04/22/2026
Many of my customers have dogs that love the pool as much as their owners, but did you know an unbalanced pool can harm your pet? here are a few:
Chlorine & Chloramines
Drinking pool water with high chlorine levels can cause vomiting, drooling, and GI upset
Skin and eye irritation after swimming, especially if chlorine is high
Repeated exposure can dry out their coat and skin
Low pH (Too Acidic)
Acidic water is more corrosive and can irritate a dog's eyes, skin, and mouth more severely than properly balanced water
Can worsen paw pad irritation, especially on sensitive skin
High pH (Too Alkaline)
Less effective sanitization, meaning more bacteria/algae — a health risk if ingested
Can still cause skin dryness and irritation
Algaecides
Some copper-based algaecides are toxic to dogs if ingested in significant amounts
Can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or in severe cases liver damage
Pool Shock (High-concentration chlorine)
Undissolved shock granules or recently shocked water is the biggest danger — can cause chemical burns to mouth/throat/stomach if ingested, and serious eye irritation
Always wait until levels normalize before letting dogs swim after shocking
Cyanuric Acid (Stabilizer)
Generally low toxicity, but high levels combined with chlorine reduce sanitizing effectiveness, increasing pathogen risk
If you have problems balancing your pool chemistry give "Cleaning with Hart Pool Service" a call. we're here to help!