Warning: This Common Winter Chemical Can Harm Your Pets!
What you didn’t know about this common way to remove ice from your sidewalks could harm your pets!
It may be almost March, but winter is still hanging on in many parts of the country. Of course we all want you and your family to stay safe, but if you use rock salt to de-ice your steps and sidewalks, not only are you harming the nearby environment, but you may also be making your pets sick.
Most rock salt is made from calcium chloride, which can not only irritate sensitive paws, leading to dry skin, cracking, and bleeding, but it can also cause more serious health problems when ingested as the pet licks their paws. Drooling, vomiting, and other internal problems can result, and, if your pet consumes enough, the salt can even cause seizures and death.
To keep your pets safe this winter, be sure to use only pet-friendly ice melting products. Here are a few ideas:
Urea products are less irritating to paws and if eaten, nontoxic to dogs (but oddly, poisonous to farm animals like goats and cows).
Ice melting products made with magnesium chloride are also gentler on paws than traditional rock salt, but not as much as urea, say veterinary experts.
Of course, even if you use a safer product, that doesn’t mean your neighbors do — especially since rock salt is usually more effective at very frigid temperatures. So be sure to check for rock-salt residue and wipe off your dog’s paws as soon as he gets back from a walk.
And if he doesn’t mind wearing booties, they now come in all sizes, colors and brand names for the fashion-conscious pup to show off to his friends on the block!
Read more at HealthierTalk.com….
