Walks don’t stop just because it’s chilly, so pet owners need to take precautions when bringing dogs outdoors during the winter. Rock salt and other deicers can be harmful to your furry friend. The following guide explains the dangers of rock salt and how you can keep your pet safe.

What Makes Rock Salt Dangerous?

Rock salt contains a variety of chemicals, such as magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and calcium magnesium acetate. Many of these chemicals are irritants. The pads of your dogs paws are very sensitive. By coming into contact with rock salt, the crystals can cause irritation, inflammation, soreness, burning, and infection. Rolling around in snow or puddles of melted ice may also cause irritation to other parts of your pet’s body.

If your dog licks the ground or their paws, and ingests rock salt, they may drool and experience nausea. Ingestion of a significant quantity of salt may result in lethargy, dehydration, diarrhea, disorientation, seizures, and possibly death. Although some products claim to be pet-friendly, it is ideal to keep your dog away from all deicing agents.

How Can You Protect Your Pet?

Even if you don’t use deicing agents on your sidewalk and driveway, you’ll likely come across them when walking around your neighborhood.

Thankfully, you can take steps to keep your pet safe from the dangers of rock salt. Watch for salt-covered walks and streets. Don’t let your dog drink from melted puddles of snow. Fit your pet with a set of dog boots to keep their paws off salted pavements. If they won’t tolerate footwear, check and clean their paws every time you come back inside. Also, trim the fur on their paws regularly to prevent salt crystals from clumping.

At home, don’t use rock salt. Use a shovel, snowblower, snow-melting mats, or sand mixed with a small amount of salt instead. And lastly, always keep any container of rock salt sealed and out of  your pet’s reach.

If your pet ingests or gets burned by rock salt, call Oak Crest Animal Hospital. This veterinary clinic provides a full range of pet health services to cats and dogs across the Greater Cincinnati area. Their compassionate and knowledgeable team is dedicated to providing personalized, top-quality care, whether your pet needs nutritional counseling, surgery, vaccinations, or an annual wellness exam. Visit them online for detailed information about their services. To schedule an appointment, call (513) 574-3647 today.