The importance of protecting your pets from sun damage: Tilly’s story

Unfortunately, many pet owners are unaware of the risk of skin cancer for their pets, often caused by the harsh New Zealand sun.

Animals with white or light-coloured coats are at higher risk than animals with darker fur and thicker coats, as they’re less protected from the damaging rays.

These animals often have less fur on areas around their noses, mouths and ears, so these spots are more susceptible to sun damage.

Tilly is just one cat who suffered from skin cancer on her ears. Coming into SPCA’s care, she was in a very bad way - thankfully our vet team were able to perform surgery to remove her ears, and stop the cancer from spreading further.

“Tilly’s condition could have been prevented if pet-friendly sunscreen had been applied regularly from a young age,” says our team. “Despite everything she went through, she made a wonderful recovery and has now found a loving forever home.”

Read on to learn more keeping your pets safe from sun damage!

How to protect your pets in summer

Sunburn can cause both short and long-term harm to our pets, so it is important to protect them wherever possible. Situations like Tilly’s can be minimised or avoided completely by taking simple steps:

• Use pet-friendly sunscreen: Do not use human sunscreen, as it can be toxic to our furry friends. Use a pet-friendly sunscreen on areas with thin hair cover that are likely to burn such as their noses, ears, stomachs, and around their mouths. Be sure to reapply the sunscreen every few hours, as animals are known to lick or rub it off!

• Shade: Encouraging your animals to play or relax in the shade is a great way to protect your animals from the sun. It is also important to have shaded areas indoors to protect animals who like to bask in the rays. This can be done easily by closing blinds or curtains

• Avoid the hottest parts of the day: To avoid the chance of your pets getting sunburnt, it is best to try and avoid being outside at the hottest parts of the day. If you have a dog, consider walking them at sunrise or sunset.

If you are concerned that your pet is sunburnt, please contact your vet in the first instance.