Do you need special sunscreen for dogs?
Nellie Kuphal
2025-07-31 02:46:18
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Dogs often spend considerable time outdoors during warmer months, and after heatstroke, sunburn is one of the most common risks for dogs with pale or thin coats. You may think a dog's fur provides enough protection, but this is not always true. Dogs with dark, dense coats usually have adequate natural protection against sun damage. However, Weimaraner puppies, for example, and other breeds with light coloured fur, short, fine coats, or areas where the skin is exposed are at more risk from UV damage and should have sunscreen applied to these spots when outdoors.
The market now offers sunscreens specifically formulated for dogs, which is the safest option since they are designed to avoid harmful ingredients and suit canine skin. If you choose a human sunscreen, please ensure it has no zinc oxide or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), both of which can be toxic to dogs if licked and ingested. Use a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to provide effective protection. A sunscreen providing broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays is essential.
Logan Gulgowski
2025-07-31 02:11:32
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Sunscreen protects dogs from sunburn, just as it protects us, but human sunscreens aren’t generally safe for dogs. Some ingredients in human sunscreens can be toxic to dogs, and we don’t want to risk that. Apply a pet-safe sun cream (ideally at least SPF 15) to any areas that are lacking in pigment or more exposed. These include your dog’s ears, nose, belly and thighs. Dogs with lighter coloured fur, a thin coat or no fur are more prone to sunburn as harmful rays will more easily get through to their skin. This also applies to dogs that have been shaved. The delicate skin around our dogs’ ears and nose is especially susceptible to sunburn – and therefore skin cancer – we need to take extra care to protect those sensitive areas.
Dane Toy
2025-07-30 22:31:56
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Yes, sunburn not only affects people, but it affects our pets too. Our furry friends most commonly experience sunburn on their ears, nose, eyelids, and belly. It’s important to protect them from the sun with sun cream/sunblock/sunscreen as sunburn is incredibly painful. Many companies out there have sun cream specifically designed for pets, you’ll be able to find cat sun cream, dog sun cream and even horse sun cream. Just make sure the sun cream is pet/child safe, SPF30 or higher, and waterproof. Sun cream made specifically for pets will help protect their skin against the sun. Some active ingredients in human sun cream are toxic to pets, for example, you’ll need to make sure that sun cream for your dog does not contain zinc oxide or para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), as these ingredients are toxic to our furry friends. This is why we recommend buying pet-friendly sun cream. You can even get pet sunblock with a bitter taste to prevent your pet from licking it off.
Read also
- What is the safest sunscreen for dogs?
- Can we use human sunscreen on dogs?
- Is there a difference between human and dog sunscreen?
- What ingredients should I avoid in sunscreen for dogs?
- What to avoid in sunscreen for dogs?
- Is zinc oxide sunscreen toxic to dogs?
- How to make dog safe sunscreen?
- Is there xylitol in sunscreen?