Swimming Pool-Safety Tips for Your Pets

A few weeks ago, someone I know lost her dog when the dog ran off their deck and into their above-ground swimming pool. She couldn't get out, and she drowned. She left behind a grieving family and a litter of two-week-old puppies.

We are diligent about swimming pool safety when it comes to our children. We keep a constant eye on them whenever they are near a pool. But our pets face the same dangers around a pool that are our children do, and are often just as helpless.

So what are some things that can be done to protect our pets from the dangers of swimming pools?

Fences - Installing a fence around your pool will help to a certain degree, and it may even be required by law. It will definitely help keep other roaming animals out of your pool. But if your own pets have a free run within the confines of the fence, other measures will be needed.

Pool Alarms - There are many types of pool alarms available. They will set off an alarm if the water is disturbed, either at the surface or below. They can sell from about $60 up to $700.

Floating pool alarms will float in your pool and will sound off if the surface of the water is disturbed. You can find one with adjustable sensitivity for pool features such as waterfalls or fountains.

Another option for a pool alarm is an invisible fence. It surrounds your pool with a beam of light that will sound an alarm if the beam is disturbed. This is ideal for an inground pool.

Skamper-Ramp^R - The Skamper-Ramp^R is designed to hook onto a deck or sidewall of a pool so animals trapped in a pool can safely climb out. It attaches either by drilling holes in your deck or by being attached to a ladder. Because the ramp sits at eye level, it is easy for all animals to see if they become trapped in your pool. It is also white because that is the only color that all animals can see.

The Skamper-Ramp^R is especially handy when no one is around to hear an alarm go off.

The regular Skamper-Ramp^R sells for about $40 and is built for smaller animals and the Super Skamper-Ramp^R for large dogs sells for around $100.

There are other swimming pool dangers to your pet in addition to drowning. If they are in the cold water too long, they can develop hypothermia. Also, the chlorine in a pool will irritate your pet's eyes or make them sick if they drink the water. Use caution whenever your pets are around a pool.

This summer, avoid a family tragedy and practice swimming pool safety for both your children and your pets.

http://www.skamper-ramp.com/topic.asp?pid=1
http://www.poolalarms.com/pool_alarms_for_swimming_pools.htm
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/your-pets-and-pool-safety/page1.aspx