Dangers of Ice Melt Salt
Sidewalk salt is a common cause of irritated paws in the winter. If you notice your pet’s paws are cracking or excessive licking, this may be a sign the salt is bothering your pet. More seriously, salt is harmful when ingested and can cause chemical burns. Dogs may attempt to lick their paws clean and, when doing so, ingest the poisonous salt. Take your pet immediately to the vet if they have symptoms of toxicity poisoning such as lethargy or seizures. Preventing your dog from ingesting salt is the best option.
How to Protect Dogs from Ice Melt
Rinsing paws after walks or having pet wipes ready by the door can prevent poisoning and irritated paws. To prevent salt from getting on your dog’s feet, protect his or her paw pads with boots or paw wax. We recommend Protex PawZ Rubber Boots. In our experience, they stay on best and dogs walk most comfortably in them. They also keeps paws dry and snowballs from getting in between paw pads. We also recommend Mushers for a paw wax that protects paws from cold weather and salt while also repairing dryness. If your pet is not a fan of boots, this is the next best thing. Lastly, although no ice melt is 100% pet safe, using pet friendly melt will be appreciated by your dog and neighborhood furry friends. Don’t let your dog eat ice melt or even snow slush on sidewalks and near roadways. If you see your dog licking his or her paws after a walk, they may need to be cleaned. Never leave your dog in an area with access to bags of ice melt.
We want to keep your pets happy and safe on our winter walks. To help us do that, please make sure to leave us cold weather items including boots, wax and pet wipes. We will use them!