Would You Ever Dye Your Dog?

Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, was recently spotted out and about with a canine companion. Seems fairly normal, right? Eh…except for the fact that the dog had been dyed a ridiculous shade of bright pink.

Yes, ladies, the latest craze in the land of the celeb is to give your dog a dye job. Seriously. And like any strange A-list trend, the topic has sparked a fierce debate.

There are the people who are labelling the practice as nothing more than some “creative grooming” and who insist that the dying process is completely safe for the doggy participant. And then there are the people who disagree.

It’s important to note here that some vets have started to voice their concerns that even if the dye is perfectly safe for dogs, by choosing to change the colour of their pets, dog owners are altering the way their pooches look and smell to other canines. As a result this could have a negative impact on their social skills and how they are accepted by other species of their kind.

We hate to think of any dog being excluded for playtime simply because he’s rocking an electric blue Mohawk, so therefore, we’re inclined to say that rather than putting dye on your pooch, the only thing you should be doing is protecting him or her.

Which brings us to our next bit of doggie-related news – the Daily Mail reports that new research has shown that dogs are just as likely to get skin cancer as people. And, worryingly, a third of all tumours in dogs are sun-related.

But before you start dousing your pooch in the factor 50, a word of warning. Human sunscreen contains a chemical that is highly toxic to our furry friends and vets strongly advise against using it on your pet.

So what can you do to keep your beloved best friend safe, aside from keeping Fido locked up indoors all summer?

Well an American pet company has just developed some doggy-friendly sunscreen that is the equivalent of a decent factor 15.

The sunscreen, made by Petkin, can be bought in mist, wipe or stick form and is designed to keep your dog safe from any harmful UV rays. Plus your dog won’t turn an unnatural shade of pink or green in the process. Score.

For more information about doggy sunscreen check out www.petkin.com and remember to keep your pooches well-watered and well-cooled if the weather picks up over the next few weeks.