It's any pet owner's worst nightmare. After a fun time at the beach, you return home and days later, your dog dies from saltwater poisoning.
It sounds hard to believe but a Florida man recently experienced the heartbreak, firsthand.
Chris Taylor's black Labrador retriever, O.G., loved playing in the ocean. The pair made countless trips to the beach during their seven years together.
"He's my family," said Taylor. "He's just so goofy and just always excited to see me when I came through the door."
After hitting the sand last week, O.G. started to act a little lethargic on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, Chris' number one companion wasn't eating and became unresponsive. O.G. died due to saltwater poisoning according to a veterinarian.
"I asked if he was in any pain, she said, 'I just don't think he's even aware of where he is,'" recalled Taylor.
Veterinarians say the most common symptom they see after dogs drink too much salt water is dehydration and diarrhea which is not fatal. The biggest warning sign something is wrong is when your dog starts to have seizures.
"Things can come on gradually and you're not always aware of how serious things are right up front," said Dr. Katy Meyer.
She said when sodium levels soar, your dog's life is in immediate danger. The frightening fact is that there's no way to know when seasickness takes a serious turn for the worse.
"When the brain gets affected, the whole body gets affected," she said.
Meyer said if you bring your dog to the beach, limit the trip to no more than two hours and try to get your dog to drink plenty of fresh water before letting him or her play in the ocean.