Safe Sun Protection For Pets

Gracie’s Tips on Sun Protection: Be the Blueberry

Antioxidants you use on your skin or take as supplements or food may be one of the best protectors against the damaging effects of sun. Just as the dark skin and antioxidant content of blueberries protect the blueberry from harmful sun radiation, you can increase your antioxidant level and have more sun protection. Here’s how:

- Take Natural Cellular Defense every day. This mineral in liquid activated form is a fantastic antioxidant. It supports the immune system, balances pH and helps fight the damaging effects of free radical damage from the sun.

- Apply Natural Cellular Defense to skin. When used in conjunction with aloe vera, the effects can be even better to aid healing and sooth damaging effects of the sun.

- Eat blueberries! Antioxidant levels in blueberries and other fruits can help reduce free radical damage on the outside (your skin) and on the inside to keep you healthy. Don’t limit yourself to blueberries, though. Antioxidants can also be found in other foods. Ask Rosemary for a complete list and comparisons.

According to the Environmental Working Group there are some sun safety tips you should know.

Below is EWG  information with my slant toward Pet Health and Sun in red.

1. Quick tips for a good sunscreen.

Ingredients	Oxybenzone Vitamin A (retinyl palmitate) Added insect repellent	Zinc Titanium dioxide Avobenzone or Mexoryl SX
Products	Sprays Powders SPF above 50+	Cream Broad-spectrum protection Water-resistant for beach, pool & exercise SPF 30+ for beach & pool

2. But first things first – do these before applying sunscreen.

The best defenses against getting too much harmful UV radiation are protective clothes, shade and timing. Check out checklist:

	Don’t get burned. Red, sore, blistered (then peeling) skin is a clear sign you’ve gotten far too much sun. Sunburn increases skin cancer risk – keep your guard up!* Though dark skin and fur can help screen your pet from some harmful sun rays, you’ll want to minimize exposure to sun. Dogs are 35 times more likely to develop skin cancer than humans.
	Wear clothes. Shirts, hats, shorts and pants shield your skin from the sun’s UV rays – and don’t coat your skin with goop. A long-sleeved surf shirt is a good start.* Pet clothes in breathable fabric is available to help keep your dog cool and protected. I haven’t tried them, but would love to hear your feedback on this one.
	Find shade – or make it. Picnic under a tree, read beneath an umbrella, take a canopy to the beach. Keep infants in the shade – they lack tanning pigments (melanin) to protect their skin.* Sun’s rays can be deceiving when the temperatures are cooler or when the sky is cloudy. Just be aware of how much time your pet spends in the sun and keep an eye on exposed skin for thickening or itciness which indicate burns.
	Plan around the sun. If your schedule is flexible, go outdoors in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower in the sky. UV radiation peaks at midday, when the sun is directly overhead.
	Sunglasses are essential. Not just a fashion accessory, sunglasses protect your eyes from UV radiation, a cause of cataracts.

3. Now put on sunscreen – here are the essentials, beyond the quick tips.

Some sunscreens prevent sunburn but not other types of skin damage. Make sure yours provides broad-spectrum protection and follow our other tips for better protection.

	Don’t be fooled by a label that boasts of high SPF. Anything higher than “SPF 50+” can tempt you to stay in the sun too long, suppressing sunburn but not other kinds of skin damage. FDA says these numbers are misleading. Stick to SPF 15-50+, reapply often and pick a product based on your own skin, time planned outside, shade and cloud cover.
	News about Vitamin A. Eating vitamin A-laden vegetables is good for you, but spreading vitamin A on the skin may not be. New government data show that tumors and lesions develop sooner on skin coated with vitamin A-laced creams. Vitamin A, listed as “retinyl palmitate” on the ingredient label, is in 41 percent of sunscreens. Avoid them.
	Ingredients matter. Avoid the sunscreen chemical oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that penetrates the skin and contaminates the body. Look for active ingredients zinc, titanium, avobenzone or Mexoryl SX. These substances protect skin from harmful UVA radiation and remain on the skin, with little if any penetrating into the body. Also, skip sunscreens with insect repellent – if you need bug spray, buy it separately and apply it first.* Ingredients matter especially with your sensitive pets. Do not use human sunscreen with harmful on your pets. Many sunscreens are toxic to people and pets are even more sensitive.
	Pick a good sunscreen. EWG’s sunscreen database rates the safety and efficacy of about 1,400 products with SPF, including about 500 sunscreens for beach and sports. We give high ratings to brands that provide broad-spectrum, long-lasting protection with ingredients that pose fewer health concerns when the body absorbs them* These notes below are from Vetmedicine Sunblock Info for Pets By Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM 1) Use pet-safe sunscreens if possible. As of this writing, only one has FDA approval, and that is Epi-Pet Sun Protector. This is great news for dogs and horses, but unfortunately is not able to be used on cats. A feline sunscreen is being worked on, however, hopefully out within a year. I spoke with Lisa, the marketing director for Epi-Pet, and she said that two of the ingredients commonly used in sunscreens break down in cats to salicylic acid, a.k.a aspirin, a known toxin for cats. 2) Feline sunscreen protection is trickier. Avoid products with Octyl Salicylate, Homosalate and Ethylhexyl Salicylate (common sunscreen ingredients). Products containing Titanium Dioxide as an active ingredient are OK to use on ear tips and noses. This ingredient works by physically blocking the sun’s harmful rays, so it is not absorbed (much) by the skin. (This is in contrast to sunblocks that work to chemically block the sun’s ray.) The Epi-Pet spokeswoman said that this compound is toxic to cats if ingested, so caution is advised.
	Cream, spray or powder – and how often? Sprays and powders cloud the air with tiny particles of sunscreen that may not be safe to breathe. Choose creams instead. Reapply them often, because sunscreen chemicals break apart in the sun, wash off and rub off on towels and clothing.
	Got your Vitamin D? Many people don’t get enough vitamin D, which skin manufactures in the presence of sunlight. Your doctor can test your level and recommend supplements or a few minutes of sun daily on your bare skin (without sunscreen). * Encourage your body to make vitamin D. Take a high potency mushroom extract called Agarigold which is derived from Agaricus blazei murill mushrooms. The egosterols in these drops help support the immune system and help the body make Vitamin D.