Helpful Tips to Cool and Prevent Your Pet's Sunburn

It does seem pretty weird that pets would get sunburn with all that fur and hair but pets can get sunburn on the tips of the ears and noses and their stomachs, any place where the fur is thin. Just like humans, pets can develop painful, sore sunburn, which could lead to cancer. White haired pets and those living in high altitudes are more likely to get sunburn. So, if your pet gets sunburn make sure you follow these helpful tips to cool the sunburn.

To ease the pain, spray the area with cool water every 30 minutes. Some dogs will like this cool treatment, others who don't like water will run away but they'll get use to it. Plus, during the hot summer heat it will feel very refreshing. Another helpful tip to cool your pet's sunburn is to put a cold compress on the burn to cool the pain. Hold the cold compress against the sunburned area for a few minutes, keep rewetting it every few minutes to keep the compress cold. You can do this as often as you like. You can also give your pet a bath in cool water mixed with colloidal oatmeal, which works well to cool your pet's sunburn.

Applying some witch hazel to the sunburn area will cool the area quickly. Use a cotton ball or other type of small cloth and apply it to the sunburn area three or four times a day. You can also keep the sunburn area moist. Sunburned skin is dry skin, so applying a number of skin moisturizers will help cool that area. Apply a small amount of skin moisturizer to the sunburn two to three times a day. The best type of gel or moisturizer you can use to cool your pet's sunburn is aloe vera. Aloe vera not only cools the sunburned area but it helps to heal it quickly. You can use the plant or the gel or lotions from the stores. Apply a small amount two to three times day.

You can also try to use some over the counter medications, like Lanacane. Apply a small amount to the sunburn. However, contact your vet if you have a cat because these medications can be dangerous for felines. Following these helpful tips will cool and heal your pet's sunburn, but there are a number of helpful tips to prevent your pet from getting sunburn. So, when you apply your sunscreen apply some to your pet. Pet stores have sunscreens for pets but you can use the ones for humans, just make sure you feed your pet after you apply it so they won't lick it off. Avoid using any sunscreen that has PABA or zinc oxide in it. It can be dangerous if your pet licks it or swallows it.

Another helpful tip to prevent your pet from getting sunburn is to beware of the hot times during the day. When the sun is blazing down, it would be a good time to bring your pet indoors. Also make sure the blinds or curtains are drawn during the hot times of the day if your pet likes to sit by the window. When it gets too hot, your pet will find their way to the doghouse or any shaded area. You can make sure your pet has enough shade outside or a doghouse to prevent them from getting sunburn.