This is a friendly reminder (warning) for those of you with dogs who love to swim.
I created this file <------- three years ago after a horrific swimming incident that happened at Lake Mohegan in Fairfield.
We take Hogan for a walk every weekend morning and it usually involves a dip in the lake or further upstream in the Cascades. Our typical M.O. was a quick towel dry and then to let him "air dry" in the backyard after we got home.
To make a long story real short...after one particular weekend of swimming (it was spring and there had been a huge rainstorm and subsequent run-off), he developed a severe rash under his ears and around his neck and collar area. These "hot spots" spread very rapidly if undetected, and because of all that fur, we had no idea what was happening underneath. I noticed a lot of seeping (wet fur) that smelled really, really bad. So off we went to the vet.
As a result of the infection, the vet had to remove the fur from all of the infected areas. The result was what you see above -- a hairless, naked rat! Poor fella! Thanks to oral and topical meds, he healed quickly, but it took several months for his hair to grow back.
It turns out the whole thing could have been prevented, and that's why I'm posting this reminder. Our vet told us to simply rinse Hogan with the hose and towel dry him every time he swims. Bathing too frequently isn't good either. I suppose the rinsing would have been a simple and good practice to follow all along, just something we --and the poor ol' pooch-- had to learn the hard way.
So don't let this happen to you (or your dog, for that matter)! Rinse your dog every time after swimming! Then let him air dry in the yard!
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