Summer Dog Grooming: How Pools and Lakes Affect Your Dog’s Skin & Coat

Your dog charges into the pool, shakes once, and looks perfectly fine. A few hours later, they’re scratching like crazy, chewing at a spot behind the ear, or you find a tight mat you swear wasn’t there yesterday. We’ve seen this pattern all summer, and it usually comes down to the same trio: water chemistry, bacteria, and moisture trapped close to the skin. Chlorine and saltwater pools can dry out the coat and throw off skin balance, while lakes and ponds add an extra layer of grime, algae, and unseen bacteria that can irritate ears, skin, and coat.

We walk through what “wet doesn’t mean clean” really looks like for dog grooming and dog skin health, including why the wet-to-dry cycle makes matting worse and why hot spots (moist dermatitis) can pop up in a matter of hours. We also talk about what to watch for: red or gooey patches, persistent licking, damp undercoat even when the top feels dry, and the ear moisture that can turn into an ear infection fast. When it comes to treatment, your vet may recommend topical options, itch relief, or allergy support, but prevention starts with the basics at home.

Coat type matters more than most people think. Doodles and other curly coats can act like sponges, holding water at the skin, while double-coated breeds can trap moisture under packed fur where airflow can’t reach. We share realistic after-swim routines that fit busy summer schedules: rinse with clean water, brush before and after, dry thoroughly, and keep an eye on humidity and allergies that can weaken the skin’s defenses. 

If this helps you, subscribe, share it with a dog friend, and leave a review so more pet parents can avoid the summer itch spiral. What’s your dog’s favorite swim spot, pool or lake?

To learn more about Hound Therapy visit:
https://www.HoundTherapy.com
Hound Therapy
3509 E Park Blvd.
Plano, TX
469-367-0009

Transcript

Welcome And Summer Warning

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Tale Talk Grooming Chronicles with Health Therapy, the podcast where we talk all things pet grooming, daycare, academy, and more. Hosted by Shannon and Tanya of House Therapy, serving pet owners across North Texas. We're here to share expert tips, hilarious pet stories, and the inside scoop on keeping your furry friends happy and healthy. Our motto, humanity over vanity. And don't worry, we don't fight. Let's get started.

Chlorine, Salt, And Dirty Lake Water

SPEAKER_03 0:39

This summer, your dog's favorite splash spots might be doing more harm than you think. Let's break down what cool chemicals, lake bacteria, and constant wet dry cycles really do to your dog's skin and coat. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with professional groomers at Hound Therapy, Shannon and Tanya. Lovely to be back with you both today. Now, how has your day been going?

SPEAKER_01 1:11

Dogs have been keeping us busy today, but we're happy to be here.

SPEAKER_03 1:14

So well, ladies, today's question is a big one for summertime pet parents, and that is how do pools and lakes affect your dog's skin and coat? Go ahead, Shannon.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

We'll we'll start with summer because summer is probably one of the best times for your dogs, right? They get to go out, they get to travel with you and do those extra things they don't normally get to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

My favorite time of year, yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

But it's also one of the hardest seasons on your dog's coat. Um, here's you know whether you do you spend a weekend at the lake or if you've got a pool in your backyard, and we've even had a couple clients already, they're like, it's warm enough. The dog's been going into the pool. So they've been doing that in their winter cut. Um and it can dry out their their their coats. They just because they're in a lake or in your pool, um, it doesn't mean that they're clean. Yes. Um lake water has got a lot of you know dirt stuff into it. And I think that you know, most people would say, Oh, my dog might need a bath and it's been in the lake. But they don't realize the the chlorine amount or even you know the salt pool, the salt water pools, they will dry your dog's skins out. Their pH is very different than our pH. Um, so you've we've got to watch for that. Um and if if lakes can cause, I mean, if you get water down in those ears, a pool is probably a little bit better than perhaps lake water. Uh, but lake water has got a lot of things in there. So if any of that water gets down inside that ear and we're not cleaning it out as they come out of the water and you know, on their way home, then um you know you're also setting yourself up for an ear infection. So now you got dry skin, ear infections. And most people don't understand this. You know, matting is made worse by water. So when they get wet, when they dry, I don't know if you've ever seen a rope, but if you loosen that rope and let it dry, you almost can never take it apart again because it's like fused itself together. Mats will do the same thing. Yeah, they will. Well, if they look dry from the outside, they could be still wet underneath too. And with this humid weather, that can cause a hot spot. Um, ear infections can cause hot spots. Um, and it it's it's really an overproduction of yeast without letting airflow and things get into there. So um you want to protect your dog's coat and health at all costs, but we still want to let them go out and be dogs, right?

SPEAKER_02 3:26

So um and hot spots can pop up in a matter of hours. Um, it might not even be right then and there. It could be a number of hours later, and you're like, oh my God, what is this giant red spot on my dog?

SPEAKER_01 3:37

And some you may not see if it's a black and colored dog or Brendel, you know, sometimes they're hard to see and locate.

Hot Spots And Ear Infections Fast

SPEAKER_03 3:44

Wow. Hot spots, are they hard to get rid of once they're created?

SPEAKER_01 3:47

The hot spot itself is an oily gooey kind of a sore, and uh several things can cause it. Dogs um that have uh overactive dermatitis or um it's called it's it's a moist dermatitis of sorts. Um, there's bacterial infections, you know, dogs will have that all over their skin, yeast infections on their skin. Um, and this basically means that these dogs have a skin issue or an allergy, kind of like some people will have dandruff. People don't realize that dandruff is for dry hair, it's not really because your hair is oily. So the products that we use on that have to be different. Um that that said, that once you see something red, if it's also gooey in texture, it chances are it's a hot spot. Now, a hot spot is not necessarily an infection. What turns it into an infection is the constant digging, scratching, and licking because they're putting bacteria into an open source. So almost all hot spots turn out to be infected. And the only way to really get rid of them is a topical spray, usually with cortisone you get by your vet. Your dog, if he's got those allergy symptoms, um, then you know, you can there's Zyrtec, there's Abiquil, there's uh cytopoint injection. So all of these things you can go and ask your vet for so that that can alleviate your dog's um, you know, itchiness. Uh, then you've got to, once you've noticed, usually by the time you see a hot spot, it's already become infected, right? Because it's usually something much, much smaller, and it'll you'll get it. Water can damage it, um, soap, soap pulling the you know, the ear out of the ears, it's behind the ear, um, leaving the dog wet or damp will cause it. So even if your dog feels dry on the top part of their coat, if you're under down to the skin. Yeah. The underneath of it is wet, then that's where moisture is gonna live and it's gonna loosen and break down, you know, the the skin structure, the cells, and it's gonna itch just like it would if it was in your hair and then they're gonna start to itch it, and now boom, we've got a hot spot and an infection. So usually uh steroids injection and uh antibiotics is what you need to make those hot spots kind of disappear and then be proactive in the future on how to not get them again or notice them earlier so that you know what to do to treat them.

Which Coats Suffer Most

SPEAKER_03 6:04

Wow. Now, you know, getting a little bit more specific here into breeds and co-types. Are there specific coat types or breeds that are more sensitive to summer swimming in general?

SPEAKER_02 6:18

Yeah, um, I would say usually like your doodles, your labroodles, golden doodles, those are, I mean, they're sporting breed dog mixes as well. So they're gonna like that water. Um, and those curly coats, they act like sponges. So it's really hard to get them dry as much as you need to. That will contribute to those hot spots and things like that. And the it becomes trapped at their skin. And once their skin can't dry, that's when we create that breeding ground.

SPEAKER_01 6:48

And it's gonna lock in. Um if they've got any little little pin mats, it'll that water will lock it in. So you want to make sure that you brush them really good dry before they go to swim. And then um after they've dried after swimming, um, make sure that you can run a brush over them again for those types of use.

SPEAKER_02 7:04

Yeah, um, and I would say the other problematic dogs are those double-coated dogs, those German shepherds, the Australian shepherds, things like that, especially if they have that packed fur, which we've talked about in previous podcasts. Um, it can't breathe and you can't get anything to get that skin dry underneath that packed fur. And I don't think a lot of those dogs swim.

SPEAKER_01 7:23

I don't see a lot of swimming shepherds and huskies, but I would like to see. I would like to see. I don't know that they can swim. I've never seen them swim. Um I've seen an Aussi swim. I don't know about German shepherds, but but if you can get that, um, you know, if you know that you're gonna be in the water, just kind of taking their coat down a little bit, which I know is huge, don't do according to you know the AKC, but we do pet grooming here and what's best for the pet and your lifestyle. So that's kind of our take. We know we we get the both sides of it. So uh we don't wanna, you know, offend anybody who's got AKC dogs and like, I don't want to take them short. Uh I get it. Well, yeah, totally fine. You just need to take your advantages uh where you need them, and that's how to brush and how to maintain that coat after it's wet. Keep in mind that when it's humid, the air is wet. It's there's moisture in the air. So allergies, all of these things, you know, weaken your immune system. Uh, and dogs sweat by panting through their feet, but all of that moisture can still get underneath that double coat uh and and cause all kinds of problems.

Pool Water Vs Lake Water Risks

SPEAKER_03 8:26

Wow. Now, Shannon, something that we haven't really touched on is how does lake water differ from pool water when it comes to bacteria or algae exposure?

SPEAKER_01 8:38

So lakes, uh it depends on what lake you're swimming in, obviously. Um, and it depends on how clean you keep your pool. So um pools usually are, you know, if your people are in them uh and you and you follow your pool rules, you know, it's not green, it doesn't have all kinds of, you know, goo in it, your dog can swim in there no problem. But the chlorine itself is going to dry out just like it would with your hair, right? If you swam every day in a chloride pool, and I mean your hair is gonna be dry and brittle. So you'll need to counteract that with, I don't know, like a conditioner rinse after uh, you know, they get out.

SPEAKER_02 9:12

Uh and their skin can be dry and flicky as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yeah, and and I used to live at the beach, so it was the same thing. You know, we had to rinse off all the salt water and everything that was there before we went inside just because it, you know, it sticks to you and it's gonna be the same with the pool. Lake water has got bugs, they've got, you know, snakes, they've got bacteria, they've got all kinds of feces in it, right? I mean it I guess your my model is if you're not gonna drink out of the water that your dog is in, I would wash him after. Like wash them with some clean tap water. I don't care how thirsty I am, I'm not drinking out of your pool, and I'm definitely not gonna scoop something out of the lake for a big gulp. You know, I and that's why not? It's because there's there's bacteria in there. You know, it's it somebody had a uh didn't clean the the pool this week, or you know, there was five to fifteen people in with sunscreen that's just built up over the top, and then uh you've got bugs if your filter isn't working properly. There's a lot of things that you can't see in that water uh that will affect your dog's um skin, coat, ears, uh and and all of it. Yeah. And it's it's just something to it's it's just good to rinse them after they're already wet. So uh, you know, and and it doesn't have to be every day. If you're relatively clear that you have a, you know, a cleaner pond. Uh if you're at a big lake or core core of engineers lake, they usually have pretty high specifics. But if it's a private pond or a smaller lake that's not a core of engineers, chances are they're a lot dirtier.

SPEAKER_03 10:37

Ow. Shannon and Tanya, thank you both for breaking that down so clearly for all of us today. Perfect timing for summer, and we will see everyone next time.

Quick Rinse Habits And Goodbye

SPEAKER_00 10:52

That's a wrap for this episode of Tale Talk with Hound Therapy. Ready to book your pet's next groom daycare stay or grooming academy tour? Call us at 469-367-0009. That's 469-367-0009 to schedule an appointment or visit us online at www.houndtherapy.com, serving North Texas with expert pet care. Until next time, keep those tails wagged.