Sun and skin
Can dogs get sunburned?
Sunburn on a dog is easy to miss because it happens where you rarely look: the bridge of a pink nose, or a belly turned up to the sky on a warm deck. Here is which dogs burn, what it looks like, the protection that is safe for an animal that licks everything, and how grooming changes the risk.
Who burns
Pale skin under thin hair burns, and the damage adds up over summers
VCA's article on solar dermatitis, the medical name for sun damage to the skin, says it occurs mainly in dogs with white or pale patches of skin, and is more common in white-haired, short-coated breeds such as the boxer, the Dalmatian and the whippet. The areas it lists are the flanks, groin, armpits, top of the nose, eyelids, the sides of the body and the outside of the legs. Dark skin under a full coat is much less often affected.
It begins like a person's sunburn, with redness and dry, flaky skin, and VCA says that with continued exposure the skin can become crusted and ulcerated and may go on to a malignant tumor, squamous cell carcinoma. VCA also notes that a dog that lies mostly on one side tends to show more damage on the side facing the sun. That makes habit as important as breed: the dog that stretches out belly-up on a sunny deck every afternoon is the one to watch.
- The top of the nose, especially if it is pink
- The eyelids and the thin skin around them
- Belly, groin and armpits on a dog that sunbathes
- Flanks and the outside of the legs on a short, pale coat
- Any patch shaved for a clip, a surgery or a sanitary trim
On Cape Ann
On Cape Ann the sun finds dogs on decks, boats and shoulder-season beaches
Cape Ann dogs spend the strongest weeks of summer off the sand. At the time of writing Gloucester's public beaches are closed to dogs from May 1 to September 30, Good Harbor from April 1, and Rockport's from June 1 to September 15. So most summer exposure happens on decks, docks, boats, yards and long porch afternoons, and the beach exposure comes in the shoulder months: the bright late-April days at Wingaersheek and the first weeks of October, when the beaches reopen to dogs.
The hours are the same everywhere. The EPA advises people to seek shade from late morning through mid-afternoon when the UV index is moderate or higher, and says that when your shadow is shorter than you, UV levels are higher. VCA's advice for dogs prone to sun damage is to keep them indoors between 10 AM and 4 PM on sunny days. For a pale dog, that is the window to plan around, whether you are on a mooring in Gloucester Harbor or a lawn in Essex.
Protection
Dog-safe protection is shade, timing and a shirt before any cream
Start with what cannot be licked off. Plan outdoor time before 10 AM and after 4 PM on sunny days, put shade where your dog actually lies, such as an umbrella on the deck or a canopy on the boat, and, as VCA suggests, use a light T-shirt or sunsuit on a pale, thin-coated dog for longer stretches outside. A dog that loves to sunbathe can be steered to a shaded bed by moving the bed rather than arguing with the dog.
Sunscreen comes last, and only with your vet's agreement. VCA warns never to use a human sunscreen on a dog without checking with your veterinarian first, because some products may be toxic to dogs, and a dog will lick whatever you put on its nose or belly. Ask your vet whether your dog needs a sunscreen at all, which kind is safe for a dog and exactly which patches to cover. Do not improvise with whatever happens to be in the beach bag.
- 01
Find the pale, thin-haired skin on your dog: nose, eyelids, belly, groin and flanks
- 02
Move long outdoor time to before 10 AM or after 4 PM on sunny days
- 03
Set up shade where your dog lies, at home, on the deck or on the boat
- 04
Use a light T-shirt or sunsuit for long stretches outside
- 05
Ask your vet whether a sunscreen is needed and which kind is safe for dogs
- 06
Check the pale patches each evening for redness or dry, flaking skin
Grooming and the vet
Coat length is the groomer's lever; crusts and sores are the vet's
The coat is a dog's built-in shade, so the most useful thing a groomer can do for a sun-prone dog is leave enough of it. If your dog sunbathes or has pale skin, say so at check-in before a summer clip or a sanitary trim, and ask for length to stay over the belly and flanks; our answer on shaving a dog for summer explains why a close shave is not the cooling fix it seems. A full-service groom at Dogtown is $75 to $120 by size, with no evaluation needed.
What a groomer should not do is treat damaged skin. Redness that has not faded by the next day, crusts, scabs, raw or bleeding patches, or thickened skin on the nose or belly need a vet, and VCA notes the vet may recommend a biopsy if there is concern about cancer. For daycare in July, tell the front desk at the free evaluation if your dog burns easily; on the hottest days the playgroups move onto the indoor play floors anyway.
- Redness that is still there the next day
- Crusts, scabs or flaking that keeps coming back
- Raw, bleeding or ulcerated patches
- Thickened or rough skin on the nose or belly
At Dogtown
A summer coat that still covers the skin
Grooming that keeps length where pale skin needs it, and daycare days that move indoors when the sun is fierce.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can dogs get sunburned through their fur?
Can I use my own sunscreen on my dog?
What does sunburn look like on a dog?
Do dogs with dark skin get sunburned?
Should I shave my dog so it stays cool in summer?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- VCA: solar dermatitis in dogs
- EPA: UV index scale
- City of Gloucester: beaches
- Rockport beach and park regulations
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
A summer groom that keeps the shade on
Book online and tell the groomer at check-in if your dog sunbathes or has pale skin.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
