The winter season can bring beauty, skiing, sledding, and fun, but it can also include snow covered sidewalks, icy roads, and chilly mornings with your furry friends. Many communities try to get ahead of the snowfall and treat the sidewalks within our communities. Treating these surfaces helps avoid accidents and falls but can harm your pet while out on your morning stroll.
Unfortunately, these snowy winter conditions can hurt your pet. A jagged piece of ice and sharply formed areas of snow can damage our furry friends’ paws, and many commonly used deicers, such as calcium chloride and sodium chloride, can hurt their feet, and some are toxic if licked. But don’t worry, snow doesn’t mean that our friends can’t take a quick bathroom break, a short walk, or that playdates shouldn’t occur…
How can I protect my dog’s feet?
Owners might attempt to watch their pet during these months closely. They might also be cleaver and get special snow booties. Rather than living with these toxic materials on the sidewalks and streets, many communities opt to use a safer solution.
Communities should look to adopt a quick, easy, and safe solution for deicing that is gentle on your dog’s paws, without toxic chemicals, like Morton Pet Salt. While this salt can be more expensive than normal deicers, it is a safe solution if you have many homeowners with pets in the community.
If your communities don’t adopt pet-friendly deicer, homeowners must clean their pets’ paws when coming in from outside. Many dog experts recommend dipping their paws into warm water and toweling them off immediately after coming inside. Another recommendation is to apply paw protectant to your dog’s paws before being out in-climate weather. There are many DIY options on the internet; if you’re interested in making some protectant for your pet, check out this video by McCann Dog Training!
Check out the video below with a few pet safety tips to keep in mind during the winter seasons!
