Garden Hose Hazards

In the summer we all spend more time outside with our pets, and many of us let our dogs drink from the hose, or use the hose for bathing our dogs.

An article recently published in the magazine Veterinary Medicine suggests that during hot days, using the hose for bath time can be dangerous. As the hose sits in the sun, the water inside can heat up enough to cause second or third degree burns. During one experiment, on a day when the temperature reached 94 degrees, the water inside the hoses reached 120 degrees after 2 hours in the sun. If you suspect your dog has been scalded by the hose, see your veterinarian or come see us here at VACC. It has also been suggested that the water sitting inside a hose can contain dangerous chemicals like BPA, and lead.
The safest thing you can do when using the hose with your dog is to let the water run for a few minutes before you start the bath or fill the bowl. Click here for more warm weather safety tips.