The sun

May 27. It’s  Sunscreen Protection Day.  And did you know that just like humans, we dogs can get sunburned?  AND too much sun can lead to skin cancer?! It’s reportedly most dangerous for white, short haired breeds like Dalmatians and Bull Terriers.  I see that some sites claim that we coated dogs like PONs and Picards are at less risk for sunburn, but certainly areas like noses and ear tips could be susceptible to sunburn if we are outdoors all day.  With dogs with fair colored noses, who are light in color with a short coat,  the sun CAN definitely be dangerous, so those dogs, who are outdoors between 10-4, should probably have sunscreen applied. Sunscreen should be applied on ears and noses, around the lips and on the belly and groin area. 

There are sunscreens specially formulated for dogs.  Dogs should NOT use human sunscreens that contain zinc oxide or  para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA).  These ingredients are TOXIC to dogs if we lick the stuff.  So do NOT use sunscreens with these in gredients.  At all.  I have NOT used this product, but apparently it is good for dogs...

http://www.epi-pet.com/sunscreen.aspx

Alternatively, if your canine kid is going to be outdoors for a long time, a body suit could be used.  Oh joy. Oh happiness.  Wouldn’t we just LOVE that? Humans need to be aware though, that we dogs can get heatstroke if outdoors for too long in the heat.  And that’s really no joking matter.  And I hate to burst the bubble for those folks who think that shaving their double coated dogs in the summer will keep them cooler.  On the contrary - it can expose them more to the sun. To avoid this problem, if you must shave your dog, keep at least one inch of coat to protect your dog from the sun’s rays. I know that many PON owners DO shave their dogs to cut down on grooming and for dogs who love to swim ( which is neither PON in THIS household ) a shorter coat has less drying time, and there is less likelihood of getting a hot spot.  But try to keep that one inch of coat. 

Things are SLOWLY returning to “normal” here at the zoo.  Although at 3AM on Saturday morning, Cone-head was feeling uncomfortable.  So he started squeaking.  My human took ALL of us out ( one at a time) and we each got a treat.  Thanks to Cone-head for his dramatic performance.  In addition, my human is now able to allow Cone-head and Butt-head to be in the same room for a longer period of time without chaos erupting.  By Saturday afternoon, Cone-head was not squeaking, and Butt-head was not lunging.  Things are looking up.

Have a good one.  Peace and paws up.

Seizure- free days: 11