By Veronica Beltran

pet-friendly ice melt

How to not slip and fall on ice without your pets paying the price

Jan 3, 2020 | 2:22 PM

PRINCE GEORGE–Temperatures are fluctuating, one day in the positives and another in the negatives, making ice a commodity.

That can have us reaching for salt, gravel, or ice melt to keep us from slipping or falling on our bottoms but how are these products affecting our pets?

According to Joanna Koehler a Registered Veterinary Technician at Murdoch Veterinary Clinic, the main ingredients in ice melt, sodium chloride, and calcium chloride, are the two ingredients that can pose a risk to your pets.

“The salt can really suck the moisture out of the pads of their feet and then they can crack and possibly get an infection in there,” said Koehler, dogs are also at risk of ingesting the chemicals through the licking of their paws.

So how can you prevent your pet’s paws from cracking and bleeding and the ingestion of ice melt?

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Richard Bundock, Store Manager for Central Builder’s Supply PG told us that pet-friendly ice melt does exist, “the biggest difference between the pet-friendly and the non-pet-friendly…is sodium chloride or calcium chloride. They take those out, they use a different compound that is a little more friendly.”

If you do opt for the pet-friendly version though, your wallet may feel a little lighter after checking out, with the pet-friendly version selling for twice as much as regular ice melt.

Koehler mentions that there are workarounds though, with dog booties being an option, or laying out gravel and sand instead of salt or ice melt. Bundock mentions that depending on your needs, the purchase of ice melt (pet-friendly or non-pet-friendly), salt or gravel will vary from person to person.