Sunbathing danger for dogs
QOur female Dalmatian, aged seven, seems to relish lying in the sun, even though we don’t encourage her. She finds a sunny spot to lie in when we aren’t looking. Is this dangerous for her skin?
AClimate change must now be very obvious, even to the most sceptical, with the record temperatures we are currently experiencing.
I anticipate we will be seeing a steady increase in sun-damaged skin in dogs and cats in the near future, especially in those that like to sunbathe.
Excessive sun exposure, especially between 9am and 4pm, does represent a health threat to dogs’ skin.
The first of these is solar dermatitis, very similar to sunburn. It affects lightly-pigmented, sparsely-haired areas such as the nose or ventral abdomen. The skin may become reddened and scaly and, if the exposure continues, crusts and ulceration occurs. These are signs of actinic keratosis – precancerous lesions.
The second health threat is skin cancer. There are several cancers that may be implicated, including melanoma, basal cell tumours and mast cell tumours.
The biggest risk is of a squamous cell carcinoma, which may develop from an actinic keratosis. Squamous cell carcinomas are non-healing ulcerative lesions that bleed easily.
Lightly pigmented dog breeds such as Dalmatians, beagles and whippets are at risk, and especially white English bull terriers. Prevention is the key, achieved by keeping the dog out of the sun, using dog-specific sun cream and getting prompt veterinary attention for any unusual non-healing lesions.
We both suffer from arthritis, as we are getting on a bit. Do cats suffer from arthritis too, and if so can anything be done? We have a 12-year-old male neutered cat. He is a bit slower these days but otherwise seems happy.
AUntil quite recently, I would have answered that arthritis is less commonly encountered in cats, compared to dogs.
However recent research has shown that it is very common in older cats, affecting as many as 80% according to some studies.
The clinical signs in cats can be quite subtle and may only show up on X-ray when the condition is advanced.
The fact that your cat is slower could be a sign, and often owners discount this as a natural part of ageing and don’t consult their vet.
There are other signs to look out for, and if it’s possible to video your cat at home this would be immensely useful to show your vet.
Depending on which joints are involved, an arthritic cat may have trouble jumping up or down, going up or down stairs or chasing a moving object, and be less playful or more aggressive when picked up.
Other signs might include trouble sleeping and using a litter tray, or regularly grooming.
If a cat begins displaying any of the above signs a veterinary check-up is certainly recommended.
There have been major advances in pain management. Response to treatment is useful diagnostically, with new drugs able to make arthritic cats much more comfortable.