Sunshine is important for animals but they need protection too. Veterinarian Trevor Zammit tells Claire Caruana it is crucial they are not exposed to too much sun as this may have an adverse effect.

While animals definitely need the sun to maintain their body temperature and absorb vitamins from the sun’s rays, too much sun exposure may be quite dangerous, just like for humans.

Owners need to ensure their pets do not spend long hours in the sun, especially in summer, as excessive heat may cause dehydration and heatstroke.

It might be common knowledge that pets should not be left inside a car, but Zammit says many might not be aware of how fast they can die inside cars, even though the windows are open.

“Dogs, for instance have very few sweat glands; the only sweat glands are found between their toes. Their mechanism of losing heat is completely different to that of humans. They only lose heat by panting, so keeping dogs in a confined space at a high temperature can kill them in a few minutes.

Excessive radiation causes cancer of the skin, especially on ear tips and the nose

“The amount of humidity in the air also plays a critical role. The higher the humidity, the less heat the dog can dissipate from its body and the faster it would die.”

The shape of the animal’s head, mainly of dogs, may determine how sensitive the animal is to heat.

“Dog breeds with flat faces such as the very popular pugs, shih-tzus and bulldogs have a damaged ‘radiator’, making these breeds extremely vulnerable to heat strokes in our hot and humid climate.

“A little bit of excessive exercise in a closed environment can induce a disease called brachycephalic syndrome in these breeds. If their body temperatures rises and exceeds 41˚C, the animal can be dead within minutes.”

The sun’s radiation helps pets’ bodies produce vitamin D in the skin and a deficiency of this may cause serious health problems. Yet overexposure to the sun’s radiation can cause various illnesses.

“Those animals that have white patches or that are completely white suffer the most. Like us, our pets can get sunburnt. But that’s not the worst aspect. Excessive radiation causes cancer of the skin, especially on ear tips and the nose,” says Zammit.

He points out that it is important to avoid excessive exposure all year round, not just in summer. He refers to cats which tend to spend hours lying in the sun in winter, which is just as risky.

“Do not be fooled, lying behind the window pane on the kitchen windowsill or inside our bedroom balconies is just as detrimental to our pets, since glass panes do not offer any protection from this type of radiation.

“The risk of developing a cancer known as squamous-cell carcinoma after such exposure is just as high as lying directly in the sun,” he says.

While symptoms of heatstroke and dehydration may be easily identified – animals tend to start panting excessively and drooling or even have fit-like symptoms and collapse suddenly – the effects of radiation are more difficult to recognise.

“The long-term effects of radiation may take quite some time to develop and cancer could develop on ear tips, nose and other parts of the exposed skin at a rather slow rate.”

Sunstroke can hit at any age but skin cancer can be mostly seen in pets over eight years of age.

“The first symptoms of squamous-cell carcinoma may be very misleading to the owner as they only look like little tiny red patches which might may seem harmless. But within a couple of months, these cancerous cells will start eating away into the skin and structure of the ears and noses, leaving open, bleeding, oozing wounds that are incurable and, if not treated with radical surgery, are surely deadly.”

In the unfortunate event that a pet has been exposed to too much heat, the administration of first aid can be life-saving.

“The first thing to do is to try reduce the body temperature and rehydrate the pet as quickly as possibly as the physiology of the animal allows. Owners should try to cool down their animals by wetting them with water while trying to get them to a vet as quickly as possible so that the necessary intravenous fluids are administered,” recommends Zammit.

“Unfortunately, heatstroke is a very common condition in summer and very serious damage can be caused to multiple vital organs of the body. In some cases, it can be quite difficult to save the animal.”

Protecting pets from radiation may be slightly more difficult than protecting them from heatstroke. Applying specially-developed sun protection lotions is a good starting point.

“These creams should be applied daily on the pets’ noses and ear tips; bellies should also be protected if the animal is short-haired.

“One can also buy specially designed caps that cover the ears and noses, as well as pet clothes.”

While exercising in the sun may be dangerous, it is not the only activity that is detrimental to animals’ health.

“Car trips and trips to the beaches in the afternoon should be avoided. Owners should pay particular attention to the fact that water in pets’ drinking bowls evaporates easily and so this should be replenished continuously, ensuring an ample supply of fresh water throughout the day.

“If pets have access to gardens and roofs, shade should be provided all day long. This should also apply to when we take pets on boat trips and to the beaches.”

It is also important to keep in mind that dogs may drink a lot of sea water while swimming, which aggravates the risk of heat stroke.