Do Dogs Need Sunscreen?

Your pet’s coat serves as a form of protection. Whether it’s a breed with a silky coat like a Maltese, a curly coat like a Bichon, a smooth coat like a Boxer, or a double coat like a Husky, fur helps repel water, provide insulation, and block out heat in the summer. Your pet’s fur can even protect the skin against UV rays, but it does have its limits. Despite its multi-functional nature, a dog’s coat does not offer full protection against UV rays, making sunscreen essential for dog skin health.

Dog sunscreen can safeguard your pet against painful sunburns and significantly reduce their risk of developing skin cancer. Let’s take a closer look at canine skin care and how the right sunscreen can offer UV protection for dogs.

A Brief Look at Canine Skin

While a dog’s skin performs many of the same functions as human skin, there are some key differences. Human skin is much more complex with multiple layers, including a thicker epidermis and a more developed sweat gland system.

Dogs have a unique distribution of melanin, which is responsible for skin color, and impacts their susceptibility to sunburn. Their fur does provide some natural protection but certain breeds with shorter or lighter coats are more vulnerable to UV rays. Certain areas of a dog’s body are particularly prone to sunburn, such as the ears, nose, and stomach.

Risks of Sun Exposure for Dogs

While many dogs enjoy lounging in the warm sun, long-term, unprotected exposure could be harmful to your pet’s health. Dogs that develop sunburn may exhibit a variety of symptoms, such as pinkish or red skin, tender or sore skin, and possible hair loss in affected areas.

Some pets may experience more severe symptoms, such as cracked, dry, or misshapen ear tips, rashes, infections, and skin ulcers. In particularly serious cases, dogs can become ill, develop a fever, and act unwell overall.

Chronic sun damage can change the appearance of the skin, a condition commonly known as actinic dermatitis or solar dermatitis. Particularly impacted areas of skin can become scaley, red, bumpy, or thickened. The appearance of these symptoms can indicate a higher risk of skin cancer.

When to Use Sunscreen on Dogs

Many different factors influence when and how sunscreen should be used on dogs, such as the breed and coat type, amount of sun exposure, and possible medical conditions that could increase their sensitivity to sunlight and UV rays.

Ideally, you should apply sunscreen to your dog whenever you plan to spend time outdoors. Hiking, beach outings, and extended outdoor play all warrant sunscreen application.

Certain breeds are also more susceptible to developing sunburn. This includes dogs with fair skin or thin or short coats. Breeds at a higher risk of sunburn include Boxers, Weimaraners, Bull Terriers, Dalmatians, Chihuahuas, Pitbulls, Greyhounds, French bulldogs, and hairless breeds like the Chinese Crested dog.

Choosing the Right Sunscreen

When shopping for dog sunscreen, examine the list of ingredients carefully. Avoid products that contain zinc oxide and octyl salicylate, common ingredients found in many human sunscreens that are toxic to animals. The product you choose should also be non-staining and fragrance-free. Similar to human sunscreens, look for a product that blocks both UVA and UVB rays, such as a SPF 15 or 30.

Dog sunscreens can be found in a variety of forms, such as lotions, sprays, and balms. No matter which you choose, be sure that the sunscreen is specifically designed for use on canines.

How to Apply Sunscreen on Your Dog

When applying sunscreen to a dog, focus primarily on areas that are directly exposed to sunlight, such as the tips of the ears, nose, groin area, and belly. Product can also be applied to any bald areas if your dog is aging or has skin allergies that cause thinning of the fur.

Alternative Sun Protection Methods

While sunscreen is the preferred way to keep your dog safe from UV rays, it’s not the only way. UV-blocking pet shirts and coats can also help keep your pet protected while in the sun. It’s also important to consider other summer threats to pets, such as heat. The use of shade and cooling solutions, such as cooling mats, can help prevent serious risks such as dehydration and heat stroke.

Other Pet Sun Protection Tips

If you plan to spend time outdoors in the sun with your pet this summer, be prepared for potential risks like sun damage and heat stress. While your dog doesn’t need to avoid the sun altogether, it’s best to avoid hours of high UV index.

Peak sun hours generally range from about 10 AM to 4 PM, at which time your pet should be kept indoors or under sufficient shade. Also, monitor your dog for sun damage. New abnormalities on the skin, such as redness, flaking, scaling, or hair loss may signify a health problem.

If you have any other concerns about your pet’s skin health or how to keep your dog protected in the sun, speak with your veterinarian. Your vet can recommend safe sunscreens for dogs and may suggest alternative methods for protecting your pet in the summer.