Sunburned? My dog? You must be joking! In spite of the protection offered by the fur, the skin of the dog would not be free from the damage caused by the blazing sun. Just as with humans, spending hours under the blazing sun would be dangerous to dogs too. Dogs, of course have the fur as protection but just as with the clothing of humans, the fur too would be an inadequate shield against the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun. Aside from the health benefits, exposure to some amount of sunlight will keep these animals happy. If only dogs can talk they would tell the world that they love to frolic under the heat of the sun. Unfortunately, a dog that stays too long in the sun would be miserable because of sunburn.
What are the signs that would tell you that the pet has sunburn? When the cute pink nose turns red so that you would think the dog had become Rudolf, the red nosed reindeer. The ears are less covered with hair and more exposed to the sun thus it would dry up, crack and curl. After the burn, the affected skin will appear white and kind of leathery. These symptoms will be shown if the dog's sunburn is superficial. Deep partial thickness and full thickness are more serious types of sunburn. Blisters and sores would be seen in the severely burned skin. Hospitalization is necessary for these two types of serious sunburns. Skin grafts may be necessary if a large percentage of the dog's body was burned.
For minor or superficial types of sunburn, the dog can be treated at home. For ease of application of medication and for easy monitoring of the healing of the burned skin, it would be best to shave the hair on the affected area. To prevent infection, iodine must be applied to the burned skin. Burn ointment is then applied to the burned area.
One effective home remedy for sunburn is aloe vera. An aloe vera ointment or the juice of the fresh plant can be applied to the burned skin for soothing coolness. Gel squeezed from a fresh aloe vera leaf is applied to the affected skin.
Another first aid treatment for sunburn is to apply oil squeezed from a vitamin E capsule as this treatment is believed to speed up the healing process. Vitamin is as well proven to reduce scarring. The pain and the itch caused by the sunburned skin will make the dog miserable. Adding oatmeal and baking soda to the bath water of the dog would lessen the pain and the itch of the sunburned skin.
What are the signs that would tell you that the pet has sunburn? When the cute pink nose turns red so that you would think the dog had become Rudolf, the red nosed reindeer. The ears are less covered with hair and more exposed to the sun thus it would dry up, crack and curl. After the burn, the affected skin will appear white and kind of leathery. These symptoms will be shown if the dog's sunburn is superficial. Deep partial thickness and full thickness are more serious types of sunburn. Blisters and sores would be seen in the severely burned skin. Hospitalization is necessary for these two types of serious sunburns. Skin grafts may be necessary if a large percentage of the dog's body was burned.
For minor or superficial types of sunburn, the dog can be treated at home. For ease of application of medication and for easy monitoring of the healing of the burned skin, it would be best to shave the hair on the affected area. To prevent infection, iodine must be applied to the burned skin. Burn ointment is then applied to the burned area.
One effective home remedy for sunburn is aloe vera. An aloe vera ointment or the juice of the fresh plant can be applied to the burned skin for soothing coolness. Gel squeezed from a fresh aloe vera leaf is applied to the affected skin.
Another first aid treatment for sunburn is to apply oil squeezed from a vitamin E capsule as this treatment is believed to speed up the healing process. Vitamin is as well proven to reduce scarring. The pain and the itch caused by the sunburned skin will make the dog miserable. Adding oatmeal and baking soda to the bath water of the dog would lessen the pain and the itch of the sunburned skin.
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