Summer is a great season to get outside with your dog. But with summers warmer weather it is important to know how to protect your dog from the sun’s harsh rays. Just like us our pets need to be careful about soaking up too much sun. It can lead to conditions such as heat stroke, sunburn, and skin cancer. Fortunately, these tips will help protect your dog or cat while still enjoying the sun.
Use a pet-friendly sunscreen
- Apply a pet-friendly sunscreen to sensitive areas.
- It is important to select a pet safe sunscreen as human sunscreen has ingredients such as zinc oxide that can be toxic to dogs.
- Use sunscreen especially if your pet has thin-hair, pink skin or is likely to get sun exposure on its ears and nose.
- Generally, the areas on cats and dogs that are most vulnerable to the sun are the areas with thinner skin around the ears, nose and mouth.
- Although all dogs can suffer from sunburn you need to be careful about protecting your pets’ skin if you own a pink-skinned of thin-haired breed such as a dalmatian, Weimaraner or greyhound.
Make sure your pet has access to water
- More sun not only means an increased risk of pet sunburn it also means your pet will drink more water to keep cool.
- Whether your pet is indoors or outdoors enjoying their favourite park you must always make sure that your pet has access to plenty of fresh water.
- Bring a supply of water whenever you venture out with your pet to ensure they stay well hydrated, so you won’t have to rely on locations having water fountains or bowls to keep your pet hydrated.
Provide your pet with shade
- Your pet may be having fun but remember just like us the best way to provide sun protection for your pet is to provide them with shade.
- By providing a covered area that your dog can use to get out of the sun or ensuring that they can go inside it helps to limit their exposure to the sun and keep them safer.
- As a rule of thumb, it is best to never keep your dog outside in full sun and check them throughout the day when outside to ensure that they are not overheating or getting burnt.
Do not shave your dog too close
- A pet's coat is designed to keep it cool during the summer and warm in the winter.
- By shaving your pet, you usually interfere with this built-in temperature regulation.
- You need to resist the urge to shave your dog’s coat too short in summer as this makes their skin more exposed and at risk of sunburn.
Never leave your pet in a parked car
- The summer sun has more risks to your pet than just sunburn, its heat is also dangerous for your pet.
- Never leave your pet unattended in a parked car for any time even if you have the windows partially open.
- Even on a moderately warm day the temperature in a car can exceed 48 degrees in a matter of minutes which can be dangerous or even life-threatening to your pet's health.
Consider using clothing for sun protection
- An alternative to using sunscreen to protect your dog from getting sunburn is investing in dog sun protection.
- Protective clothing such as a rash shirt cover large areas of their bodies and give your pet UPF protection against the sun.
- Protective clothing is a great option for active short-coated breeds as they save you the worry that your pup will lick or wash any sunscreen off.