This may be an odd question, but are there any specfic health concerns that you have actually dealt with from letting your dog play in ditches or creeks ? We live in the country and walk Rocky on a 16 foot leash and there is nothing he loves better then to wade in the ditches filled with water, the deeper the better. There are a lot of deer, raccoons, and fox, that run around here at night so I am sure he is getting all kinds of wonderul smells from all that water. I know about the possibility of giardia, but has anyone actually had that happen or is it just another thing to worry about and be overprotective about?
He hasn't had any fleas all year which I think is because he eats so well and has a natural immunity (he eats Orijen puppy) and I have had more ticks on me then he has had on him so fleas and ticks are not a concern from the water and fields, even though the vet always asks me if I've used the Frontline on him (and I say NO).
I don't want to deprive him of his doggie pleasures in life but if there is something of a real concern to his health, then I can keep him out of the water and on dry land during the walks. At least he would be cleaner!
He hasn't had any fleas all year which I think is because he eats so well and has a natural immunity (he eats Orijen puppy) and I have had more ticks on me then he has had on him so fleas and ticks are not a concern from the water and fields, even though the vet always asks me if I've used the Frontline on him (and I say NO).
I don't want to deprive him of his doggie pleasures in life but if there is something of a real concern to his health, then I can keep him out of the water and on dry land during the walks. At least he would be cleaner!