Home » Can dogs get sunburn or is my Bull Terrier too cool for that?

So, if dogs obviously cannot sweat a lot, why is it often recommended to provide enough water when it’s hot outside?

Can dogs get sunburn or is my Bull Terrier too cool for that?Dogs try to cool themselves through panting. During panting they can breathe up to ten times as fast as normally. But this “cooling system” often sounds much more impressive than it is effective in reality.
Many people are afraid that their dogs will be passing out from hyperventilating when they notice heavy panting. Yet, in contrast to humans a dog’s breathing is very shallow during heavy panting. That leads to a completely different situation comparing a panting dog with a hyperventilating human and the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in their bodies.
and the chances of a dog passing out from it are very low.

BUT, dogs are losing moisture (fluids) while the panting.
Therefore: Always make sure to provide plenty of water on hot days to prevent dehydration, even though your dog is not able to lose lots of sweat.

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If they have a yard or a patio, but no pool or their dog does not like deep water, many people buy those plastic children’s pools and fill them with just enough cold water for the dogs to lie in the puddle in order to cool themselves. Many Bull Terriers also like to play with water jets. Just give it a try with a water hose. Or just wet your dog in the shower, before you go outside to play in the sun. The drying water in the fur will help to provide for a small, pleasant cooling effect.

Last but not least, please remember to NEVER EVER leave your dog in the car during warm summer days!!! It can quickly be fatal!

Find some more information on how hot surfaces and environment during summer affect our dogs and how to deal with the problem here.

In terms of sunbaths and overheating this race definitely goes 1:0 for the humans, because we can use sunscreen and we can sweat like crazy, while dogs can’t.

Our dogs need a little help from us for the sun days to also remain fun days.
Happy summer days in the sun with your furry friends!

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Olivia Morrissette
2 years ago

It’s good you’re addressing sunburn, especially for a breed that has so many almost-all-white members! BT owners do need to keep this in mind.
However, I’ve never heard of using the standard capillary-refill-time (CRT) test for sunburn–neither for dogs or for people. In people it’s normally applied to the nail beds to get a rough idea of tissue perfusion in a patient who might be suffering from decreased perfusion, and usually the refill time is counted in seconds, and noted. If your dog’s sunburned skin is pressed briefly, the area should blanch like any skin, I would think, and then return to its burned appearance. You should be able to merely glance at your dog’s skin and tell it’s gotten some sunburn.
(I am NOT a veterinarian. Just a registered nurse who sometimes throws her opinion around.)

Keep up the good work. 😊

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