Swimming as a form of exercise
Swimming can be an excellent form of exercise, and many dogs enjoy it. Water provides a low impact work-out, supporting the limbs and providing gentle resistance for your dog’s muscles to work against. Many dogs just enjoy the sensation of having a good splash around!
Possible risks of swimming in cold weather
Some dogs are more hard-core than others (my flat coat included!) and can’t resist taking a dip even during the winter months. The average sea temperature in the UK is 6-10oC, compared to summer temperatures of double this at 15-20oC. Swimming in cold water is invigorating, and many dogs, as well as human swimmers, will still partake in the winter month. However, there are a few risks that you should be aware of.
If your dog gets too cold, he could suffer from hypothermia. Normal temperature in dogs is around 38- 39oC, if their temperature dips below 36oC then they could be at risk of hypothermia. Dogs with hypothermia can show neurological problems (such as confusion, disorientation and weakness), a slowed breathing rate, heart issues, frostbite (damage to soft tissues) and possible death.
Whilst most dogs running around, splashing in and out of cold water are unlikely to suffer from hypothermia, it is still a risk for some. Very small or thin animals will be more susceptible to the cold, as will very young or old dogs. If a dog like this were to fall in an icy pond or spend too long in cold sea conditions on a brisk windy day for example, then they could be at risk.
Drowning is something that can occur at any time of the year, not just in the winter months. Your dog should be supervised at all times whilst swimming. You should make a judgement call as to whether the conditions are safe for him to take a dip.
In the winter months, the sea is often rougher and so the risk of getting into difficulty is higher. Heavy rainfall can also make normally slow running ditches, streams and rivers much faster flowing. Your dog could therefore get caught out in an area he’s previously been comfortable swimming in.
Don’t encourage your dog to swim in ponds or lakes with ice cover on the surface. This is in case he slips under the water and is unable to find somewhere to surface again. Hypothermia is also more likely
Acute caudal myopathy (also known as ‘swimmer’s tail’ or ‘limber tail’) is a condition that especially affects dogs that like to be in the water. Dogs use their tails to balance and steer whilst swimming, so the muscles here are being constantly exercised when the dog is in the water. Swimming in cold weather and overexerting themselves (especially when they haven’t done any intense swimming for a while) can predispose a dog to limber tail.
When the tail muscles have become overworked and strained in this way, they will become uncomfortable, and your dog may have the following symptoms –
This condition is most commonly seen in working and hunting breeds, especially those that enjoy water such as retrievers and spaniels.
Your vet will examine your dog and may suggest some other diagnostics if they want to rule out other conditions. Rest and anti-inflammatory painkillers will usually help improve things though.
Take into account your dog’s breed. Working dogs like retrievers are naturally good swimmers having been designed by selective breeding for this over the years. Dogs like pugs or miniature dachshunds are companion animals and not athletes. Therefore, you should not be encouraging them to swim, especially during the more challenging winter months. They will be far more likely to run into difficulty and possibly drown.
We don’t want to be spoilsports, as many dogs do quite happily enjoy a dip all year round! But it is well worth being aware of the risks and taking steps to keep your pet as safe as possible. Try and limit the length of time your pet spends in chilly water, to stop his body temperature from dropping too much and consider taking a dry towel out with you to rub him down post-swim.
Also, keep an eye on water and weather conditions and be aware of your dog’s limitations. If your dog gets into difficulty don’t risk your own life by going in after him, call a lifeguard or 999 for help. If you have any concerns about your dog after a swim, then you should always get them checked over by your veterinary surgeon.
What Temperature Can Dogs Swim In?
It is safe for dogs to swim in temps above 45 °F or 7 °C. Anything below this is considered unsafe for all dogs.
If the temperature has reached below zero, there is an increased risk of hypothermia or frostbite.
The maximum temperature at which a dog can swim is 98.6 °F or 37 °C.
Puppies, older dogs, and small dog breeds may not be so tolerant to heat as well, so keep an eye out for them.
In short, it is safe for dogs to swim in water with a temperature between 45 °F and 98.6 °F.
If you can’t tell whether the water is too cold or not, ask yourself if you would swim in that water temperature. If you can’t, then your dog most likely can’t as well.
Top 10 Dogs That LOVE Water/To Swim – TopTenz
Our crazy Managing Director, along with his wife, has taken to throwing himself in cold water for ‘fun’ under the guise of Wild Swimming. However, recently on a trip to Durdle Door cold water shock started to set in and muscle tightness was a real issue. With this in mind, and being mid-winter at the time of writing, we thought we should cover just what happens when your dog jumps in a river, stream, sea or lake this winter!
Here’s some proof of our actual madness at Durdle Door! Fortunately our own dogs are not stupid enough to try swimming with us, they just stand on the side thinking we are crazy.
The average UK sea temperature ranges between 6-10°C in the winter whereas the blood circulating around your dogs body is typically kept at a temperature of 38-39°C. That’s quite some difference!
So, let’s imagine your dog has taken that leap of faith into that cold lake here’s what happens:
First, those blood cells that have been comfortably bouncing around at a warm temperature, cool rapidly along with the arteries and veins that move them around as they restrict – in all slowing in their collective functions. It’s these blood cells that help keep your dogs muscles flexible, much like an elastic band, whilst feeding blood to vital organs required to survive.
Now, imagine that elastic band we mentioned earlier is frozen. It contracts and becomes brittle. Brittle bands when stretched then risk snapping, this is just like the risks your dogs own cold muscles face. Muscle tears can be hugely painful and take a long time to both heal and repair.
The more heat loss in your dog the more the muscles contract causing tightness throughout the body. Tightness in the body causes pressure on joints, a loss in the range of motion your dog has, a loss of power in movement, and the risk of nerves being pinched much more easily.
One of the more common conditions to affect dogs in cold water is something called ‘Limber Tail’ which is essentially muscle damage in the tail due to the contraction caused by the temperature. The muscles contract creating a tourniquet around the blood supply to your dogs tail.
Cold also has a local anaesthetic effect. It reduces the activation threshold of nociceptors (receptors of noxious stimuli) and the velocity at which nerves conduct pain signals. So, a cold dog may not realise it is in trouble or pain until a much greater level of damage has been done.
If you have ever been skiing you may have heard of something called ‘Ski Asthma’ – basically difficulty breathing due to the pulmonary changes your body faces when it gets cold. For dogs this is not much difference. Infact, if you want to read more about the impact of this, there is a study looking at Alaskan Sledge Dogs here.
Ultimately if your dog gets too cold then they face the risk of hypothermia which can lead to neurological problems, heart problems, kidney failure, slowed or non breathing, frostbite, and eventually death.
Obviously lots of dogs play in the sea in winter, and we’re definitely not scare mongering and saying every dog will get hypothermia if it splashes on the shore for a few seconds but the muscle contraction risks are most definitely real. In general, if it’s too cold for you, it’s probably too cold for your dog – that’s a good rule of thumb to stick by.