You may have heard about how not using sunscreen might be harmful to dogs. Although most breeds are protected by their coat, all dogs have areas without hair, others with very little or very fine hair, or even some so-called naked breeds that have at most a light coat on their bodies. Therefore, the sun’s rays can harm them, just as they do people.
Should I protect my dog from the sun?
As we have already mentioned, exposure to direct sunlight, especially during peak hours, can be harmful to our dogs. Solar radiation is capable of causing irritations, reddening and burns, even serious ones, on the skin. In dogs, even in the hairiest ones, the sun can damage particularly sensitive areas, with little or no hair. We are talking about the ears, especially the tips, the muzzle, especially the nose and the area around the mouth, the abdomen, the armpits or the groin. There will be much more risk in hairless dogs, with very fine, white or short hair or light skin, since the sun’s rays will fall much more easily on the skin.
In addition, as with people, exposure to direct and unprotected solar radiation is related to the appearance of different types of skin cancer. For all these reasons, it is a good idea to protect your dog from the sun, especially on the days and at the hours of greatest radiation and, at least, in areas with little or no hair, if you cannot avoid exposing him to direct sunlight.
What is the best sunscreen for dogs?
Once the importance of protecting our dogs from the sun’s rays is understood, it is essential to choose a good sunscreen. The best sunscreen for dogs will be one that, first of all, is suitable for your dog’s breed and, secondly, has a certified high sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 and, ideally, 50.
When to use sunscreen for dogs?
We should not only use sunscreen in summer, when we walk in the mountains or even in winter the sun also has a negative impact on the skin. We have already been pointing out throughout the article which are the cases in which it is more convenient to resort to a sunscreen for dogs. These are the following:
When our dog is going to be exposed to direct sun.
For example, if in the middle of summer he is going to take a nap on the terrace, in the garden, on the balcony or, in general, in any place where he is going to be directly exposed to the sun.
If we are going to take him outside in the sun when we take him for a walk or go out with him on an excursion to the mountains or to the beach.
Remember that, although the dog is in the water, it is still receiving the sun’s rays. Likewise, during these hours it is advisable not to take him out in areas where the ground is hot, since he could suffer burns on the pads of his paws.
When the outdoor activities are in the snow.
The sun’s rays are also dangerous in these environments. If your dog has no hair or has very little or very short hair, if its coat is white, has shaved areas or if you have cut its hair too short. This includes dogs with problems that cause some areas of their body to have insufficient hair. These are dogs with alopecia, allergies, dermatitis, scars, etc.
In addition, you should know that some drugs are photosensitizing, hence it is advisable that dogs under treatment with them are protected from the sun. These are, for example, some NSAIDs, antibiotics, diuretics or antifungals.
Overall, it’s important to use sunscreen to protect your dog, and to pick the right sunscreen for your dog.
