Dog Safe Bubbles: Guide to a Fun Summer Game with Your Dog

Why Give Your Dog Bubbles to Play With

As long as you get the correct type of bubbles and monitor your dog, bubbles are a harmless, fast, fun, and easy way to encourage your dog to play outside. They shouldn't cause digestive problems because they contain no harmful ingredients, they're non-toxic, and you can get them specially formulated in certain scents.

Giving your dog bubbles that haven't been formulated with them in mind can cause several problems including digestive upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. Bubbles are also a way to get an older dog out for a little low-impact exercise routine without putting too much stress on their joints or muscles.

How to Introduce Your Dog to Bubbles

Some dogs will naturally want to chase and bite the bubbles as you blow them while other breeds can be more timid. This is why you want to slowly introduce bubbles to your dog if they've never seen them before to help ensure that they associate it with something fun. To accomplish this, you can:

• Get your dog's attention and blow a few bubbles away from them
• Point the bubbles out if your dog doesn't seem interested
• Encourage your dog to chase and bite the bubbles (excitement and tone are very important here)
• Repeat the steps until your dog understands what you want them to do

You don't want to blow bubbles directly in your dog's face because they may be more timid or skittish and this can make them afraid. Blow them away from your dog at first. You can move this closer if your dog seems interested but not entirely sure.

How to Clean Bubbles Off Your Dog

Depending on the type of bubbles you get, they may leave a sticky residue on everything they touch. Since this is mostly going to be around your dog's face, they could be a sticky mess by the time they're done.

You want to get a warm cloth and run it over your dog's paws, face, neck, and back to get most of the residue off. You want to really concentrate on the areas around their mouths and eyes because you don't want any lingering residue to stay in these areas. If the bubbles come scented, be prepared for your dog to smell like the bubbles for a few hours.

At this stage, it's also important that you clean any residue off your flooring or walls if you play with your dog inside because you don't want them to slip if it gets slippery. Also, make sure you put your bubbles where your dog can't reach them and get into them when you're not around.

Possible Side Effects of Ingesting Bubble Solution

While bubbles that are specifically designed for dogs are relatively safe, they can cause issues. You want to monitor your dog after you first play with the bubbles for any side effects. You can contact your vet if you're worried.

• Diarrhea - Diarrhea usually goes along with an upset stomach because it's telling you that your dog ate something that didn't agree with them. Keep an eye on them and make sure that they drink enough fluids to avoid getting dehydrated. You could give them ice cubes instead of a bowl of water.
• Upset Stomach - Even though some bubbles are formulated for dogs, ingesting a large amount can cause mild stomach upset. Common symptoms include excess gas, mild bloating, gurgling, and temporary appetite loss. This should go away in a few hours.
• Vomiting - Although it can be unpleasant and scary, vomiting isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's the body's way of getting rid of something that doesn't agree with it. You may see this if your dog had a lot of bubble solution.

Buying Considerations for Dog Bubbles

When you look at the different dog bubbles and bubble machines, there are a few key things that you want to look for to ensure that you get a safe option. We picked out the biggest things to look for below.

Multiple Uses

Although bubbles are generally inexpensive, you want to get bubbles that you can use for more than one playing session. Some solutions advise you to throw them away after you add flavoring and play once because the flavoring stops the bubbles from being as large or easy to create.

Gentle Formula

Your bubble's formula should be gentle enough to accidentally get into your dog's eyes and not cause pain or burning. Many bubble manufacturers put that the bubbles are tear-free right on the bottle so you can tell at a glance whether or not this is safe to use around your dog.

Non-Toxic

One of the biggest things to look for is a non-toxic formula because your dog will ingest a small amount when they pop the bubbles. Most bubble solutions are non-toxic because they're designed for children but look for this on the bubble's packaging or on the label itself.

Residue

Do your bubbles leave a sticky residue on everything they touch? How difficult will this be to clean out of your dog's coat? You want to keep these two things in mind when you look for bubbles because you don't want to spend hours trying to get the sticky feeling out of your dog's coat.

Scented

Your dog may be more excited to play with the bubbles if they have a pleasing scent like peanut butter or bacon. You want to look for bubbles that come with scents already mixed into the formula because all you'll have to do is twist open the top and blow the bubbles for your dog to chase.

Sturdy Packaging

Once your dog knows what bubbles are and what the package looks like, you want to be sure that the packaging is strong enough to last if your dog gets it and chews on it. Ideally, you want a tight cover, thicker plastic, and a smaller bottle that is more difficult for your dog to get open.