
Taking care of a dog requires being aware of many factors: its food, education, rest, company … A person who assumes the responsibility of welcoming a little furry at home must do so with the total guarantee of being prepared for it. Ensuring your health is always important and summer is no exception, especially because of the impact of the sun and rising temperatures.

Direct exposure to ultraviolet rays can be harmful to a dog’s skin, just as it happens with our skin. Therefore, if you wonder if sunscreen for dogs is really necessary, from we recommend that you continue reading this article. You will not only discover if it is necessary to use it, but also how the product and its application should be.
Do dogs need sunscreen?
Questioning whether you can put sunscreen on a dog as it happens with humans is common in those people who take care of one or several. Without a doubt, they do need it, because dogs get sunburned. Although their fur offers protection from ultraviolet radiation, dogs have body parts with less hair.
In these body areas of sparse fur, they have a greater sensitivity to sun exposure. The muzzle, abdomen and ears are some of those parts. In addition, short-haired, fine-haired and light-toned dogs are naturally more predisposed to skin burns because lightning strikes more easily. It should also be borne in mind that there are breeds of dogs without hair or with very little hair, so they have their skin much more exposed to the sun and the environment in general.
Therefore, the use of sunscreen in dogs is very important, especially if you know that yours will spend many hours exposed to the sun. Sunburn can cause various physical damage to dogs and, in the worst case, trigger diseases such as skin cancer.
What a sunscreen for dogs should look like
You may be wondering what sunscreen dogs can use. The truth is that it is as important to use sunscreen for dogs as the quality of the product. Under appropriate conditions, you can apply a good human protector as long as it contains a protection greater than 30 and is free in its composition of harmful substances for dogs such as PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid) or zinc.
However, there are currently specific blockers for dogs on the market, manufactured to respect the pH of canine skin. In addition, they are hypoallergenic. Even so, before buying a sunscreen for dogs, it is convenient that you consult with the veterinarian to recommend which is the best sunscreen for your dog’s skin.
Another aspect to consider is the importance of reading the ingredients with which the sunscreen for dogs has been made before buying it. Some substances are especially harmful to the animal, so they should be avoided in the sunscreen you apply.
In the article on Heat stroke in dogs: symptoms and treatment we teach you how to prevent and treat heat stroke in dogs.
When and how to apply sunscreen to my dog
The million-dollar question now is how to put sunscreen on my dog. It may seem more complicated than it really is. Anyway, in OneHowTo we want to help you achieve it with the following recommendations:
- Do not use an excessive amount because the product is only effective if the skin of your little furry manages to absorb it correctly. You should also keep in mind that, if you apply too much sunscreen, you can lick or even ingest the product.
- Apply sunscreen only to the most sensitive areas exposed to radiation. They will be the parts of the body with the least amount of hair, such as the tips of the ears, around the muzzle, abdomen or the back areas of the legs.
- Apply specific sunscreen for dogs before going for a walk in areas where there is a high incidence of radiation.
- Read and follow the recommendations of each manufacturer. Most creams and sunscreens for dogs should be applied periodically because it loses effectiveness approximately two hours after application.
- Observe your fury’s skin frequently to check for sunburn. You should be alert if you detect a redness of the most sensitive body areas of the dog after it has spent several hours exposed to the sun.
Other ways to protect a dog from the sun
In addition to using sunscreen, there are other ways to protect your dog from high UV exposure. Here are some of them:
- Avoid walks with your little furry in the hottest hours of the day or when solar radiation is very intense.
- Keep your coat: do not cut it excessively for aesthetics, since one of its great functions is to keep it protected from the sun.
- You can also opt for the use of thin t-shirts, designed specifically for dogs. The main purpose of these shirts is to protect the dog from the sun by preventing radiation from penetrating the canine skin. You can find them in specialized stores.
Now that you’ve learned all this about caring for your dog’s skin in front of the sun, we encourage you to discover more about caring for their skin by reading this article about Aloe vera for dog skin: benefits and how to apply it.
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