Poisoning in Dogs From Drinking Seawater

We all enjoy a nice beach day so much more when our four-legged furry friend joins us and plays with us or with the waves. But we may not realize that when a dog drinks seawater, it risks ending up poisoned, and that can be a serious problem for its health.

Dogs naturally tend to hydrate by drinking water from puddles, rivers, or even the sea when they're thirsty, without realizing that drinking salt water will really upset their system.

Below, we'll explain what saltwater poisoning in dogs involves and what we should do if our dog shows the associated symptoms, as well as how to prevent our dog from drinking seawater.

Why Is Beach Water Bad for Dogs?

Seawater contains high amounts of sodium chloride, or common salt. Dogs can't drink salt water because their sodium level would rise sharply, causing poisoning.

This excess sodium in the body is known as hypernatremia, which can also be caused by a deficiency of total body water relative to total body sodium content (dehydration). If this worsens, it can lead to neurological signs such as confusion, seizures, or coma.

Sodium is an electrolyte we naturally get through diet and drinking. Each electrolyte has a specific level in the body, and a level that's too low or too high can cause serious metabolic disturbances.

Sodium is needed for many vital functions in the body, such as regulating blood pressure, transmitting nerve impulses, or maintaining the body's acid/base balance.

Besides the salt itself, beach water is harmful to dogs due to its high content of toxins and bacteria, suspended sand, and remains of seaweed. Dogs, feeling dehydrated, will drink beach water without knowing they'll end up poisoned. The same applies to other animals and to people.

Poisoning in Dogs From Drinking Seawater

If our dog sticks out its tongue and takes a small sip of beach water, most likely nothing at all will happen, and we shouldn't be alarmist either. But if it drinks a considerable amount of beach water, it could end up poisoned.

Poisoning in dogs from drinking salt water can range in severity, and depending on how serious it is, we'll need to see a vet, or we may be able to help our dog ourselves.

These are the main symptoms shown by dogs poisoned from drinking beach water:

• Diarrhea and vomiting.
• Generalized dehydration.
• Neurological signs (dizziness, seizures).
• Nervousness, listlessness, and weakness.

Exceptionally severe cases can lead to coma and death. A dog will drink seawater to hydrate, but salt water will have the opposite effect, causing diarrhea and vomiting, which will dehydrate it even further. This can be very dangerous, especially on hot summer days.

What to Do If My Dog Has Drunk Seawater and Been Poisoned?

The main thing is to take the dog to a cool place and give it access to drinking water. It's normal for the dog to vomit, since it will be expelling the salt water it's ingested. The problem is that this salt water may have affected the natural bacterial flora of its intestine, causing diarrhea. In addition, the sharp rise in sodium levels in the body can be very dangerous, even lethal.

Diagnosis of hypernatremia is based on a clinical exam and measuring blood sodium levels, so it's essential to take our dog to the vet for bloodwork. Once the cause is determined, our vet can apply the appropriate treatment, such as fluid therapy to rehydrate our animal and restore its electrolyte balance. Most dogs without underlying conditions tend to respond well to this treatment, so the prognosis is generally favorable.

So, the key is to assess the situation and use common sense: if our dog has drunk a small amount of beach water and has a bit of vomiting or diarrhea but is otherwise fine, it will likely be enough to go to a cool spot and provide fresh drinking water for it to hydrate while it recovers.

A slightly bland diet, like a bit of boiled rice with chicken (room temperature, no bones), can be a good option to help it recover from diarrhea. Using probiotics such as "Pro-enteric®" or "Daforte®" can also be a big help.

However, if we notice our dog isn't doing well, vomiting and diarrhea persist, it's listless, or it has a risk factor (chronic kidney disease), we should see a vet urgently.

How to Prevent a Dog From Drinking Beach Water?

It might seem complicated to teach a dog to tell which type of water it can or can't drink, but it's actually much simpler than it seems. Generally, with a bit of patience and persistence, in just a day or two, our dog will know not to drink salt water.

The trick is to always keep an eye on our dog, and whenever we see it try to drink beach water, call it over and offer clean, fresh water instead. We can bring a portable water bowl along with a bottle of clean, cool water for our pet.

When the dog drinks the water we've given it instead of the beach water, we'll praise it. It's also a good idea to leave a water bowl under our umbrella, making sure it always has fresh water available. It's a very simple, practical trick that will help us prevent our dog from ending up poisoned from drinking seawater.