A poll of a wide selection of UK dog owners found 51 per cent are planning to take their pet on a summer staycation this year, with 88 per cent who purchased a pup during the pandemic taking them on their first holiday.
But 46 per cent didn’t realise dogs need sun protection, while 55 per cent weren’t aware of any potential side effects of their dog being sunburnt. And 70 per cent have no idea how much sunscreen to apply on their dogs.
Worryingly, 57 per cent never apply sunscreen when they take their dogs outdoors, while 40 per cent think it’s fine to use human sunscreen on dogs, despite these often containing chemicals that may be toxic to them. Following the findings, Hotel booking platform hoo has launched a campaign to encourage dog-parents to slather their prized pets with sunscreen to protect them from the sun’s rays.
Vet Dr Anna Ewers Clark, veterinary research and standards lead at national pet charity Blue Cross, has highlighted how important it is to get dog owners thinking about keeping their four-legged friends safe in the sun.
“Fur is a really great natural sun protector. But there are areas where they won’t have a lot of fur, and those are the key hotspots we worry about, like their ears and the tip of their nose. A lot of dogs’ bellies are sparsely furred. If you have a pet who has a light, very thin coat they are a lot more sensitive to sun damage.
“Plenty of dogs will naturally avoid the sun but not all of them. One of the biggest problems we see is with dogs who like to sunbathe. People love to see their pets lying out in the sun, they think it’s so cute. But even if it’s not a hot day, we know that temperature isn’t always linked to UV damage. If you go walking with your dog and take them to the beach, along cliff tops or even up mountains you don’t often feel the heat from the sun because you have a nice breeze.
“But the reflection off the waves and being higher up can make that risk higher. There is often not a lot of shade so your pet is forced to be out in the sun all day which they may love if they’re having a great day running around, but you don’t want them coming back with sunburn.”
Duncan McKenna, founder of hoo, which is giving away bottles of dog friendly sunscreen for every dog-friendly hotel booking made through the site for the next 2 weeks, said:
“More than three million households became pet owners during the pandemic, and many studies have shown how our pooches have got us through a really tough time. It’s only right that we take them with us this summer as many will be taking their first real break in two long years. It would be terrible for pooches to then not enjoy their time away due to dreaded sunburn that can be avoided. It’s a great way for the family to upgrade their experiences – pups and all.”
