Why dogs take so much sun

We already know that the dog is the best friend of man, but that does not mean that sometimes it is shocking to see them practicing activities that would normally qualify as human. One of these activities, which causes great curiosity in many people, is to know why dogs take so much sun .

If you have one of these pets, surely you will have noticed that at the minimum that a little light filters through the window your dog lies on the beam and receives its warmth with great pleasure. Do you want to know what causes the dogs to emulate such a human attitude? In the following article we will explain it to you.

Absorb vitamin D

Vitamin D is a type of vitamin capable of dissolving in both oils and fats, which means that once in our body, it is stored inside the fatty tissues of the body. The ways in which this vitamin is introduced into the organism of the dog is, basically, through food and through the light of the sun .

The enormous importance of vitamin D, both for humans and dogs, lies in the fact that this fat-soluble vitamin is essential for the absorption of phosphorus and calcium, which is essential for the normal development of both bones and muscles., especially in those muscular and corpulent dog breeds.

With this explanation, perhaps you can better understand the behavior of your dog when, after being sunbathing for a while, begins to smack the legs and body. This is because their coat prevents vitamin D from reaching the skin, by which, through licking, they absorb the oil with this vitamin that remains in the hair.

They feel happy

But the benefits of sunbathing for dogs are not limited to the capture of vitamin D, but sunlight is able to provide properties that are not only noticed on a physical level, it also affects them emotionally.

When they sunbathe dogs can produce greater amounts of serotonin . If you do not know, serotonin is a chemical neutrotransmitter produced in the dog's own organism, which also exists in humans, and whose functions are to stabilize the mood, I feel one of the most effective natural antidepressants. In this way, we could say that one of the reasons why dogs sunbathe is why doing it feels good .

They sleep better

Something that may surprise you is knowing that exposing yourself to sunlight helps dogs regulate their sleep cycles. The explanation for this should be sought in melatonin, the hormone that, as in the case of humans, is responsible for regulating the phases of sleep and wakefulness.

As happens in the case of serotonin, when dogs sunbathe their body can secrete more melatonin, making them sleep longer and that sleep is much more refreshing. So, sunbathing is one of the tools they have available to be more rested and feel much more active and healthy.

It is a source of heat

Obviously, heat is one of the main reasons why dogs like to sunbathe . This has special relevance in the cold months of the year, in which they find in the sun king an inestimable source of heat.

As you know, not all dogs are the same, nor do they have the same characteristics, nor do they have the same needs. That's why dogs with long fur or that are more adapted to cold like huskies, do not need to sunbathe to maintain body heat. In this sense, small dog breeds, as well as those with short dogs, are more sensitive to low temperatures and need more sunbathing for that purpose.

Remedy against joint pain

Osteoarthritis in dogs, arthritis and diseases and joint pains are very common conditions in many elderly dogs. If we take into account that as the dogs get older their skin becomes weaker and, therefore, they are much more sensitive to the cold and that the pain of those joints become stronger, this can turn into a problem.

However, dogs instinctively seek a natural remedy to alleviate those pains and that medicine is found in sunlight. When they sunbathe, the rays heat the skin and joints of the dogs, causing pain relief and not feel so much discomfort.

In the following article we explain how to know if my dog has arthritis.

It's good, but not in excess

So far we have been explaining the benefits for dogs to be exposed to the sun, now that dogs take so much sun does not mean they should do so unlimitedly and under any situation. As in the case of humans, dogs can also be applied the maxim that nothing is too good . Then we explain in what situations it is not good to take a lot of sun and what are the precautions that must be controlled when the dog sunbathes.

On the one hand, in those dogs that are in a growing season, the excessive intake of sunlight may end up causing them to absorb much more vitamin D than is necessary, causing excess calcium to accumulate that may eventually develop the jaw incorrectly., alter your teeth or affect the nervous, skeletal or muscular system. This does not mean that puppies are forbidden from the sun, they must take it, but they do not have to do it for many hours during the day.

Another case is that of dogs that have short, very short hair or white hair, for whom a very long exposure to sunlight can end up causing sunstroke and even skin burns. With these dogs we must have much more caution. Here we explain the measures we must follow for any dog:

You should always have cold water at your fingertips.
When it gets too hot, you see refreshing the head of your dog.
If your dog is short haired, in the market you can find different sunscreens for dogs.
Prevent the dog from spending too many hours in a row sunbathing.
Avoid taking the sun during the hottest hours.
Do not cut the dog, its fur is adapted to its behavior, if you cut the hair it will become more vulnerable to UV rays.
If you have any of the symptoms of heat stroke that we will explain next, remove it immediately and refresh it with water.

Heat stroke in dogs: symptoms

As in the case of humans, dogs can also suffer heat strokes. This means that the animal's body has become too hot very quickly. The causes can be multiple, for example, to practice very intense exercise, to live in a very hot environment or to expose oneself in a prolonged and excessive way to the sun. Heat stroke should be treated immediately, starting by removing the dog from the cause that originated it, otherwise it could lead to heatstroke and cause serious consequences, even killing the animal. The symptoms of heat stroke in dogs are: