• Online Shop
  • Out of Hours
Highcliff Vets's logo
Highcliff Vets's home page
Hadleigh 01473 822704
Brantham 01206 391511
  • Book an Appointment
Book an Appointment
  • About Us
    • Our Practices
    • Meet the Team
    • History
    • Careers
    • News
  • Services & Facilities
    • Our Services & Facilities
    • Wellness Screenings for Cats and Dogs
  • Pet Advice
    • General Pet FAQs
    • Neutering
    • Vaccination
    • Insurance
    • Pet Nutrition
    • Emergency Advice
    • Pet Travel
  • VIP Plan
  • Online Payment
  • Video Vet
  • Contact Us
    • Repeat Prescriptions

A Day at the Beach

Jul 19 2019, 15:10
Share

Sun, sea, sand and… safety

Beaches are great fun, but they can be quite risky for our pooches! Here are some things to consider before taking your pet out to the beach.


Is the beach pet-friendly?

Whichever beach you’re heading to, do some research before you go to make sure your dog will be allowed in. 


Do you have everything you need?

You’ll need plenty of drinking water, toys, treats and of course, poop bags! Dogs can get overexcited at the beach; toys and treats will help to get them to return to you if they get carried away or wander off too far.


Does your dog like water?

If they don’t, it’s best to be aware of this before trying to coax them into the sea. If they do, keep an eye on the water. If it’s awash with discarded food or strange objects, consider picking another spot!


Watch out for jellyfish

Take extra care if you’re visiting a beach where jellyfish are prominent. Don’t let your pet go too far into the water and keep your eyes open at all times.

If your dog is stung, the sea water will do a great job of slowing the spread of the toxin, but we always advise bringing them to the vets ASAP to have the sting checked over.


Steer clear of wasps

Wasps love discarded food, so keep your dog away from it as best you can. Use treats and toys to distract them.

If they’re stung, we recommend visiting a vet as soon as you can to have the sting checked over.


Beware of sharp objects

It never hurts to keep a first aid kit in the car. It’s also worth checking for vets near the beach you’re visiting, just in case.

Take extra care to avoid fish hooks too. These can easily get caught in your dog’s mouth or damage their digestive tract if swallowed. If you notice that your dog has swallowed a discarded fish hook, contact us or your nearest emergency care provider right away.


The dangers of salt water & discarded food

Too much salt water can be very dangerous to your dog. Bring your own water with you and offer it to your dog regularly to prevent them getting too thirsty. The same goes for discarded food. High-fat and high-sugar foods are very popular at the beach, and these are bad for our dogs…especially when mouldy and covered in sand and salt water.

Has your dog had too much sun?

Along with making sure your dog has lots of water, don’t forget to take regular shade and comfort breaks too! If your dog has white, pale or thin fur, invest in some special dog-friendly sun cream to prevent them from getting sunburn.

Symptoms of heatstroke in dogs include:

  • Fast, heavy breathing or panting
  • A bright red tongue
  • Sticky gums
  • Excessive drooling
  • Vomiting
  • Pressing their head to the wall
  • Circling
  • General restlessness
  • Dizziness – they may appear lethargic, drowsy or slow

If you suspect your dog has heatstroke, treat this as a medical emergency and contact us right away. If you’ve travelled far from home, contact your nearest emergency care provider.


And finally…

Bearing all of our safety tips in mind, we hope you and your dogs have a lovely time at the beach this summer!

Share
View all blogs
My Family Vets
Cat Friendly Clinic
RCVS - Small Animal Practice

Explore

About UsServices & FacilitiesPet AdviceVIP PlanOnline PaymentVideo VetContact Us

Respecting your privacy

Cookie PolicyPrivacy NoticeTerms of UseComplaints PolicyTerms of Sale for Veterinary Services

Get the latest Highcliff Veterinary Practice news


Copyright © 2023 Independent Vetcare Ltd

Company's registered name: Independent Vetcare Ltd

Registered number: 07746795

Registered Address: The Chocolate Factory, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 2AU

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit-related regulated activities under reference number: FRN738010

Menu

  • About Us
    • Our Practices
    • Meet the Team
    • History
    • Careers
    • News
  • Services & Facilities
    • Our Services & Facilities
    • Wellness Screenings for Cats and Dogs
  • Pet Advice
    • General Pet FAQs
    • Neutering
    • Vaccination
    • Insurance
    • Pet Nutrition
    • Emergency Advice
    • Pet Travel
  • VIP Plan
  • Online Payment
  • Video Vet
  • Contact Us
    • Repeat Prescriptions
  • Book an Appointment
  • Online Shop
  • Out of Hours

Call Us

  • Call Brantham
  • Call Hadleigh
  • Book an Appointment

Our Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to offer you a personalised experience, personalised advertising, and analyse our web traffic. Click 'Accept our cookies' if you would like to allow all cookies. Alternatively, you can choose which types of cookies you would like to accept or disable by clicking 'Turn cookies on or off' below. For more information, please see our cookie policy.

About Cookies

Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browser our website and also allows us to improve our website. See our cookie policy.

Cookie settings

We use 3 different types of cookies on our website. You can say which ones you're happy for us to use below.

Functional cookies

These cookies do things like keep the website secure. They always need to be on.

Analytics cookies

These cookies store information about how you use our website, such as what you click on.

Marketing cookies

These cookies do things like tell us if you've seen our adverts on social media, such as Facebook or Twitter.