This time the topic is pet-friendly or "pet safe" ice melts. There are now MANY varieties available; a wonderful increase in products since just a few winters ago. It's become very easy to find at local pet stores, hardware stores and grocery stores as consumer demand has increased. Please invest in this important item for the health and safety of your pets and all the other dogs in your neighborhood.
Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I sent out to my clients this week in anticipation of our first winter storm of the season:
ICE MELT: MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE USING PET-FRIENDLY ICE MELT ON ALL AREAS NEAR YOUR HOME!!
You don't want to track the other "chemical" stuff into your house for them to have access to (it also ruins your floors), and you don't want them walking on it outside. Chemical ice melts BURN! Just try sticking your bare hand in a bucket of it. When dogs walk on it, it burns the pads of their paws, can get stuck in between their toes and in the hair on their feet and continue to burn. They will try to lick it out looking for relief and if ingested it can make them QUITE ILL...especially the smaller dogs. Every winter I see at least one dog go to vet due to this issue. Even if they don't seem to react to it when actually walking on areas with chemical ice melt, over the long term it can dry their paws out to the point of dry, cracked sores on their pads later in the winter. Unfortunately it's unavoidable if you walk them on public sidewalks or streets, municipalities do not use pet friendly stuff. Here are some tips to combat this problem:
*Use only pet-friendly ice melt on your own property and front sidewalks;
*Encourage your neighbors to do the same;
*If you hire a snow-removal company for your own private home, find out what kind of ice melt they use and if they are using the chemical stuff, ask them if they can switch to pet-safe material. If they cannot accomodate this request, provide them with your own pet safe brand and insist that they use it on YOUR property
*If you live in a condo or apt. complex that is dog friendly and allows pets, talk to site manager about the issue and see if you can at least get the snow removal or maintenance crew to use pet-safe stuff on walkways, if not also the driveways;
*When you come back inside from a walk, rinse your dog's paws in warm water or wipe them thoroughly with a moist pet wipe or some sort warm damp compress (getting between all their toes) as soon as you come inside - being sure to dry their paws off thoroughly afterwards;
*Use one of the many products available in local pet stores such as "Musher's Wax" or the other new one that comes in what looks like a roll on deodorant dispenser to provide a protective coating to your dog's pads prior to walking outside;
*Booties...great idea, I've never seen them work with any practicality, but if your dog will go for it, give them a try;
*Keep checking your dog's paws periodically over the winter and moisturize as needed, picking a moisturizer carefully to avoid toxicity issues - they can ingest it by licking it off, and dogs absorb things into their systems through the pads on their paws;
*When walking your dogs on heavily salted areas, try to keep them off to side in the snow;
*If dog starts jumping around and acting up, whining, hopping around from foot to foot, refuses to walk or shows any other signs of distress, get them into snow immediately and use it to start cleaning out the areas between their toes and paw pads;
*DO NOT LET YOUR DOGS EAT SNOW ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR SIDEWALK WHERE CHEMICAL ICE MELTS HAVE BEEN PUT DOWN!! Spreaders can throw that stuff MANY feet from the edge of road, you can't see it in a snow bank, and if dogs eat snow with ice melt in it, it can wreak havoc on their stomach and digestive system;
*If your dog is a breed with furry paws, long hair or a lot of hair between their toes, you may be of the mind that more fur keeps their feet warm and protected. I've found that, conversely, more hair traps more snow, which makes their paws COLDER, and it also traps ice melt. My suggestion is that paw hair be kept trimmed and neat and on the shorter side. The dogs I see suffer the most discomfort every year in winter are the ones with really furry feet.
Hoping this helps you keep your pets happy and safe in the winter weather!
Helpful Product Suggestions:
Musher's Wax: http://www.musherssecret.net/
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