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Sun Protection For Dogs?


PoppyDog
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Poppy's nose isn't completely black. Each of her nostrels has a small pink patch about the size of pea. We get lots of comments about how cute it is but today I noticed one nostrel is a but red and scaby.

So I'm wondering if I need to be using some sort of sun protection on her nose? She was in the yard all day Friday and I'm thinking this is when she may have been sunburnt.

I'm pretty oblivious when it comes sun protection for doggies...Do I need pet suncream or can I use human stuff?

Do I put it on EVERYDAY without fail or only on days I know she will be outside?

I don't want her getting skin cancer later in life!

Thanks! :)

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If your dog is out in the sun alot and/or sunbakes then you'll want to use sunscreen, you can get animal sunscreen from most pet places.

I have a dog with 75% pink nose, he only gets sunscreen if we're going to be spending a lot of time in the sun, apart from that he doesn't get any as he's a dog with inside access 24/7.

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I use Filtabac.

Edit: I only put it on when we're out in the sun for prolonged periods or most days in summer. My girl's nose is black but she has pink skin above it, near her eyes and ears.

Edited by wuffles
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Having a bull terrier we're pretty careful when it comes to sun on her pink nose. We use the pet sunscreen (which like a thick zinc) on her nose. Because it's so thick it stays on a lot longer (I'm not sure about your dog but mine certainly isn't a fan of having it applied!).

I have been told baby/toddler sunscreen is ok in small amounts as it is gentler and has less chemicals than regular sunscreen

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It is really difficult to put sun screen on a dogs nose, especially where indicated on your photo, as they lick it off.

It would be better if you can keep the dog out of the sun between the hours of 9am to 3 or 4pm when the UV light is greatest.

Does the skin on the nose still have its architecture ie. does it still look 'cobbled' on the pink areas like it does on the black areas??

Lack of pigmentation is one thing but loss of architecture is a whole different problem.

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It is really difficult to put sun screen on a dogs nose, especially where indicated on your photo, as they lick it off.

It would be better if you can keep the dog out of the sun between the hours of 9am to 3 or 4pm when the UV light is greatest.

Does the skin on the nose still have its architecture ie. does it still look 'cobbled' on the pink areas like it does on the black areas??

Lack of pigmentation is one thing but loss of architecture is a whole different problem.

I just had a really good look at her nosey nose and the pink area doesn't look as cobbled as the black area.

It is hard to see in the artificial light though...

What does loss of architecture mean??? In terms of the problem???

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If you suspect that there is a loss of architecture ie. the nose looks smooth on the pink parts rather than the cobble stone effect of a normal dog nose then I would suggest you take the dog to a doggy dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis. Sometimes the pink areas become 'thin' and can get infected and/or bleed, etc. like the dog has skinned their nose.

Lack of architecture can indicate an immune system problem rather than just a depigmentation problem (which is fairly common in dogs).

So, if it is just a depigmentation problem then that's OK, if there is a change to the actually skin composition or architecture then it needs to be checked out by a vet that knows what they are looking at - ie. a skin specialist.

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I'm new to the forum and struggling a bit with the 'search engine', so apologies if this is answered elsewhere...

I have just acquired a Staffy female pup who is white with a lot of pink skin showing all over. The vet says she will be prone to skin cancer and we need to avoid her sun baking, walking in the 'sunniest' part of the day etc etc. Having an 11 year old male Staffy I know that laying on your back to get your belly warmed by the sun is a very 'in thing' to do for this breed... whether shade is available or not.

I work so am concerned about how to keep her skin protected, and someone suggested a 'sun suit' that covers tummy and inner thighs. Must admit I've never been a fan of these things (dog clothes) but now all and sundry are telling me tales about white dogs they know of that got skin cancer and fell off their perch far too young in life, so I feel we should look into.

I wondered if anyone else has tried a sun suit and found them effective - particularly with a Staffy as the large shoulders/chest mean you have to get a larger size than the back end would generally need. They are quite expensive and if it won't stay on or really isn't that good, I'd rather not go there.

Otherwise, I've noted the brands of sun screen for dogs mentioned here... and suspect we'll be going through a lot of it over the next 12 years or so...

Thanks

Susan (Tazzy and Lily's 'mum')

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I'm new to the forum and struggling a bit with the 'search engine', so apologies if this is answered elsewhere...

I have just acquired a Staffy female pup who is white with a lot of pink skin showing all over. The vet says she will be prone to skin cancer and we need to avoid her sun baking, walking in the 'sunniest' part of the day etc etc. Having an 11 year old male Staffy I know that laying on your back to get your belly warmed by the sun is a very 'in thing' to do for this breed... whether shade is available or not.

I work so am not always home to supervise, and concerned about how to keep her skin protected. Someone suggested a 'sun suit' that covers tummy and inner thighs. Must admit I've never been a fan of these things (dog clothes) but now all and sundry are telling me tales about white dogs they know of that got skin cancer and fell off their perch far too young in life, so I feel we should look into.

I wondered if anyone else has tried a sun suit and found them effective - particularly with a Staffy as the large shoulders/chest mean you have to get a larger size than the back end would generally need. They are quite expensive and if it won't stay on or really isn't that good, I'd rather not go there.

Otherwise, I've noted the brands of sun screen for dogs mentioned here... and suspect we'll be going through a lot of it over the next 12 years or so...

Thanks

Susan (Tazzy and Lily's 'mum')

Edited by Tazzy and Lily
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Susan, I know of a staffy owner that uses a sun suit on her predominately white/bl staffy. Not sure what the success rate is with it as she doesn't come to classes much. I've also seen her use sunscreen on his nose & ears.

I've always been concerned seeing dogs & cats with pink noses & how their owners cope with them. My aunt years ago had a white cat that had to have his ears cut off because of skin cancer. A lot of border collies, especially the merles have pink noses. My 1st border collie had a black nose, but the skin above what pink & when she was about 2.5 yrs old developed a sore that wouldn't heal. It eventually cleared up after the vet prescribed cream for it. Luckily with age the black pigment increased on her nose & the pick spot disappeared.

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