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In the winter remember that not all ice melt is the same

By Kimberley Spinney

BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 17: Dogs play with a frisbee in near white-out conditions on the Boston Common on December 17, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. More than a foot of snow is expected in the Greater Boston area as Winter Storm Gail delivers snow, rain, sleet and high winds up and down the East Coast. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - DECEMBER 17: Dogs play with a frisbee in near white-out conditions on the Boston Common on December 17, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. More than a foot of snow is expected in the Greater Boston area as Winter Storm Gail delivers snow, rain, sleet and high winds up and down the East Coast. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) /
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Winter months mean breaking out the ice melt, but is it pet safe?

During the winter months, ice and snow can be a challenge when walking your dog. But it is the ice melt that can be the real hazard. In fact, there are any number of de-icing products that can actually do more harm than good when it comes to our dog’s paws.

In their safety tips for walking your dog safely during the winter, DogTime even pointed out that it is not only important to be shoveling our walkways and sidewalks, but when using an ice melt, we want to make sure it is pet safe.

While ice melt is a great tool for de-icing the pavement and steps, the salt that helps to melt the ice can actually burn our dog’s paws. And knowing that the salt can cause burns, means that even if you do try to get it off quickly, it can still cause problems. Basically, even if it doesn’t cause a lot of damage, it can be rather uncomfortable and the last thing we want is to make our pups feel bad.

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Pet safe ice melt makes keeping our sidewalks clean dog-friendly

When shopping for a de-icing product to keep the ice off the walkways and stairs, you’ll definitely want to look for one that is marked safe for dogs and cats. And there are definitely products on the market that are clearly marked as pet safe, including Safe Paw Ice Melter for Dogs and Cats, which can actually be purchased on Chewy.com.

Looking at the Safe Paw ice melt, it is clear that this product is not only non-toxic, making it safe for our pets to walk on, but it is also effective in getting that ice out of the way. As an added bonus, the fact that it is green, makes it easy to see where you have spread the de-icing product, which is always important when trying to get back inside from the cold.

Related Story. How to make dog-friendly eggnog. light

Did you know that ice melt can be hazardous to our pup’s paws? Do you look for pet safe products for winter? Tell us in the comments.

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