we saw a mid size chocolate lab walking in the street along 46th collapse in the snow yesterday. it lay there on it's side with it's feet quaking in the air. i thought it was a result of the cold/snow.
but doing a search for "rock salt + dogs" you get lots of hits with phrasing such as: "lime rock salt and calcium chloride salt can irritate the foot pads and cause vomiting and diarrhea when licked."
kc
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [email protected]
Sent: 1/24/2005 5:51 PM
Subject: [UC] Question for other dog companion-people
The stuff people use for ice and snow on their sidewalks -- the white
round things more than the salt crystals -- seems to cause pain on
canine paws (thermal? mechanical?). I noticed several people with
limping dogs during the day today. And I know it happens with mine. I
usually stop and brush off the bottom of the paws when this happens.
I have a set of dog boots -- enough for one but not both dogs but it
doesn't matter because the remedy seems as distasteful to them as the
pain.
Any suggestions? Does anyone know if any of these snow melting products
actually more or less problematic than others? And, if so, would some
kind of awareness campaign help?
Always at your service and ready for a dialog,
Al Krigman
PS: We use salt crystals because I think they're less harmful to pets
and also to the environment, but I have no data showing whether this is
a valid assumption.
