5 tips for keeping your dog or cat cool during the summer
2. Throw shade. Provide easy access to shade outside as well as indoor comforts, especially during the heat of the day.
Drummond notes that it’s not uncommon to see skin cancer and dermatitis in dogs and cats caused by too much and too frequent sun exposure. “We do see white cats who go outside get solar dermatitis — what we call it when it’s sunburn that’s repetitive and actually causes skin disease,” he says. “They’ll often get it at the tips of their ears because they don’t always know how much exposure they’re getting.
He advises against all products that essentially forces pets to use them. For example, while he has no problem with air-recirculating or air-conditioned dog beds — “those kind of passive things are great because the dog can choose to use them or not” — he doesn’t like the idea of putting pets into doggy summer clothes. “I’m sure that someone’s got some fabulous product with wicking athletic fabric, but for the most part they kind of come with their own clothes, if you will. You’d be better off using shade.”
Drummond also doesn’t recommend applying sunscreen to dogs. “It’s not something that I want them to lick off, and it’s probably not good for their skin that needs to breathe.”
Image Credit: monkeywing/Flickr
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