It’s not good for your hot tub and it’s really not good for your dog
Any responsible hot tub owner understands the importance of good spa maintenance in order to create a safe and clean environment for your family and friends to relax in. Dogs tend to love water and it could be very tempting to allow your dog to hop in with you. However, you owe it to both your hot tub and your beloved pet to not do this.
There are many reasons for this, which we’ll go into in more detail below!
Risk of Chemical Poisoning
The chemicals in the water are there to keep it clean and safe to bathe in but nobody should be drinking it, not even humans. Many dogs will drink almost any water (as anyone who’s had to pull their dog away from a muddy puddle will know) and if they’re already overheating, this could make it even more likely. Drinking water that’s full of chemicals can be very dangerous, especially if they drink large quantities.
Risk of Irritation and Infection
Despite seeming like pretty robust creatures, dogs’ eyes, skin, and ears are actually quite sensitive - much more so than ours. The chemicals in hot tub water can therefore cause irritation resulting in soreness, itching, and even infection which can be very painful for them.
Water Contamination
Have you really made all that effort to test, measure, dose, and re-test your water to ensure perfect total alkalinity and pH balance, only to allow a dog into the water? As much as you love your dog and as regularly as you may groom them, dog fur can harbour all kinds of contaminants that you really don’t want to end up in the water such as dirt, mud, bodily substances (their own and that of other dogs, birds, foxes and more), grass, leaves, sticky buds, and even fleas and ticks. This can all be deposited into your lovely clean water requiring another rebalancing session or even a full drain and refill.
Filter Damage
Even if your dog is super clean, they will most likely shed hair into the water, and this can easily clog up your filters. If not dealt with quickly, this can lead to your filtration system having to overwork which puts strain on the whole mechanism. Ultimately this can lead to part failure and could require a costly repair.
Shell Damage
Claws moving over surfaces such as the shell and cushions could quite easily lead to scratching. Not only does this look unsightly, but it also creates tiny crevices for mould and bacteria to cultivate.
As much as you may love your hot tub, we’ll wager you love your dog more, so the above issues really are the least of your worries when you consider the risks to your trusty pet. These are all potential issues for your dog:
Risk of Overheating
Hot tub water is just too warm for dogs. We all know that dogs are at risk of overheating in hot weather due to their fur and the limited ways they have to regulate temperature (through the pads on their paws and by panting). It’s just the same in a hot tub, where temperatures can exceed 38°. It is difficult, if not impossible, for dogs to deal with this level of heat as their paws are submerged and panting is only likely to lead to fatigue very quickly.
All in all, allowing your dog into the hot tub can be a very distressing experience for both them and you so just avoid it. If your dog loves water, consider a dog paddling pool for them and always keep the cover on your hot tub when not in use to prevent any accidents when you’re not around.
