A spray can drift past the exact spot you're aiming for, which is the case for a stick instead when the target is something as small as a dog's nose or the tip of an ear.

Petkin's Sunscreen Stick carries titanium dioxide at 6% as its active ingredient, set into a balm-style stick with mineral oil, microcrystalline wax and beeswax among the inactive ingredients, rubbed directly onto exposed skin. It's compared by the maker to an SPF15-rated sunscreen for people, and is suitable for puppies as well as adult dogs.

• 14.1g stick
• Active ingredient: Titanium Dioxide 6%
• Inactive ingredients include mineral oil, microcrystalline wax, beeswax and fragrance
• Compares to an SPF15-rated human sunscreen
• Suitable for puppies as well as adult dogs

One thing worth knowing. Petkin haven't given a reapplication schedule for this stick, so there's no maker's figure for how often to top it up — judge it by how long your dog is out in strong sun. It also contains fragrance, listed among the inactive ingredients, worth knowing if your dog reacts to scented products.

Who it's for: owners who want to target sun protection precisely on a dog's nose or ear tips rather than spraying it across the whole coat.