Content area
Full text
Abstract
This study reports the side effects in dogs from swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool. Data were collected from September 2008 until April 2012. A total of 412 dogs (male= 219 and female= 193), aged 38±30 months, served as the subjects. The dogs were divided into four groups based on the aims of swimming: entertainment (n= 152), weight reduction (n= 53), rehabilitation after orthopedic surgery (n= 81), and rehabilitation for muscle and joint disease (n= 126). The data were recorded for five separate swimming times. At first, some dogs (29.13%) showed overexcitement and/or fear, but this percentage decreased with increased swimming frequency. Some dogs (36.51%) were not able to swim, and required a trainer. The main side effects from the 1st swimming time included dry hair (20.63%), dry skin (18.93%), and abrasion wounds at the armpits (15.78%); these effects increased with increased frequency of swimming. Other side effects were red eyes (13.59%), otitis (6.31%), and a small number of respiratory problems (0.49%). In conclusion, data from this study can be used by veterinarians to inform pet owners about the potential side effects from swimming in chlorinated swimming pools.
Keywords: dog, side effects, swimming
...
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)
Introduction
Swimming has become an increasingly popular activity for small animals. The objectives of swimming can be grouped into two general categories: for entertainment, and for physical rehabilitation. The advantages of swimming are similar for both small animals and humans. This activity involves almost all major muscle groups, and places a vigorous demand on the heart and lungs. It is superior to any training machine which usually exercises only one group of muscles.
As in the case of human rehabilitation, application of aquatic exercise can result in reduced weight, recovery of muscle mass and function, improved range of motion, and prevention of joint stiffness. The buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, viscosity, resistance, and surface tension of water increase the efficacy of the exercise (Edlich et al., 1987). These properties of water have a positive effect, resulting in increased muscle mass, strength and endurance, as well as decreased pain during movement (Wang et al., 2007; Silva et al., 2008). Water buoyancy significantly decreases contact force and stress on weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles, which in...