What do you do when your dog has dry skin?

Question
I have a Sharpe'/pitbull mix and she likes to be outside (in the sun) most
of the day and it looks like her paws, the inside of her ears and on her
belly her skin is like raw, and red (sunburned? she's always trying to
lick it and scratch at it, do i just put moisturizer on it or leave it
alone or what?

                    thanks  

Answer
Hi Tristy,

Dogs are susceptible to the sunburn in areas that are not covered by fur, namely the nose, the tips of the ears, and the belly. Also, dogs with fair skin, short hair, or white coats are more susceptible to the sun than other dogs. The ultraviolet rays are able to penetrate the coat and attack the dog's skin directly.

If you've ever had a sunburn yourself, you'd know that it itches as it heals!

The use of a sunscreen is possible, but impractical. Your dog will almost certainly try to lick it off, and you wouldn't want that happening on a daily basis.(At least I wouldn't want my dog ingesting sunscreen daily).

Sunscreen can be a successful tool if you can get your dog not to lick it right off. There are only 3 rules to follow when using sunscreen on your pet.

1). Like humans, the sunscreen should have a SPF of 15 or higher to be effective. Although the higher SPF formulas offer more protection, they tend to be thicker and more difficult to work with on your dog. Apply the sunscreen 20 minutes before going into the sun.

2). PABA and Zinc oxide-containing products are dangerous to dogs. Therefore, find a sunscreen that does not contain theses ingredients. If you have trouble finding a brand, there are several canine sunscreens available. They are basically formulated the same as human sunscreen minus a couple of chemicals. Look for them online or at a large pet stores, such as PetsMart or PetCo, or online.

3). The longer the sunscreen is on your dog, the more beneficial it will be. Get a water sports sunscreen or something that is designed to stay on in the water, especially if you are taking your dog swimming.

The best trick to prevent a dog from licking off sunscreen (or any medication) is to make your pet forget that she has it on. The best way to do this is to put the sunscreen on right before the dog is given food, a treat, or goes out for exercise. If the dog is distracted immediately after the sunscreen is put on, there is a chance she will forget about it.

The treatment for sunburn for dogs is the same as human treatment.

First, get your dog out of the sun and into some shade. Prevention is much easier than treatment. Try to keep your dog out of direct sunlight, especially between 10 AM and 4 PM. Can you put an awning, tarp or protective gauze (shade cloth) up over where the dog is kept outside?

A bath of cool water and baking soda will help relieve the burn and the itch. You can apply 100% Aloe Vera gel directly to the sunburnt areas (make sure it's pure 100% Aloe Vera gel). It's safe if your dog licks it off, you can use it on yourself too. You can also dab some Witch-Hazel onto the sunburned area.

Sun-damaged skin is more prone to developing several types of skin tumors, which may need to be removed. Sun avoidance is very important in preventing the progression of the solar dermatitis (sunburn).

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,

Patti