Beach day with your dog: How to keep your pet safe

It took a year of planning and saving to begin our next stage in life, a move from the mountains of Colorado to the beaches of the Bay Islands of Honduras. And, obviously, we weren't about to leave our child behind — a 4-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever named Cherry. Consistent with her breed, Cherry is obsessed with water. My husband says water for her is like spinach to Popeye — it gives her explosive, unending energy.

So of course the first thing we did after our international flight was take her to Tabyana Beach in West Bay for a swim. The ocean to her was no different than the cold lakes of Colorado created with snow runoff — water is water. The guests on the beach showered her with attention after watching her hurl herself into the water to retrieve the ball.

Cherry must have swam off and on for close to two hours. As we left the beach, all of a sudden I saw what I thought was water dripping from above. As a second squirt of water almost hit my leg, I realized my error. The water wasn't falling from the sky, it was coming out of Cherry's rear-end. And then came the rush.

The stream of salt water gushing from her body was unimaginable. We were literally running to get away from the line of fire as it squirted out in large spurts uncontrollably from her body for a solid 20 minutes. We thought had prepared for everything. We had not prepared for this.

Now we've been living in Utila for about 5 weeks and only had one other, much smaller, repeat early on in our trip. But it was a scary situation, and Googling "dogs + salt water" left us pondering whether or not to take her to the emergency vet. Salt water poisoning can be fatal, and we called a vet on the island for advice. Luckily, we were able to rehydrate and monitor Cherry and she was perfectly fine after a few hours, but it was a wake-up call to the dangers of the island.

If your dog symptoms include: weakness, diarrhea, muscle tremors or seizures, it's best to take your dog to a vet immediately.

Tips to keep your dog safe at the beach:

— Make sure your dog has access to plenty of fresh water. Direct them to the fresh water if you notice them lapping at the salt water.

— Don't overdo it. Give your dog plenty of breaks when playing, and make sure there is adequate shade.

— Use sunscreen on your dog's nose, especially if they have light hair in the area.

— Make sure to bring a blanket or towel for your dog to lay on.

— Watch out for overheating.

— If your dog is off-leash, check the area for hazards: broken glass, things a dog shouldn't be eating, etc.

Just be safe and mindful of your pet at all times, and you can have just as much fun as Cherry does these days.