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Sunscreen for Dogs

Want to get a sunscreen for dogs that is both safe and effective? It may be more difficult than you expected. Read this page for an evaluation of some dog sunscreens and see whether they are safe for your dog.

Sunscreen for Dogs

If you live in a place where it is mostly hot and sunny in the summer, you need to protect your dog from getting sunburn. One way to do so is to apply a sunscreen on your dog. However, the bad news is, not all sunscreens are safe to use.

According to a 2009 study conducted by the Environmental Working Group on 1,606 sunscreens for humans, 3 out of 5 brand-name sunscreens either do not protect the skin from sun damage, or contain chemicals harmful to our skin, or both!

If so many sunscreens for people are not safe for use, how safe are the sunscreens that are specifically made for dogs? After some research, I have collected information on sunscreen for dogs most commonly found in pet shops and drugstores. You may be surprised to see the results below.

An Evaluation of Sunscreen for Dogs

I have looked at several common brands of sunscreen for dogs and tried to find out the ingredients in each brand. As you will see, some products list only the main ingredients and there is no way to find out if those products contain any other ingredients that are unsafe.

For each ingredient listed on a product, I have checked the Environmental Working Group's "Skin Deep" Database for safety. In that database, each ingredient is given a "hazard score" on a 0-10 scale (0-2 low hazard; 3-6 moderate hazard; 7-10 high hazard), so if an ingredient has a score of 8, it means it is definitely not safe for use on people and by extension on our dogs.

Here's what I have found:

  • Epi-Pet Sun Protector Spray

    Ingredients: Benzophenone-3 (score 8); Ethylhexl Methoxycinnamate (score 4); Homosalate (score 4); Octyl Salicylate (score 3); Ethylhexl Salicylate (score 3); C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (score 1); Octylacrylamide Copolymer (score 0)

    Comments: Ironically, this sunscreen is said to be "the first pet sunscreen that is compliant with U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards." However, one of its ingredients, Benzophenone-3, has a high-hazard score. Other ingredients are causes for concern as well. In addition, it is a spray which increases the possibility of dogs inhaling the spray particles. Definitely not a safe sunscreen for dogs!
  • Doggles Pets Sunscreen

    Ingredients (Not All Ingredients Listed): Octyl Methoxycinnamate (score 4); DMDM Hydantoin (score 9)

    Comments: This product does not have all of its ingredients listed, but the two main ingredients have a moderate and high hazard score, respectively. It is also an inhalable spray. A definite no no!
  • Nutri-Vet Sun Defense Lotion for Dogs

    Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (score 1 to 5 depending on product usage); Dimethicone (score 2), Polysobate20 (score 1), Propylene Glycol (score 5), Polyacrylamide (score 2), Isoparaffin (score 1), Triethanolamine (score 7), Imidurea (score 7), Methyl Paraben (score 8), Propyl Paraben (score 4)

    Comments: This sunscreen for dogs has titanium dioxide as its main ingredient. Titanium dioxide is considered safe especially when not used in an easily inhalable spray. However, this product does contain questionable ingredients such as Methyl Paraben, Imidurea, and Triethanolamine. I would hesitate to use it on my dog.
  • Nutri-Vet Sun Defense Spray for Dogs

    Ingredients: same as Nutri-Vet Sun Defense Lotion

    Comments: I would hesitate even more to use this on my dog because it is a spray.
  • VetOne UVet Sunscreen Lotion

    Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (score 1 to 5 depending on product usage); Octyl Methoxycinnamate (score 4); Triethanolamine (score 7); Imidurea (score 7)

    Comments: This sunscreen for dogs has titanium dioxide as its main ingredient. Titanium dioxide is considered safe especially when not used in an easily inhalable spray. However, this product does contain questionable ingredients such as Octyl Methoxycinnamate, Imidurea, and Triethanolamine. I would hesitate to use it on my dog.
  • VetOne UVet Sunscreen Spray

    Ingredients: same as VetOne UVet Sunscreen Lotion above

    Comments: I would hesitate even more to use this on my dog because it is a spray.
  • Veterinarian's Best Sun Spray Sunscreen with Aloe Vera

    Ingredients (Only Main Ingredients Listed): Titanium Dioxide (score 1 to 5 depending on product usage); Zinc Oxide (1 to 4 depending on product usage); Aloe Vera (score 0)

    Comments: While the main ingredients are good, there is no way to find out if it also contains other more hazardous ingredients. In addition, it is an inhalable spray. I would hesitate to use it on my dog.

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Sunscreen for Dogs - The Last Verdict

Sunscreen for Dogs

As you can see from the evaluation above, there does not seem to be a single sunscreen product that is truly safe for our dogs! You may wonder if I am overly cautious about the safety of these products. However, dogs are more vulnerable than people in that they have smaller bodies, so even small amounts of toxins can wreak great havoc on their health. In addition, dogs tend to lick whatever is put on their bodies, making it much easier for them to ingest the toxins.

So what can we do? My suggestion is, forget about sunscreen for dogs and get a natural sunscreen for babies and use it on your fur-baby! Avalon Organics has a sunscreen called Avalon Organics Baby Natural Mineral Sunscreen, SPF 18. I can recommend it for the following reasons:
  • It has an SPF (sun protection factor) of 18 (you should look for sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher for your dog)
  • It is a lotion, not a spray
  • The main ingredient is Titanium dioxide
  • It is Paraben free
  • It is fragrance free
  • It contains a lot of natural ingredients good for the skin, such as sunflower and jojoba seed oils, organic green tea leaf, chamomile flower, calendula flower and ginkgo leaf extracts, aloe juice, vitamin E, and so on.
Give it a try!



Related Topics

Dog Sunburn
Dog Heat Stroke

References

Environmental Working Group's 2009 Sunscreen Guide (http://www.ewg.org/whichsunscreensarebest/2009report)
Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php)

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