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Piel y pelo

Solar dermatitis

Skin damage caused by sun exposure, similar to human sunburn. It affects areas of pale, sparsely haired skin and, over time, can progress to skin tumours.

Moderate🐕 Dogs🐈 Cats

Symptoms to watch for

  • • Reddening and flaking on areas of pale skin (nose, ears, belly)
  • • Crusts and wounds that do not heal
  • • Thickened skin over time
  • • In chronic cases: lesions that may become tumours

Causes

Repeated sun exposure in animals with pale skin, white coats or hairless areas. White cats (ears and nose) and dogs that sunbathe a lot lying down are the most affected.

Diagnosis

Examination of the skin. If there are suspicious chronic lesions, a biopsy is taken to rule out a tumour.

Treatment

Avoid the sun during the middle of the day, protect the pale areas (pet-specific sun protection), and treat the lesions. Tumorous lesions require surgery.

Prevention

Always have shade available, avoid the sun between midday and 5pm, apply sun protection to areas of pale skin, and keep an eye on the nose and ears in white cats.

When should you see the vet?

See your vet if there are crusts or wounds that do not heal on the nose or ears, especially in pale-skinned animals — they can turn cancerous.

Consult a vet

WetAi guides you and takes you to the vet; it does not diagnose.

Notice: this information is for general guidance and educational purposes only. It does NOT replace diagnosis or treatment by a registered veterinary surgeon. If you notice any symptoms, always consult a professional. Wallapets accepts no responsibility for the use of this information without veterinary supervision.

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