We live in the South, and that means lots of scorching sunshine during the summer months. Love it or hate it, all that sunshine comes with health risks for both you and your pets.
I am going to go out on a limb here and presume that all of you dislike sunburn as much as I do. In fact, my family calls me the “sunscreen queen” because of my love for SPF 50. I am constantly urging my family to put on sunscreen because a sunburn hurts and can lead to other, more nasty problems in the future, problems like skin cancer.
What may come as a surprise is that your pets can get sunburned too. Dogs and cats are susceptible to sunburn, especially white-coated animals. However, all animals that like to sunbathe on their backs are at risk as they are exposing their less protected tummies to the hot sun. An animal’s stomach as well as the tips of their ears and noses are the most common places to see sunburn on pets.
Just like with humans, skin cancer is also a concern for pets. Both cats and dogs can develop skin cancer, including melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Oh, did I forget to mention heatstroke? Pets can suffer from this condition too and it can be dangerous, even deadly.
So, what can you do to protect both the people and the pets that you love?