EVEN PETS CAN FEEL THE BURN

Britains' summers are getting hotter. Put it down to global warming or the hole in the ozone layer but sunny days are officially here to stay. Great... but the trouble is all that sun brings problems for us AND our pets. Cases of human skin cancer are on the increase, so much so that there's a marked trend against the tan as the height of fashion. Taking care in the sun is cool - but how many of us remember our pets?

Cats suffer the most from the increased ultraviolet rays that summer days bring. It's the tips of their ears that catch the burn. Feline sunworshippers with all-white or white-tipped ears are most at risk. To begin with, the tissues of the ear become sore and tender but if left untreated these early tissue changes progress to an unpleasant skin cancer, squamous carcinoma. Treatment can involve hormonal steroid administration to slow up the rate of tissue change or, at worst, amputation of the affected ear. So it is better by far to prevent the sun causing biological havoc by applying high factor sun block to the tips of the ears. It may sound odd but your cat will be grateful and it is a simple preventive measure that all owners of white cats or cats with white-tipped ears should consider.

Sunburn can be painful for dogs too. You would think all dogs' noses were the same colour; black or brown, but you would be surprised how many have a lot more pink than you might imagine. It is the pink around the nostrils that is at risk from the sun. Increasingly, vets are tattooing the pink with black pigments to make them safe, although regular application of modern sunblocks can be just as effective.

Interestingly, it's not only domestic pets that are at risk from sunburn. Cattle,particularly Friesians, are great consumers of calamine lotion in the summer months. It's all to do with what they eat. As they nibble through the hedgerows, they come across St Johns Wort (Hypericum perfoliatum), and while St Johns Wort is much sought after by fans of alternative medicine for its stress relieving properties, it doesn't help the poor Friesians much. In fact it gives them the most horrendous peeling sunburn all over the white patches of their bodies. It does this by releasing photosensitive chemicals into the bloodstream. Exposure to sunlight does the rest and in no time the Friesians are frazzled.

Summer sun will also give pets heat-stroke. Pets should never be left in parked cars, which turn into lethal ovens on sunny afternoons, and even at home or on the beach it takes very little heat to make animals feel unwell. Thick furry coats, especially black or dark-coloured ones, absorb heat readily, leading to excessive panting and often collapse. Some animals are so badly debilitated by the heat that only a rapid hosing down with cold water brings them round and saves their lives. On really hot days, therefore, pets are probably best left at home, where they can find some shade and relax.  Not that all pets are bothered by the heat. Some positively enjoy it. There is no sunworshipper like a tortoise. Their whole physical activity is regulated by heat. The hotter it is the more active they are, and as male tortoises enjoy nothing better than chasing the girls, it can get a little noisy in the garden!

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU TAKE EXTRA CARE WITH YOUR PETS IN THE SUMMER SUN....THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON YOU.

   PETS PARADE..TIPS YOUR PET WILL LOVE YOU FOR  

                DONT GO FOR THE BURN.... SUN SAFETY FOR YOU TOO   

                PASSPORTS FOR PETS.....TAKE YOUR PET ON HOLIDAY

                ANIMAL MAGIC!..............THE HEALING POWER OF ANIMALS

FOOTNOTE! IS THIS WHY BUNNIES DON'T GET SUNBURN? Slapping on the factor 15 is a MUST if you are off for a spot of sunbathing, but did you know you can further reduce the risk of sunburn by nibbling a few carrots>? Research shows that caratenoids, found in carrots, can offer protection of between factor 2 and factor 4 from harmful rays. So get crunching now!!!!

24/03/01