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After Pine Island and the Weeki Wachee: Cleaning Up a Water Dog
Updated November 1, 2026. General information, not veterinary advice.
Hernando County is full of places dogs love to get wet: the Gulf off Hernando Beach, the canals, the Weeki Wachee River and plenty of backyard pools. Check each spot's current pet rules before you go. Here is how to deal with the aftermath.
Rinse salt water the same day
Salt dries skin and leaves coats stiff and itchy. A thorough freshwater rinse with the hose, working down to the skin, is the minimum after a Gulf swim.
Get the sand out
Sand settles at the base of double coats and between the toes, where it rubs. Rinse feet well, then brush the coat once it is dry to lift out what is left.
Dry the ears
Floppy-eared swimmers like Labs, Spaniels and Doodles are prone to ear infections. Dry the ear flap and the opening with a soft towel after swimming. Ask your vet about a drying ear cleaner if your dog swims often. Head shaking, odor or redness means a vet visit.
Pool water
Chlorine can dry coats too. A quick rinse after pool time helps, especially for light-colored dogs.
How often to bathe a water dog
A full bath with dog shampoo every few weeks in summer is plenty for most dogs; too many baths strip natural oils. In between, rinse with plain water. A groomer's bath with a high-velocity dryer gets the undercoat fully dry, which is hard to do at home. See bath and brush.
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- Summer Coat Care for Spring Hill Dogs
- Fleas and Ticks in Hernando County: A Year-Round Job
- Grooming Senior Dogs in Spring Hill
- Dog grooming services
- Mobile dog grooming
- Grooming prices
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Spring Hill Dog Grooming is a free referral service, not a grooming salon. We do not groom pets ourselves. Requests are passed to independent groomers and mobile grooming vans in the area that set their own prices, do the work and are fully responsible for it. Ask any groomer about pricing, vaccination requirements and how they handle nervous or senior dogs before you book.