result is puddles containing leptospirosis. When your pup drinks or plays in puddles with this bacteria, they can become infected with it as well. There are even studies that show the more rainfall, the higher the amount of dogs that were infected with canine leptospirosis.
When dogs are infected with Leptospirosis, they can experience kidney failure, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. If you live in an area with a high concentration of farms or live near these animals, you can talk to your vet about the vaccination. Treatment for this type of infection is antibiotics and supplemental fluids. Generally, it is easiest if you keep your dog out of these puddles and prevent any of the bacteria from getting in their system.
Giardia
Giardia is another issue that can arise from puddles. Giardia are microscopic protozoa that live within the intestinal tracts of a variety of animals. Once again, these organisms can be found in animal feces, which with high amounts of rain runoff, can infected the water and puddles. This puddle problem is specifically prevalent at dog parks. Dogs who go to dog parks are more likely to have giardia than those who do not. Diarrhea is most prominent symptom of giardia infection, but it can escalate to vomiting and loss of appetite as well.
Antifreeze
The most serious issue that can arise from puddles, specifically in more urban areas, is antifreeze. Even a small amount of antifreeze can be extremely dangerous and even deadly for dogs. Antifreeze can drop from cars or open containers onto the ground – when you add rain, it can cause antifreeze-contaminated puddles. While antifreeze developers recently made the taste less sweet taste to a bitter taste to discourage dogs from drinking it, it is still important to be aware of the consequences. The active ingredient, ethylene glycol, can cause kidney failure, which can result in diarrhea, loss of appetite, weakness and lethargy, vomiting, and ultimately coma and/or seizures. It can escalate quickly and the damage can be serious, so it is important to be aware of this issue in puddles.
While you may be thinking it is best to just stay inside with all these dangers, don’t! Just be aware and keep a watchful eye on your pup.