Vet School 101 Sunscreen summer dreaming is now a reality for our pets

Yeah, it’s getting hotter out there. Here in Miami it’s already too hot to run while the sun is out. Basic gardening and goat-tending has already bronzed my exposed limbs. And swimming training will soon see my back turn five shades lighter than the front of me (even 50 spf can’t control some things).

Skin cancer checkups with my dermatologist are on my yearly calendar. But how about our pets? Should we be worried for them, too?

Yep. It’s time we became aware that some pets are susceptible to the sun’s rays. While their densely haired skin (relative to ours) protects them well, it’s not always a certainty they’ll avoid sunburn in exposed areas.

Here are the major risk groups:

1-White or light-colored cats’ ear tips and noses.

2-Pale-colored pets with thinning haircoats (due to allergies, thyroid disease, etc.)

3-The barely-haired bridge of the nose just beyond the smushy wet tip.

These pets should be sunscreened. But until now, no sunscreen has ever been approved for use in dogs. Though I’ve still always recommended baby sunblock and full-sun avoidance for these high-risk patients, I’ve had to warn my clients of their potentially toxic effects.

Zinc oxide, for example, should never be used. It can cause a profound anemia when ingested in even seemingly small quantities. Baby products don’t contain the zinc but there’s always a risk.

After all, when tests have never been done on pets, it’s impossible to know whether even baby products are safe to use on them. Some dermatologists have taken my approach and recommended their use anyway. For example, Dr. Mark Macina, dermatologist at the Animal Medical Center in New York, has been using Bullfrog on his patients with no untoward effects.

But now there’s been more work done to ensure our pets’ safety with these products. The FDA has even granted approval to Epi-Pet’s Sunscreen (only for horses and dogs, though). Doggles has a 15 spf spray out and Nutri-Vet carries a 15 spf lotion and spray.

Though baby stuff may work just as well at half the price, they really might be toxic when ingested. The pet-approved products are probably your best bet—definitely best if your pet has a licking fetish.

As with all sunscreens, frequent re-application is necessary, as is the use of a significant quantity.

So do you feel safer now or did I just give you one new thing to worry about? Well, at least you know what to do this summer when Fluffy’s new close summer crop leaves her pink skin exposed to the UV rays. Enjoy!

May 9th, 2008

Add Comment16 Comments

I must admit to being surprised by the fact that no sunscreens are approved for pets (In the USA, I assume).
I live in New Zealand and sunscreen for animals is readily available at our Vets. (It states itself as being for use on Cattle, Horses, Dogs and Cats)
I used to use in on my Hamiltonstovare's muzzle, which was white and used to get too 'pink' for my liking. There is a withholding period before slaughter which obviously is only intended for the animals which were intended for consumption, but I still used to get *the lecture* at the vet <g>.
It's good to know that little ol' NZ can be a trailblazer in some ways.
I can only assume that the criteria for testing for suitability differ between our countries (or perhaps the USA have been a bit slow to realise that there might actually be a market for the product ?).
New Zealand is a far more rural country than America (I imagine), but to be honest I cannot think of any farmers who would use it on their cattle. It is very thick and unctious and if you're getting a horse (or dog) ready for a show, it really made the white glisten, until of course they put their nose to the ground and all the dust sticks to it, then they look gross LOL

Alison May 9th, 2008 02:38:00 PM

I live in a newly constructed neighborhood in Texas, so there's not much by the way of shade - yet. I try to walk my dogs before/after sunset during the "dog days" of summer (ha ha), but that's not always feasible. So I'm excited to hear that their noses and ear tips (and belly, for my sun-loving basker) will soon have coverage for their sensitive parts. Trouble is, one of my dogs is a LICKER, and I'm not certain that it will do any good!

Shasta May 9th, 2008 02:48:00 PM

Daytime walks are almost done here in Phoenix. My poor little black doggie just burns up in the AZ sun.

I tend to give my dog ice water in the summer…is this a good idea or is just fresh cool water better?

I either freeze a big hunk in a tupperware container and add it to her water, or I take those blue gel-packs and put the bowl on top of it.

Another water question…I have a 'reverse osmosis' water purifier, but I wonder whether if it is better to give tap water that does not have the fluoride stripped out. It never occurred to me until my Dentist asked me whether I used RO water because of the fluoride issue.

Larry May 9th, 2008 03:07:00 PM

wow.. Thanks a lot for the advise.. I didn't consider the possibility that my guy might burn.. He's a buff colored cockapoo.. with fine hair, pink skin, and a light brown nose.. Where can you get the sun tan lotion.. Even though we are on Long Island, we bike on the weekends.. and I mangaed to enforce wearing a cap with visor, and sun glasses.. but am worried about his back..

barri May 9th, 2008 06:12:00 PM

Yea! My pitbull loves to sunbathe and his entire nose is almost bald and will burn. I'm so excited to know I can do something safe. Although I'm still hoping to train him, as I did my now-deceased white cat that the head does not go in the sun.

Juli May 9th, 2008 10:45:00 PM

our salon shaves down a TON of dogs in the summer, from pugs and chihuahuas to Labs and Malamutes. we always recommend sunscreen to these owners... i mean, this is VEGAS, it's hot out there! it's the Malamutes, Huskies, and Eskimos that worry me the most... i mean, they NEED that hair to protect themselves from our insane vegas heat!

charity May 9th, 2008 11:14:00 PM

Are these products available over the counter or do they require a prescription?

M May 10th, 2008 02:28:00 AM

M and all of you who asked: It's over-the-counter and you can get them by clicking the links in the post and placing an order--unless you have a groomer like Charity who carries them.

Dr. Patty Khuly May 10th, 2008 07:36:00 AM

None of these products are for cats though! Rats. To the NZ woman - what's the name of the product available in your country?

CathyA May 10th, 2008 08:58:00 AM

CathyA: Epi-Pet is working on an FDA approved product for cats. In the meantime, I'd use baby stuff with no zinc on the ear tips only--skip the nose where she'll easily ingest it. I'd try Baby Bullfrog since the derm at AMC likes it.

Dr. Patty Khuly May 11th, 2008 10:26:00 AM

thanks

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