winter walk dog safety!
please wipe your pups paws after taking them on a winter walk. un-purified rock salts contain traces of heavy metals such as mercury and lead. however, most municipalities in north america use ferrocyanide (a form known to cause cancer) as an anti-caking agent to facilitate the spreading of rock salt and prevent clumping. these ice melter toxins combined with antifreeze (ethylene glycol, that’s been spilled onto roads/sidewalks/driveways) are known to irritate pets who lick their paws and ingest these chemicals in harmful quantities after their winter walks. dogs that have stepped in antifreeze will be inclined to lick it because it smells and tastes SWEET.
antifreeze poisoning symptoms:
- lack of coordination
- excessive drinking and urination
- gastrointestinal irritation
- coma, seizures, and/or deathrock salt poisoning symptoms:
- burns to the mouth
- dehydration
- raw and sore paws
- liver and kidney failure
- pancreatitisprotect your furry four legged pals this winter season!! i had a dog ingest antifreeze after licking some off someone’s driveway and it was heartbreaking watching his condition worsen while on the way to the vet. he ended up being treated and made full recovery but i would have been devastated if it was anything other than old age that took him from me. stay safe!
A lot of stores sell a pet-safe ice melter to use on your own driveways and stairways! (It’s Morton that produces it - same brand that makes a ton of table salt.) I can’t speak much for other brands, but Morton’s Saf-T-Pet ice melt is PROVEN to be very gentle and safe for them. I know for sure you can get it at Walmart, PetSmart, and at mortonsalt.com itself.
(Bonus: Saf-T salt is even safe for plants, and won’t damage your car’s metal exterior, concrete fillings, or any metal decorations or tools, the way chloride salts will!)
Also, even if you wipe off enough to not hurt their insides when they groom themselves, their paw pads are still extremely sensitive, and being exposed to all the ice and chemicals can hurt their pads long before you wipe it off. :c So I HIGHLY recommend not only wiping their paws off, but also rubbing in a pet-safe oil.
~ Don’t let their paw pads dry out! (That can cause cracking, bleeding, and general irritation and itchiness. It’s not fun.) Olive oil, salmon oil, and coconut oil are all perfectly safe for them to swallow (barring any allergies), AND very healthy for their skin!~ It’ll help keep their paws moisturized.
~ Lotions and salves that are made specifically for dogs’ paws really DO make a difference this time of year! A lot of them contain aloe and vitamin E to help the skin stay healthy, and fight off toxins and irritation itself. Personally, I’d go for the ones made with linolin and other additional herbs to help soothe away any itches and irritation.
~ If your pet’s paws are already already itchy and swollen, cracked, red, bleeding, or otherwise susceptible to infection: I highly recommend looking for a lotion with glycerin in the ingredients. Glycerin is an all-natural, nontoxic antibacterial that cleanses and softens, which will help prevent further irritation, and also prevent infection.
~ NOTE! Yes, dog-specific products can be a little more expensive than people products, ounce for ounce. BUT, dogs and people have very different skin pH. If you don’t want to take a trip out to the pet store to protect their paws, please avoid using human products as a substitution.
~ If your dog will tolerate them, waterproof paw protectors (shoes for pets) look a little silly, but they really do the job!
(via cthulhu-with-a-fez)
