Are All Ice Melt Safe For Your Pets?

The winter season is coming and with its arrival, a lot of challenges for the people in cold areas of the United States are also arriving. While the children would be dreaming of playing with the snow and making snow angels, the adults must be worrying about the driveways and rooftops covered with snow and looking for ways to melt the ice.

But here’s the thing, not all the ice melts are good to use, especially if you have pets in your house. Ice melts are usually made of different kinds of salts like-

Pet Safe Ice Melt

Sodium:

Sodium chloride is one of the cheapest ice melts and so it’s also the most used ice melt. It’s effective to almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, they can be severely harmful to children, pets, and even the environment.

In the case of pets, sodium chloride can cause sodium toxicosis and if taken in abundance, it can be extremely dangerous. Also, dogs ingesting too much sodium chloride ice melt can result in it developing hypernatremia. Hypernatremia is caused because of a high level of sodium in the blood and can lead to dehydration, tachycardia, tachypnea, and sometimes even death. 

Calcium:

While Calcium Chloride is the most effective ice melt as it covers the widest range of temperatures. However, it can be very dangerous for pets as it takes the moisture from the air and can cause dry paws, local discomfort, and many gastrointestinal issues. So it’s advisable to avoid using calcium chloride in the places where pets spend a lot of time.

Gaia Enterprises Inc. delivers 100% pet-safe and environmentally friendly winter products. Safe Paw, our flagship product, is the #1 selling pet-safe ice melt that does not harm pets, safe if ingested, and safe on all types of concrete.

Magnesium:

Magnesium ice melt can work even in extremely cold areas. However, when the temperature starts dropping below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the melting process starts getting slower and may even stop at some point. This means that you may have to wait for a long time before the area is completely ready to walk or drive on. 

Now if we talk about pets, magnesium ice melt again fails the test. It is very harmful to pets, children, adults, and the entire environment. Here are some of the harmful effects of magnesium chloride-

• Irritation in eyes.
• Burn and irritation in the skin when touched or ingested.
• Respiratory problems.
• Gastrointestinal issues and diarrhea.

Now even if the pets don’t consume these common ice melts purposely, they might simply walk on the recently treated area and then lick their paws. This, in turn, can cause major health issues and can even lead to death if ingested in abundance.

Conclusion: Are All Ice Melt Safe For Your Pets?

The answer is obviously NO. Not all ice melts are safe for pets or even humans. You have to be careful before choosing the right ice melt for your house. Before you start looking for how to make ice melt for yourself, be sure you’re choosing the right ingredients. The best idea here is to choose something non-toxic and chemical-free. And that’s where we recommend using Safe Paw. So before the winters arrive, start spreading Safe Paw. 

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