PETS: DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

By now, most humans know to wear sunscreen. But what about pets? "Just the fact that animals have fur doesn't mean that the sun can't harm them," says the Humane Society's Nancy Peterson. In fact, light-colored dogs and cats are susceptible to sunburn, particularly on their noses and ears, and have been known to develop skin cancer.

A handful of companies, including Doggles, make sunscreen specifically for pets ($9.95 for a two-ounce SPF 15 spray; doggles.com). But Dr. Rusty Muse of the Animal Dermatology Clinic in Tustin, Calif., says water-resistant (read: lick-proof) lotions for humans work just as well. He ad-vises an SPF of at least 15, the same minimum recommended for those with two legs. Apply the sunscreen at least once a day (depending on how much time your pets spend outside) to areas where hair is thin and pigment is lacking, like the nose, ears and stomachs of sunbathing animals. You might also consider the practical advice of Dr. Henry Childers, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association: keep your pet in the shade as much as possible.